Disclaimer: I own only the obvious, The rest belongs to who ever owns the TV-show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or other shows that might be mentioned.

Authors Note: Well, here we go again. But luckily things are looking a little lighter now.

ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!!!!!

02.September 2014. Location: New York

Summers Residence.

15.30 p.m.

"Hey! That's cheating," Enya screamed, as Buffy pivoted past her, levitated up to the basket, and slammed the ball through the net with a triumphant yell. "We agreed, no superpowers, remember."

"What's the matter? Is it getting too tough for you?" Buffy grinned devilishly at her adopted daughter, letting her eyes glow bright yellow for a moment. Please, she thought. Please, please PLEASE take the bait. She felt like she had tried everything, and this idea had come out of sheer desperation. Enya hesitated for a moment, before she returned the grin, grabbed the ball, released a minor power beam at Buffy and slam-dunked the ball, while Buffy stumbled to her feet. The ball had only started to descend before Buffy telekinetically snatched the ball and again slam-dunked it.

Xander looked on as the two women were engaged in a more and more furious game of Basket. He hid a wicked grin as he realised what Buffy was up to. She had finally found the chink in Enya's armour of self-hatred and fear. The one thing she couldn't resist. The younger Slayervampire just couldn't resist a challenge, if presented the right way. The trick was to avoid her figuring out that it was to get her to embrace life again. Cause if she did, they just as well could give up. The girl was nothing short of amazingly stubborn.

Well three could play that game, he and Buffy had decided, as they started their campaign to get Enya to live again. At least she seemed to be over her obsession of Death. Ever since Ashley sent her that letter, she had slowly started to accept that there was nothing she could do to end her own life. But she still was determent not to like it. And she was still afraid that Death would return.  They had tried and tried, but she continued to refuse to deal with other people than Buffy, Xander and the gang. Still, a few days ago she had surprised them when they found her playing ball with her self out in the back yard. Since then, she had started spending more and more time outdoors. Either playing ball, or going for a jog.

They found out Ashley's challenge had been eating away at her resistance, until she just couldn't help herself. If they asked her, she still refused that she was planning to play against him. But Xander had heard her muttering to herself, about Ashley having no idea who he was up against. He had done a little research, and found that she before she got turned, actually was a promising player on her school basket team.

He watched as Buffy again, by brute force and speed, made her way past Enya and lunged for the ball. But in her haste, she miscalculated her strength, and the ball inflated with a loud bang. What the hell? Miscalculated? Not bloody likely, he thought, wondering what she was up to.  

At the same time, she kept flying through the air until she with flailing arms hit the door to the carport. The resulting hole was vaguely human shaped. It was deadly silent for a while, and then there were some incessant swearing as Buffy pulled herself up from under splinters of wood, empty paint cans and anything else she had landed in. As she came stumbling out she was like taken out of a slapstick movie. With splinters of wood, paint and oil all over her clothes and in her hair.

"Oops," Buffy said with a tiny smile of embarrassment on her face. "I guess that's the end of the game," she stammered, looking like she was ready to sink into the ground from sheer embarrassment. But when Enya collapsed in a fit of laughter, her face twisted into a diabolical grin that quickly whipped the mirth off Enya. "Don't be so smug," she ground out in her best "The Invulnerable" voice. "I am not the one that has to buy a new ball," she said with a low chuckle. But when she saw Enya's jaw drop to the ground, totally flabbergasted,  "I got you" was all she managed to croak out, before she dissolved into a fit of laughter herself, shortly followed by Xander, that had picked up on her new impromptu plan.

Bugger, Enya thought. I've been tricked. "Do I have to," she said in a small voice, when they finally quieted down. The last of Buffy's mirth disappeared when she saw the raw and naked fear in Enya's eyes.

"Yes," she said with a hard voice.

