Jenny stopped at the top of the path that led up to Buffy's house. What am I doing here? What on earth am I gonna say to her? She thought about turning around and not going through with it. No, if I want to find Rupert, I have to see Buffy. If anyone will know, it's her. Then again, she might not be here either! Oh well, only one way to find out!
Purposefully, Jenny walked down the path and up to the front door. Briefly closing her eyes, she knocked on the door.
The door opened and Jenny's heart fell again. A girl of about fifteen stood there. "Yeah? Can I help you?"
"Does Buffy Summers still live here?"
"Why? Who are you?"
"Um, I'm an old teacher of hers and I'm looking for Rupert Giles. I thought she might know where he is?"
"Oh! You know Giles?"
"Yeah." Jenny nodded, feeling a little more hopeful.
"I'm Dawn, Buffy's sister."
Jenny's eyes went wide. "Her sister? I. . .I didn't know she had a sister."
"Yeah. Er, she's not in at the moment, but she'll be back soon." Dawn looked at the woman before her, and then up at the sun still in the sky. "You can come in and wait for her if you want?"
"Thanks." Jenny smiled at Dawn and followed her into the kitchen. "So, you know Giles too?" Dawn nodded. "Er, do you know where he is? I tried his old apartment but there's another guy living there now."
"Yeah, he's moved back to England."
Jenny's heart sighed in relief that Rupert was alive. She was about to ask where in England, when someone entered the kitchen behind her. Jenny turned around.
"Argh!" Xander jumped three feet in the air and then backed towards the hallway. His eyes wide in fright, he stammered, "W-what are you? Are you a zombie." Then he looked accusingly at Dawn. "What did you do? Please tell me you didn't try that spell again!"
"I didn't do anything. Why? What's wrong?"
"Dawn, move away from her quickly."
"It's okay Xander. I'm not a zombie," Jenny spoke calmly.
"Hmm, really? That's just exactly what you would say if you were a zombie."
Jenny rolled her eyes at him. "I see you haven't changed. It's nice to know something hasn't."
"What's going on?" Dawn demanded.
Xander pointed at Jenny. "Sh-she's dead."
Dawn looked at Jenny. "Well she doesn't look it to me."
"I'm not dead Xander."
"Then what are you?"
The front door slammed shut. "Hey guys?" Buffy breezed towards the kitchen. "Er, what's up Xander? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"That could be possible." Xander tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen. Buffy peered past him. Her mouth dropped open.
"Oh my God! How?" Xander shook his head.
"Hi Buffy!" Jenny said.
Buffy moved into the kitchen. "Oookay. You wanna explain? Are you a ghost?"
Jenny shook her head. "Mmm, no. I'm not a ghost. I'm alive."
"But Angel, er, Angelus killed you." Buffy stared at Jenny.
"I wasn't quite dead. I was in a coma. He broke my neck, but he didn't kill me. I. . .I only woke up a couple of months ago and I didn't remember anything. I didn't know who I was or what had happened to me."
"But we buried you," Buffy insisted.
"It wasn't me. My people foresaw what Angel would do to me and they came to warn me, only they were too late. So, they told me that they went to claim my body, and it was then that they realised I wasn't dead, but in a coma. So they took me to a hospital away from here, where they could watch over me. They let everyone still think I was dead, so that Angelus wouldn't come looking for me. I. . .I only found this out recently when I started to remember things and asked questions. I'm so sorry you all thought I was dead."
Buffy and Xander could tell from her eyes that she meant it.
"Okay, can somebody please tell me what's going on? Who this is?" Dawn asked.
"Er, Dawn, this is Ms. Calendar," Buffy introduced.
"The one who Giles loved! Whoa!" Dawn stared at Jenny. "Someone's gotta tell him."
"Er, yeah, you're right. And Willow too," Buffy agreed.
"Where is Willow?" Jenny asked.
"Oh, she's in England with Giles, recuperating," Xander explained.
"Recuperating from what? Is she okay?"
"She tried to end the world with black magic," Dawn put in.
