SECOND
CHANCE
NOTE: I own none of the Scooby gang because they belong to mean old Joss.
A/N: This story takes place at the beginning season seven of Buffy and season four of Angel. When Wesley was booted out of AI (he so had it coming) he went back to Sunnydale. Buffy's alive (yay) and if you're wondering how Angel gets back from the sea without Wesley's help... well, he never goes. I was just wondering, if Buffy died, who was the new slayer? If any of you know... don't tell me. You'll ruin my moment. Now on with the story.
CHAPTER 5
Autumn lay down in bed for the rest of the afternoon, going into the evening. She hadn't even gone down for dinner, as she hadn't felt like a crowd. That's just the way she was. When Autumn was in a bad mood or just stressing out she did not want to be anywhere near anyone. She wasn't exactly a cold loner or anything but groups of people mixed with depression was a disease to her. Autumn rolled over in bed for the millionth time that day. She just had to keep from going to sleep even though she was drowsy, not to mention hungry.
"Maybe Mom saved some leftovers," Autumn thought softly, sitting up. She left out of her room. When she got to the stairs Jeff was sitting at the top of them. "Uh, what are you doing."
"Shush," Jeff hissed.
Autumn sat down next to him, confused.
Then she heard it. It sounded like cats were screeching downstairs. Autumn leaned in closer, pushing her red hair behind her ears to be sure to get a good listen. It was her parents. It sounded as if it were coming from the living room.
"What the hell is wrong with you? I work in this house all day and you can't even be home in time to eat?" Autumn and Jeff heard their mother shout.
Their father quickly retorted. "Get off my case, dammit! I work all day and all night so excuse me if I don't have time to bite into that damn spoiled food you call yourself cooking."
"What is the matter with you? You couldn't even pick up your own daughter from school and you knew she was sick!"
"I got another call!"
"And that was more important than Autumn?"
"How the hell do I know? Maybe it was! My life doesn't revolve around you and these fucking kids!"
Autumn flinched. "What the... how long has this been going on?"
"Dad just got home. He missed dinner," said Jeff.
"Well, so did I," Autumn tried to reason. "You don't see Mom throwing some fit over me."
"You don't get it do you?"
"Get what?" Autumn looked confused.
"God, you are so stuck in your own world," Jeff grumbled, getting up. He headed for his room.
Autumn went after him. "Jeff, hold on. Wait."
He just closed the door in her face.
Autumn scowled and went back to the top of the stairs.
She heard what sounded like something breaking.
"That did not belong to you!" Mrs. Tucker hollered.
"I bought it with my fucking money and I'll break whatever the hell else I want."
Something else crashed, sounding like glass.
"Time to go." Autumn retreated to her room, feeling enough stress as it was. The phone in her bedroom went off and the girl practically fell over her stuff trying to answer it. "Hello? Maggie, hey. What's up?"
"Nothing much," Maggie replied on the other end. Dawn had let Maggie use her bedroom just to get some privacy for the phone, as the house was "raining grown-ups" as Dawn had put it. "But I think my uncle might be a shadow of some sort."
"What are you talking about?" Autumn asked.
"Oh, never mind. So how are you doing?"
Autumn sat down on the foot of her bed. "I'm OK, I guess."
"I was worried about you. You wigged out major in school."
Autumn groaned with a little embarrassment. "I know. That was stupid. Now I can never show my face in there. So I'm thinking I steal a car, cut my hair, dye it blonde, and escape to Miami."
"One thing, though."
"What is it?"
"Please let me go with you," Maggie playfully begged. "My uncle is driving me bloody insane. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for what he's done for me but... he's being a tad bit..."
"Smothering, annoying, pesky, argumentative?"
"Argumentative?" Maggie looked puzzled. "Is there something troubling you, Autumn?"
"Well, I have an older brother, parents, and a pain in the butt guidance counselor."
"Let's start there," Maggie stopped her. "What did he do?"
"You will not believe this but he called me... get ready for this... a slayer." Autumn burst out laughing. "I barely let him talk about it but he started on about something which tuned me out a little. Can you believe it? What a moron, huh?" Maggie stayed silent. "Maggie? Uh, Maggie?"
