Twenty Years Later Part 3: Buffy Won't Choose You
Those words have been ringing through her ears for the last twenty years of her life, it was a warning that her mom gave her from the afterlife. At first she didn't know if that was prophecy that would come true, everyone just assumed that it was The First playing with her mind, and it very well could've been. But still five years later, that prophecy came true. Her sister, the one who she would protect her, abandoned her for a life of self solitude. Of course the warning wasn't wasn't as life or death as she though it would be at the time, but still it happened. She had to make all the tough decisions on her own from then on, even Giles couldn't save her from leading two slayers to death and darkness. Maybe if her sister Buffy would've been around, she probably could've avoided those disasters. Then Dawn Summers she realized that she has zoned out again into her own thoughts.
"So how long is this going to take?" Her charge, Reese, asks very impatiently in the lobby of The Watcher's council.
"I don't know Reese, from what Alax told me, this is a meeting that involves both slayers and watchers, you can't try to get out of it this time." Dawn has been pretty grim these couple of days just due to the loss of Rupert. She knows that Reese is trying her hardest to understand that this is a very hard loss for her, but she is still a teenaged girl and doesn't really look farther beyond that. "Don't worry, this trip will be over soon"
"Let's hope, I can't wait to get back to New York, to kick some vampire ass. Plus, the english stench is already getting to me."
"Don't be rude, they payed for the hotel and the food."
"But still they didn't pay for my shopping spree, there is something completely wrong with that" Dawn gives her smile, something she hasn't done for the last couple of days. Reese than changes the subject on her, asking her something that she wouldn't expect from her young slayer. "So what was Mr. Giles really like, I mean I actually never met him. But from the funeral he apparently was a great man, or at least the way Alax was talking about him and that weird white haired lady."
Dawn is a little shocked by this question, but she figures that she needs to answer, pass on the legacy. "First of all, that weird white haired ladies name is Willow. Now Giles, he was a great man.."
"I'm getting that, but what was he like?" As usual, Reese is being very impatient.
"Well, firstly, he was very, well, um english. He used big words and was very compassionate and he had a great voice."
Reese gives Dawn an unimpressed look. "That's it? That's all you can say about the guy who brought you up?"
Dawn wishes she could say more, but her mind is off in a dozen other places right now. She is still mourning the loss of her sisters ex watcher, but now she thinks more and more about Buffy. She wonders if Buffy just stopped caring about everything years back, why wasn't she at the funeral. She has left many times before, but she always came back, but now fifteen years later, she can't come back just for a few minutes for something like this? And she didn't even show up for her wedding, that's not the Buffy Summers she remembers. She notices her mind wander off again and she turns back to Reese. "Sometimes, there are people who are so great that it is hard to get their essence into a sentence or paragraph. Plus, I'm not trying to think about him as gone, I had to do a lot of that growing up."
Reese takes a moment to think over what Dawn says and then says the last thing that Dawn wants to hear. " Oh yeah, because your sister sacrificed herself for you, right?" Dawn looks down in more remorse for her lost sister, as it looks like Reese is thinking hard about something. "Wait, if your sister died saving you and the world, how did she lead the potential slayers to defeat The First two years later? Where is she now?"
Dawn looks deeply, giving her an 'I don't want to continue this conversation' look, "I don't know." Reese gets the hint and backs off of her watcher. As they reach the main offices Dawn notices a figure she recognizes very well. Well of course she recognizes him, he was the guy that they kept hostage at their house for a few months, how could she not forget that face and the wormy posture. But of course every time she sees him, she can't help but smile at his nerdy charm. She wonders if this was how Buffy saw Alax or Xander in the High School days that she's heard so much about. Reese on the other hand has met Andrew a few times before, and everytime he opens his mouth around her, she tries not to laugh at his dorkyness. Dawn thinks he looks kind of funny in his suit and tie, just because she remembers when he was hardcore trekkie. As oppose to Xander, he still has his hair, but it has turned into a weird pale blonde color, he also has attempted to grow a goatee to either look younger or to look like the evil alternate dimension version of Captain Kirk, she can't tell which. Over the last couple of years he has become a book keeper of sorts for the Watchers Council, something he is quite good at.
"Mrs. Summers, Reese" He gives them a wild grin while stroking his chin hair, always the fidgety one. "You two have arrived right on time, Alax is just about to get started. May I take your coat?"
Dawn gives Andrew a very warm look, while Reese just rolls her eyes. "Good to see you too Andrew. What exactly is this meeting all about and once again, you're the book keeper not the councils butler"
Andrew goes aback like he had just been insulted, he's just a bit sensitive, but still he answers her question. "Well apparently the meeting is just Mr. Harris taking his spot as head of the Watcher's Council and what he plans to do about L.A."
"Will it be long?" Reese bursts out loud. If it were to one of the more uptight older members of the council, she would have scolded her slayer, but Andrew was probably was wondering the same thing.
"I hope not, Sci fi channel is playing a 'Quantum Leap' marathon."
"What is that?" Reese asks, and to be honest, Dawn has never heard of that show either. But it kind of goes to show that Andrew is still the same old nerd he always has been, maybe a little more mature, but still a fanboy at heart.
Andrew again looks offended. "You never heard of 'Quantum Leap'? Scott Bakula?"
"Who's Scott Bakula?" Reese just asks that last question to get under his skin, although she had no clue who he was anyways.
