'When we die, we go into the arms of those that remember us,
We are home now, out of our heads, out of our minds,
Out of this world, out of our time.'
Buffy tried to quell the butterflies that were currently throwing a house party in her stomach. But they completely ignored her attempts, continuing to rollick around inside her. The familiar sounds of Sunnydale High wafted around her as she stood outside the back entrance to the library. For the hundredth time that day she wondered whether or not scheduling an appointment with Giles in the middle of the school day had been such a great idea.
He'd acquiesced to her demands to conduct their interview in the privacy in his office, hopefully away from the eyes of the remaining Scooby Gang, and she'd agreed to leave Spike behind. Slowly, she pushed the door open and emerged into the back of the stacks. The sound of laughter reached her ears and her stomach turned over. She took a deep breath and steadied herself.
She could hear Giles' familiar voice chiding them about whatever misdemeanor they'd just committed. More laughter and quips followed his reprimand accompanied by the sound of chairs being pushed in as the gang trotted resolutely out of the library at the sound of the bell. She hesitated a few extra moments, savoring what might be the last few seconds of relative peace, before coming out of the stacks ad finding herself facing Giles.
He nodded tersely at her, "Buffy."
She suppressed a sob at the coolness of his voice and nodded, "Yea."
He gestured vacantly at the door to his office, "Shall we?"
Buffy settled herself against the small couch, waiting for her Watcher to enter. He followed her in a few moments later, closing the door behind him, "You said it was urgent?"
Buffy pulled her sweater tighter around her, an image of Kendra standing before her in the alley flashing through her mind, "Definitely."
"I don't suppose you'd care to elaborate"
Buffy started at the harshness in his voice, "Are there any records of Slayers coming back after they've died?"
"You mean as ghosts?"
"Ghosts, vampires, demons … whatever."
"No," he raised his fingers to the bridge of his nose and removed his glasses carefully, "I don't believe there are any. Why?"
"Because the other night Kendra was in pretty full action mode for someone who's supposed to be dead."
"Good God, are you sure?"
Buffy nodded, her hand straying absently to her throat, "There was no way it could've been anybody else. She knew things …"
"I see," Giles said gruffly as he began the meticulous process of cleaning his glasses, "What do you need?"
Buffy let out the air she hadn't known she was holding in and stood up, "I need any and all information we can get on what happens to a Slayer after she dies. And I need information on Drusilla. I want to know exactly what she can do."
"What does Drusilla have to do with Kendra's reappearance?"
"She killed her," once again Buffy's hands strayed to her throat, "I'd say she might have a lot to do with it."
Giles nodded, "I shall inform the others-"
"No." Her eyes met his, glinting coldly in the musty light of the library, "They stay out of this. Besides my mom and you, no one is to know we're here. I don't want another scene like last time."
"Sunnydale is a small town, Buffy," he replaced his glasses on his nose, "You can't hide from them forever."
"I don't intend too. I'm only here until Christmas."
"And then what? You'll just disappear on us again? Leaving us defenseless on the Hellmouth?" Giles strode over to her, his anger palpable, "You are the Slayer. It is your duty."
"My duty?" Buffy let out a bitter laugh, "What do you know about it?"
"I know that you can't hide from it."
She turned away from him, "You're right."
Her voice rang hollow in the small room, "Don't think I haven't tried, though. Don't think for a second that if I thought Spike and I could live our lives together in peace, I'd be back in this town."
"I never said it would be easy," Giles voice softened, "I know it can be unbearable at times, but there is a reason you were chosen for this, Buffy. It wasn't just chance."
"Tell that to my Mom," Buffy turned around her face drawn, "Tell that to Angel. Tell that to Kendra. Knowing that I was the kid with the most potential doesn't make it any better, Giles. It can never get better."
"Running won't help."
"Maybe not," Buffy's voice dropped to a whisper, "But for a few months I had everything I ever wanted."
We are home now, out of our heads, out of our minds,
Out of this world, out of our time.'
Buffy tried to quell the butterflies that were currently throwing a house party in her stomach. But they completely ignored her attempts, continuing to rollick around inside her. The familiar sounds of Sunnydale High wafted around her as she stood outside the back entrance to the library. For the hundredth time that day she wondered whether or not scheduling an appointment with Giles in the middle of the school day had been such a great idea.
He'd acquiesced to her demands to conduct their interview in the privacy in his office, hopefully away from the eyes of the remaining Scooby Gang, and she'd agreed to leave Spike behind. Slowly, she pushed the door open and emerged into the back of the stacks. The sound of laughter reached her ears and her stomach turned over. She took a deep breath and steadied herself.
She could hear Giles' familiar voice chiding them about whatever misdemeanor they'd just committed. More laughter and quips followed his reprimand accompanied by the sound of chairs being pushed in as the gang trotted resolutely out of the library at the sound of the bell. She hesitated a few extra moments, savoring what might be the last few seconds of relative peace, before coming out of the stacks ad finding herself facing Giles.
He nodded tersely at her, "Buffy."
She suppressed a sob at the coolness of his voice and nodded, "Yea."
He gestured vacantly at the door to his office, "Shall we?"
Buffy settled herself against the small couch, waiting for her Watcher to enter. He followed her in a few moments later, closing the door behind him, "You said it was urgent?"
Buffy pulled her sweater tighter around her, an image of Kendra standing before her in the alley flashing through her mind, "Definitely."
"I don't suppose you'd care to elaborate"
Buffy started at the harshness in his voice, "Are there any records of Slayers coming back after they've died?"
"You mean as ghosts?"
"Ghosts, vampires, demons … whatever."
"No," he raised his fingers to the bridge of his nose and removed his glasses carefully, "I don't believe there are any. Why?"
"Because the other night Kendra was in pretty full action mode for someone who's supposed to be dead."
"Good God, are you sure?"
Buffy nodded, her hand straying absently to her throat, "There was no way it could've been anybody else. She knew things …"
"I see," Giles said gruffly as he began the meticulous process of cleaning his glasses, "What do you need?"
Buffy let out the air she hadn't known she was holding in and stood up, "I need any and all information we can get on what happens to a Slayer after she dies. And I need information on Drusilla. I want to know exactly what she can do."
"What does Drusilla have to do with Kendra's reappearance?"
"She killed her," once again Buffy's hands strayed to her throat, "I'd say she might have a lot to do with it."
Giles nodded, "I shall inform the others-"
"No." Her eyes met his, glinting coldly in the musty light of the library, "They stay out of this. Besides my mom and you, no one is to know we're here. I don't want another scene like last time."
"Sunnydale is a small town, Buffy," he replaced his glasses on his nose, "You can't hide from them forever."
"I don't intend too. I'm only here until Christmas."
"And then what? You'll just disappear on us again? Leaving us defenseless on the Hellmouth?" Giles strode over to her, his anger palpable, "You are the Slayer. It is your duty."
"My duty?" Buffy let out a bitter laugh, "What do you know about it?"
"I know that you can't hide from it."
She turned away from him, "You're right."
Her voice rang hollow in the small room, "Don't think I haven't tried, though. Don't think for a second that if I thought Spike and I could live our lives together in peace, I'd be back in this town."
"I never said it would be easy," Giles voice softened, "I know it can be unbearable at times, but there is a reason you were chosen for this, Buffy. It wasn't just chance."
"Tell that to my Mom," Buffy turned around her face drawn, "Tell that to Angel. Tell that to Kendra. Knowing that I was the kid with the most potential doesn't make it any better, Giles. It can never get better."
"Running won't help."
"Maybe not," Buffy's voice dropped to a whisper, "But for a few months I had everything I ever wanted."