Maggie was slightly frozen. "Um, Autumn, are you sure you heard him right?"
"Yeah. Clear as day. Pretty stupid, huh?"
"Well, I... I think we need to t—"
"Margaret," Giles's voice interrupted.
"Oh, blasted," Maggie hissed. "Listen, I have to go. But I'll see you at school tomorrow. Meet me at the library."
"All right. Bye." The next thing Autumn heard was the dial tone and she hung up. "She's a wonder."
When Autumn's brother dropped her off, after she had practically begged him to take her to school early, she entered the library. It looked so dark and pretty baleful in a quiet sort of way. Autumn looked through the rows of books, checking around. A blonde blur suddenly popped in front of her causing Autumn to shriek a little.
"Shush," Maggie whispered. "We are in a library after all."
"You know, that would actually mean something if someone were in here." Autumn sighed. "Why am I here exactly?"
"I have to talk to you and this is big, very big. I mean very, very, very—"
"Maggie," Autumn chided. "Could you get on with it?"
"Oh, sorry. I was so close to having coffee this morning until my uncle walked into the kitchen. I had to say I was fixing it for him. Now I'm all.... frenzied."
Autumn rolled her eyes a little. "Gee, I hadn't noticed."
Maggie slipped off her book bag onto a table taking an aged, brown book out of it. "I borrowed this from my uncle."
"Borrowed?" Autumn raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, he stole my coffee. He owes me something." Maggie began eagerly flipped through the book, moving quite quickly. "I was up looking up some facts and... here!" Autumn jumped at her exclamation. "Look."
Maggie held the book out to Autumn. There was a picture of a dark clothed figure, pale faced, red mouthed, and standing over another figure. The picture was pretty hard to make out, though, as the page was pretty ragged and worn.
"Uh, is somebody really bad at coloring or something?" Autumn asked idiotically.
"No, that is a vampire. See?" Maggie held the picture closer. "He's hovering over a woman.'
"All right... first the crazy guidance counselor, then the spooky library, now scary pictures?" Autumn listed. "Am I on some type of candid camera?"
"Would you listen for a moment?" Maggie turned a few pages. Another figure with long hair held a pointed object on another picture. "Do you know what this is?"
"More bad coloring?" Autumn replied plainly.
Maggie sighed annoyed. "No! That is a slayer. A slayer!"
"What?" Autumn looked baffled. "This again?"
"Hear me out, Autumn. Vampires, werewolves, demons, things that you were afraid of as a kid, they're all real."
"Gee, that's something to go to sleep on tonight."
"Wait. The good part is the slayers, well, the Slayer is the one who stops the fiends. She takes them down... she, oh, darn it, Autumn, she's the hero." Maggie looked exasperated. "Don't you see?"
"I see that you're especially crazy without that coffee," said Autumn, leaning against the table.
"Get it through your head, Autumn. You're the Slayer, the chosen one, the vampire slayer! Don't you get it?"
"Let me think..." Autumn formed a reflective stare but quickly washed it away. "No. It means nothing to me."
"You're stupid!" Maggie suddenly snapped.
"What?" Autumn looked completely shocked. She might not had known Maggie that long but she wasn't expecting that to come out of her mouth. "What is wrong with you?"
"I mean it. You're a bloody fool. How could you refuse to listen to me? Why would I steer you wrong?"
The amount of sincerity in her voice actually made Autumn soften. "I'm sorry. Really. But how do you expect me to believe any of this?"
"I know. I understand." Maggie smiled a little. "But would it kill you to just think?" The school bell went off then. Maggie picked up the book. "Autumn, look at this when you can. Please?"
Autumn fidgeted for a minute then took the book. "All right," she sighed.
"That a girl." Maggie thought about something. "I wonder if they have any leftover coffee in the teacher's lounge." She headed off out of the library.
As Autumn headed for the double doors of the library she slowly flipped through the book. This was all quite strange.
A/N: Well, I did my best on this chapter. Tell me what you think. And for you super Wesley fans out there I'm sorry he wasn't in this chapter. But do not fret. And, yes, I'll make him cooler as you guys like to put it. Please, review.