Willing the essence of what once was The Invulnerable into her voice, and barred her teeth in a sneer. "You have to. I'll give you half an hour to get out of here, or I will personally drag you with me to every football match, nightclub, concert, or any other large congregation of people I can think off." With that she turned around and left the scared girl.

Buffy found herself standing in the kitchen, staring at her untouched glass of water, spilling over due to her violently shaking hands. Then Xander gently took the glass from her and set it on the counter, before he enveloped her in a hug, and Buffy finally let the tears free.

"She must think I am horrible," she choked out. "But I had to push her. I couldn't let her fall into the same trap as I did. For the last weeks I have seen the signs. She is starting to live again. She has stopped trying to kill herself, and started to come out of her self-inflicted prison. But she still fears that her demon will return. She doesn't trust herself with other people. I know the feeling. I used to lock myself up in my apartment, only going out when hunger and dehydration forced me. And even then, dealing with other people was horrible. I know what she feels. Right now she feels like going to the mall is the most horrific nightmare she could think of. And she blames me, as she should. But I have to stop her irrational fears, before it grows into a full-blown agoraphobia. I just have to."

"Shshsh, love. She will understand. Maybe not at first, but she will understand, and when she does, she will be thanking you for it," Xander murmured and kissed her. Buffy was lost in the moment of magic, as she felt all her love for him well up in her, and wash away all the bad memories and responsibilities. And for a short while, she again felt like the person she once was. Before Enya, before Spike turned her, before Merric and the Slayer gig.   

02.September 2014. Location: New York

The Mall

16.30 p.m.

Enya stood before the mall that someone actually had called The Mall. But the stupid choice of name was lost on her. The trip here had been horrible. As she came nearer and nearer to The Mall, her brain had conjured up more and more horrific images of what would happen when she arrived. As she now stood here, her heart was racing, and she cold sweated all over her body. Her breath came in just barely controlled gasps. She felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. The only thing that kept her from running away screaming, was the image of Buffy's threat.

How could she do this to her, how could she! ! ! With the heart pounding in her throat she walked inn. Her eyes darted around. People, people, everywhere there were people. She felt her inner demon writher in excitement, as she forced herself to slowly walk amongst them, instead of running away.

Where is that damned sports shop? She thought while she ducked and weaved through the mass of people. Time after time she stopped to check her own reflection in the windows, but everything looked normal. Still she felt as if everyone instantly saw what she was. What a horrible monster she was. Slowly her pace heightened. Until she was frantically zipping back and from, like a confused bee, just searching, and searching, with less rationality for every minute that went. 

Where were that God damned Shop!! According to the law about the inborn evilness of everything, she of course had to look through the entire first floor, and half the second before she found the blasted shop. By then she felt as if she were moments away from hyperventilation. Too big a place, too many people, too many smells, too much noise, too much everything! She was just about to burst out in a full-fledged panic when she finally saw the sign. Only to almost burst out in tears, as she saw that the shop were a combined Sports and weapons shop. In utter despair she sat down, back against the front window. She almost didn't notice the young man bending down to her.

"Is something wrong Miss? Are you sick? Do you need a doctor? Miss!" She managed to lift her gaze and looked up into the most amazingly green eyes she had ever seen. She shook her head.

"I, I'm not sick.  I, I just have a bad case of Agoraphobia" she managed to stammer out. He reached to help her up, but she drew violently back.

"Relax; I am not going to hurt you."

"That's not what I worry about," she mumbled under her breath. Somehow the man picked up on it.

"Oh, I see. You are afraid you will panic, and hurt me. But I can assure you; I am not easy to hurt." Again he reached out his hand and held it steady, waiting. She hesitated for a moment then grabbed it. "Lets go somewhere with less space and people."

He led her to a little restaurant across to the sports shop and found them a comfortably closed off corner table at the back. He left for a moment and came back with two cups of tea. "Here you are. My grandmother always said there were nothing like a cup of tea to calm the nerves. She never tried Oolong tea though. It's the best."