"Willow tried to end the world! We are talking about Willow Rosenberg here?"
"Yeah, she, er, went through a really tough time. Her girlfriend was murdered and she. . .well, she dealt with it badly," Xander tried to explain. Jenny's brow went up at the word 'girlfriend'.
"What happened to Oz? I thought Willow was seeing him?"
"That was awhile ago. Stuff's changed," Buffy said.
"Yeah, Buffy died again and everything," Xander told Jenny.
"You died again! Er, what. . .what about Angel? Did he. . .? Is he. . .?"
"He's okay. We found the disk you saved the soul restoration spell on, and Willow performed it. He's in LA now."
"Good. I'm. . .I'm glad he's okay. What about Cordelia? Is she alive?"
"Unfortunately yes," Xander quipped. "But on the bright side, she's in LA too."
"And Rupert? How's he been?"
"He er, was gutted when you died. I've never seen him like that before or since," Buffy said.
"I have," Xander said. "When you died that second time. Those are the only times he's ever been that hurt."
"He tried to kill Angelus. I got there in time and stopped him. He was a mess. He. . .he told me he loved you."
Jenny bit her lip. "I loved him too. I. . .I still do." Jenny moved towards Buffy. "I'm so sorry Buffy about not telling you who I really was. I never meant to hurt any of you."
"I know. We all know. We missed you." Buffy smiled weakly and Jenny returned it.
"I'm so glad you're all alright." Jenny was about to move to hug Buffy when she found herself embraced in a bear hug by Xander.
"It's good to have you back Ms. Calendar," he told her as he released her.
Jenny was a little shocked at Xander's emotional outburst and more than a little pleased. "It's good to be back." She looked at Buffy to make sure it was okay to hug her. Again, to Jenny's surprise before she could make a move, she found herself ambushed in another bear hug, this time by Buffy.
Tears in her eyes, Buffy pulled back and released Jenny. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you before. . .I felt so bad when I thought you'd died and I'd been such a bitch to you."
"It's okay Buffy. Can we. . .can we all put that behind us and start again?"
"Sounds good to me," Buffy agreed.
"Well, someone better call Giles," Xander reminded.
Purposefully, Jenny walked down the path and up to the front door. Briefly closing her eyes, she knocked on the door.
The door opened and Jenny's heart fell again. A girl of about fifteen stood there. "Yeah? Can I help you?"
"Does Buffy Summers still live here?"
"Why? Who are you?"
"Um, I'm an old teacher of hers and I'm looking for Rupert Giles. I thought she might know where he is?"
"Oh! You know Giles?"
"Yeah." Jenny nodded, feeling a little more hopeful.
"I'm Dawn, Buffy's sister."
Jenny's eyes went wide. "Her sister? I. . .I didn't know she had a sister."
"Yeah. Er, she's not in at the moment, but she'll be back soon." Dawn looked at the woman before her, and then up at the sun still in the sky. "You can come in and wait for her if you want?"
"Thanks." Jenny smiled at Dawn and followed her into the kitchen. "So, you know Giles too?" Dawn nodded. "Er, do you know where he is? I tried his old apartment but there's another guy living there now."
"Yeah, he's moved back to England."
Jenny's heart sighed in relief that Rupert was alive. She was about to ask where in England, when someone entered the kitchen behind her. Jenny turned around.
"Argh!" Xander jumped three feet in the air and then backed towards the hallway. His eyes wide in fright, he stammered, "W-what are you? Are you a zombie." Then he looked accusingly at Dawn. "What did you do? Please tell me you didn't try that spell again!"
"I didn't do anything. Why? What's wrong?"
"Dawn, move away from her quickly."
"It's okay Xander. I'm not a zombie," Jenny spoke calmly.
"Hmm, really? That's just exactly what you would say if you were a zombie."
Jenny rolled her eyes at him. "I see you haven't changed. It's nice to know something hasn't."
"What's going on?" Dawn demanded.
Xander pointed at Jenny. "Sh-she's dead."