Enya smiled grateful and grabbed the cup with both hands to keep from shaking too much. She took a sip and marvelled as the rich bitter sweetness of the broth, and the feeling of tranquillity that slowly spread through her. They sat in silence for several minutes. And she slowly gained control of herself again. He just sat there, looking at her over his own cup. 

This man that she didn't know, she didn't even know his name, made her feel comforted, and safe. He had beautiful eyes, she thought. They held such steadfast goodness, and sorrow.  Sorrow for her, and for something else. His eyes held wisdom beyond his years. Instinctively she knew this was a man that had been tested by life, and come through as a stronger person. She wished she had some of that strength, she sorely needed it, cause her own was depleted. 

"It's horrible, isn't it?" His voice was full of concern. She nodded, and he continued. "The wide-open spaces, cold and scary, all the people, the smells, the noise, the chaotic motion, everything, it becomes too much." She looked sharply up.

"How did you know?"

"I have been there," he said, and for a moment she saw intense pain in his eyes.

"As a child I had it like that for a while. I refused to leave our house for half a year, until Grandma made me. And let me tell you, well you already know, it was horrible in the beginning. Thankfully it didn't stay that way." Then he smiled, "quite a coincidence for me to run into you, don't you think." 

"Yeah, well, stranger things have happened to me," she said and smiled back. 

"Me to, me to," he nodded. Then his head shot up. "Now where are my manners, my Grandma would have stripped my hide if she saw me. Allow me to present myself.  The name is Travers, Peter Travers," he said, eyes glittering of humour. She let out a weak laugh by his truly miserable James Bond impersonation.

"Well then, I am Thompson, Enya Thompson." Her grin suddenly faded as she watched as his eyes grew big and his jaw dropped to the floor.

"I'll be damned," he said and quickly finished his cup. "Talk about coincidences, this simply is too much." He ran his hands through his flaming red hair. "Listen, I don't know how to say this, so Ill just come out and say it. The Slayers Council sent me to become your new Watcher. And I swear, I was not following you. I just had to get some equipment and there you were, right outside the shop."

"No! No, absolutely no! I will not go back to the Slaying. I don't dare. What if I loose control and become Death again? I will not do it, do you hear?!!!" Her voice was steadily rising into hysteria, until she staggered back, from a flat hand stroke to her chin. More shocked that he actually had dared to hit her, than for the actual hurt, which was minimal.

"Listen Enya. The Council is not what it was. It is no longer a bunch of conceited megalomaniac bastard sons of bitches.

Christopher Giles has done wonders. Now The Slayers Council serves the purpose it was meant to, much to the joy of the real Watchers, the ones that became Watchers to aid the world in its fight against The Darkness. The reason we exist as an organization is to protect and aid The Slayer in her calling. And as much as you wish it weren't so, you are The Slayer, and will be to your dying day, which can be quite a while, now that you are practically invulnerable."

She started trembling as panic bubbled inside her. But again he stopped her from flipping. This time with stroking her gently over the same chin he had slapped. His eyes were boring into hers with almost hypnotic intensity. "You are The Slayer, Enya. But you are not the only one. There are three others. You don't have to fight anymore. If you don't want to you will not be forced to it.

You have already sacrificed more than anyone has ever done for The Council. And we owe you more than can ever be repaid in a lifetime. Indirectly we are the reason you and your Watcher got turned. If we had reacted to your prayers for help, maybe none of the hell you went through would have happened.

I was assigned to you, not to get you to fight again, but to help you in any way you should need. I have a degree in crisis Psychology, if you should need that. Or I will just be your friend and listener, if you want that. If, and I say if, you decide to start training again, I will help you with that. If you decide so, we will have nothing to do with each other. I have bought the house next to where you live. But you choose how much you will see me.

 Know this though. Whatever help you need, I will be there if you want. Anything! Company if you have to go shopping again, or fighting besides you if need be." Enya felt the strong emotions behind his words. He really meant what he said. He really truly wanted to help her. A single tear slipped down her face, as she calmed down again.

"Thanks," was all she managed to say.

"Don't mention it," he smiled. "Now enough of all this mushy stuff," he said, and suddenly he was infectiously chipper. "Why are you at The Mall?"

The rest of the trip turned to be considerably less traumatic than she had feared. To her shock she found her self after a while enjoying herself. Peter went with her when she finally got to buy the basketball. In return, she helped him choosing the weapons he bought. As he said, he may not fight besides her, but he would be a fool not to arm himself when living in the near vicinity of two Slayers. Anything could crawl out of the woodwork.  After that they just walked around, talking for a while before Peter drove them back.                 

21.October 2014. Location: New York

Summers Residence.

14.34 p.m.

"Yeah! Great work, kiddo! That's it! Dig into that old cellar; take out those last reserves O brother of mine. You wouldn't want me to loose my bet with Xander, would you?  There is no way in hell I will cook dinner for three weeks, you hear me!"

Buffy thought she might die from suspense. Finally the day was there. The long awaited Basket match between Ashley and Enya finally were up. And after the first round, Buffy was ready to cry. She hated cooking, and it seemed as if that was what she was going to do. FOR THREE WEEKS!!! Enya had practically demolished the poor kid, and that without using as much as a tiny shred of superpowers. She simply was too good for him it seemed.

But then in the second round things changed. Gradually the kid had put on the pressure until everything Enya tried was met with a counter strike. And right now, the score was even. "My God! The kid is incredible, they both are," Xander said, just as exited. He stood there gawking.  

Basket would never be the same after this, he thought. It was the most nerve wrecking play he had ever seen. He was seriously starting to fear that he was loosing the bet. Now, well, if the kid won, he had certainly deserved it, and if Xander was to be honest, then he had to admit that he and the kitchen got along pretty nice.

Five minutes later, it was all over as Ashley with the graze of a feline snatched the ball from Enya, zipped past her, and in an incredible display of agility, jumped up and slam dunked the ball, just seconds before the bell rang.

"Yayyyy!" He shouted. "Who said white men cant jump? Na na na na nana," he sang as he performed his own version of Xander's trademark crazy lunatic dance. Arms and legs were moving spasmodically in every conceivable direction and then some. Enya laughed over his antics, as she walked over to him.

"Congrats, kiddo. Thanks for one hell of a match. Sometimes it felt as if you were reading my mind or something. Whatever move I thought of, you had a countermove."

"Nope," he said. "No such thing. The only thing I used was talent, lots of talent," he mock bragged.

"Don't joke about that," she then told him. "Give it a few years and you are NBA material," she grinned, bent down and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. She grinned evilly when Ashley grew red as a tomato, and mumbled something incoherently before he escaped to the benches where his bag was.     

"Oh you are a bad, bad girl," she heard Xander's voice from behind. "You know he has a crush on you."

"Yes, I know," she said as she turned around to Xander and Buffy. "But I think it is kind of sweet. And it's just such fun to tease him a little. Besides he knows that I know, and that he doesn't stand a chance. And he is fine with it. A couple of weeks ago, the boy made up his courage and actually asked me out on a date. I tried to let him down gently, and explain the reasons why I couldn't. You know he being too young, emotional trauma, me being just a tad interested in my Watcher. You know the whole five mile long shebang.

He became completely silent for a while, and I began picturing him starting to cry his eyes out or something. You know what he did then? He grinned. He honest to God grinned. One of those scary devils child grins he has when he is up to something. Then he said:

"I know, I just needed to hear it from you. Or else I would have been walking around wondering what might be, and become all messed up. And I don't want that. Thanks Enya for not sugar coating it, too much that is."

Then he grinned again and left for basket practise."

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, that sounds just like my brother. He always confronts the problem heads on. I dread the day in a few years time, where mom has to barricade the door to keep the girls away from him. Now lets get back home. I have iced lemonade in the fridge."     

To be Continued