Dawn looked at Jenny. "Well she doesn't look it to me."
"I'm not dead Xander."
"Then what are you?"
The front door slammed shut. "Hey guys?" Buffy breezed towards the kitchen. "Er, what's up Xander? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"That could be possible." Xander tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen. Buffy peered past him. Her mouth dropped open.
"Oh my God! How?" Xander shook his head.
"Hi Buffy!" Jenny said.
Buffy moved into the kitchen. "Oookay. You wanna explain? Are you a ghost?"
Jenny shook her head. "Mmm, no. I'm not a ghost. I'm alive."
"But Angel, er, Angelus killed you." Buffy stared at Jenny.
"I wasn't quite dead. I was in a coma. He broke my neck, but he didn't kill me. I. . .I only woke up a couple of months ago and I didn't remember anything. I didn't know who I was or what had happened to me."
"But we buried you," Buffy insisted.
"It wasn't me. My people foresaw what Angel would do to me and they came to warn me, only they were too late. So, they told me that they went to claim my body, and it was then that they realised I wasn't dead, but in a coma. So they took me to a hospital away from here, where they could watch over me. They let everyone still think I was dead, so that Angelus wouldn't come looking for me. I. . .I only found this out recently when I started to remember things and asked questions. I'm so sorry you all thought I was dead."
Buffy and Xander could tell from her eyes that she meant it.
"Okay, can somebody please tell me what's going on? Who this is?" Dawn asked.
"Er, Dawn, this is Ms. Calendar," Buffy introduced.
"The one who Giles loved! Whoa!" Dawn stared at Jenny. "Someone's gotta tell him."
"Er, yeah, you're right. And Willow too," Buffy agreed.
"Where is Willow?" Jenny asked.
"Oh, she's in England with Giles, recuperating," Xander explained.
"Recuperating from what? Is she okay?"
"She tried to end the world with black magic," Dawn put in.
"Willow tried to end the world! We are talking about Willow Rosenberg here?"
"Yeah, she, er, went through a really tough time. Her girlfriend was murdered and she. . .well, she dealt with it badly," Xander tried to explain. Jenny's brow went up at the word 'girlfriend'.
"What happened to Oz? I thought Willow was seeing him?"
"That was awhile ago. Stuff's changed," Buffy said.
"Yeah, Buffy died again and everything," Xander told Jenny.
"You died again! Er, what. . .what about Angel? Did he. . .? Is he. . .?"
"He's okay. We found the disk you saved the soul restoration spell on, and Willow performed it. He's in LA now."
"Good. I'm. . .I'm glad he's okay. What about Cordelia? Is she alive?"
"Unfortunately yes," Xander quipped. "But on the bright side, she's in LA too."
"And Rupert? How's he been?"
"He er, was gutted when you died. I've never seen him like that before or since," Buffy said.
"I have," Xander said. "When you died that second time. Those are the only times he's ever been that hurt."
"He tried to kill Angelus. I got there in time and stopped him. He was a mess. He. . .he told me he loved you."
Jenny bit her lip. "I loved him too. I. . .I still do." Jenny moved towards Buffy. "I'm so sorry Buffy about not telling you who I really was. I never meant to hurt any of you."
"I know. We all know. We missed you." Buffy smiled weakly and Jenny returned it.
"I'm so glad you're all alright." Jenny was about to move to hug Buffy when she found herself embraced in a bear hug by Xander.
"It's good to have you back Ms. Calendar," he told her as he released her.
Jenny was a little shocked at Xander's emotional outburst and more than a little pleased. "It's good to be back." She looked at Buffy to make sure it was okay to hug her. Again, to Jenny's surprise before she could make a move, she found herself ambushed in another bear hug, this time by Buffy.
Tears in her eyes, Buffy pulled back and released Jenny. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you before. . .I felt so bad when I thought you'd died and I'd been such a bitch to you."
"It's okay Buffy. Can we. . .can we all put that behind us and start again?"
"Sounds good to me," Buffy agreed.
"Well, someone better call Giles," Xander reminded.