Andrew looks at Dawn with a very upset look. "What are you teaching this girl? The first thing a good slayer should know is good television."
Dawn shrugs. "Sorry, I grew up watching 'Charmed'."
Now it's Andrew's turn to roll his old eyes. "Witches, Demons, who growing up in our era watched that stuff anyways?" Before he can continue his rant a slim hand goes over his mouth. Dawn begins to glow as VI stands there holding Andrew back with smirk on her face. Dawn really likes VI, of all the slayers that she had to bunk with during The First war, she liked her the most. And although, they have recently learned that slayers age very well when it comes to their looks, at least with the proof of Faith and Kennedy's old age, she is sure the youngest looking one and she is a good thirty eight years old. She doesn't look a day over twenty one, despite her red hair growing down to her back, she looks almost the same.
"Sorry, I like the guy," She begins with a sweet smile and letting go of his mouth. "But when you get him going on millenium sci fi shows, he doesn't seem to be able to shut himself up."
"Ouch, remember you have slayer strength." Andrew says grabbing at his jaw, then strokes his chin hair once more.
"Hey VI" Dawn says giving her a hug. "How is the slaying going?"
"Same as usual, but I think I'm about ready to retire now. I've been doing this since I was what? Fifteen? Time to trade in my stake for a comfy bed. But how are you doing? How's your husband?"
Then her mind goes somewhere, she thinks about her husband, someone who has been worrying her for a couple of months now. He seemed in bad shape when they left New York, been having very strange nightmares. Whenever she would ask him if she could do anything, he would just tell her to leave him alone. For the first time ever in their relationship, he is rejecting her love. He has become very brooding as of late actually, kind of reminds her of a guy that her sister used to date. But she decides to lie to VI about her husband. "Oh, Connors doing very good."
He wakes up in a deep sweat for the third time this week, the same dream again. Makes it not having Dawn around or maybe it's that he has being feeling useless in the world as of late. But his dreams are so weird, they have nothing to do with any of that. But it also seems like they have nothing do with him either, it's about some other guy, well a vampire really. He remembers seeing this man/vampire fighting demons in some place that isn't New York, he thinks most likely L.A. Most of his dreams took place in a gorgeous hotel where this vampire and his minions took sanctuary in. He knows their faces, better than people he see's on a normal basis now. There of course was the vampire, but there was also the tough looking black man, the weird green faced guy who wears flashy clothes, a very skinny but lovely looking girl, and a british man who sometimes wore glasses. And there was someone else, someone who really caught his eye, beautiful young woman, there's something about this woman that he just can't put his finger on. But most of his dreams are about the vampire, the dark mysterious vampire who haunts his dreams every night.
Connor figures since he can't get any sleep tonight, he might as well go out patrolling. As he puts his clothes on he wonders what any of this has to do with him? Sure he helps his wife Dawn and her student fight evil, but that doesn't explain why he has those dreams. But there is the super strength and instincts that he has pretty much remembered having since he was eighteen, he has always wondered where that came from. Is he some sort of male slayer? No probably not. He puts his black trench coat on and thinks about that man/vampire in his dreams. There's something more to him, and the beautiful woman for that matter, but he feels some sort of bond toward the vampire. That bond is the same thing that is telling him that this vampire has long since died. So why is he haunted by dreams of him.
He grabs his stakes and places them in the sleeve of his coat, then he opens up the closet of the two bedroom apartment and pulls out a mini crossbow and places it on his belt buckle. He tries to get these silly dreams out his head as he opens the door to his hallway. What he mostly tries to focus is on is the kill, when he goes out there, he goes out there to hunt. But as he opens the front door, he realizes that he will not be able to get away from these dreams. He looks at the man who seems like he has been standing in his doorway for a while now. The man has a very innocent face and is wearing a goofy derby ontop of his head and Connor can smell that he is a demon.
The man smiles at Connor. "Hi Connor, the names Whistler and I'm here to give you a push in the right direction."
Dawn was surprised at how many Watchers and Slayers could fit into the Council's conference room, bout seventy in all had to cram into the room with a long table in the middle. And for the first time ever, Alaxander Lavelle Harris is at the forefront. Dawn only recognized half of the people there, she is surprised that the council was able to get rid of most of the older males who lived through the blast that took out the original council twenty years back. Now it just seems like the council is built up of people who are forty five or younger, which is a good thing. She is also surprised to see that a lot of the watchers are women like her. They are not the council of the old male dominance. And all of it goes to the man who took over the council twenty years ago, Giles really did change things for the better.
The conference went pretty much the way Andrew said it would, it was pretty much Alax taking the role of leadership and then went talking about the whole L.A situation. He didn't shine any new info on the situation, pretty much just stressing how extreme measures are with it. He mostly stood up as he did his exposition, behind him, the slayer general Kennedy is in a corner shining HER Scythe. Alax gives her the floor to explain exactly what went down in L.A and it was basically her and her group of slayers and watchers going in and slaughtered by vamps right away. She said she couldn't find any information on what led to the takeover. So really nothing new, accept more death. Alax then gave the floor to Andrew who pulled out a big board and grabbed a pointer showing all the main activity of vampires over the world. And of course the highest activity was in Los Angelos. Apparently, it has now become a safe haven for vamps to feed off the dead and create their own society.
"Okay, now some of you may see this as a good thing," Alax began his finishing up speech. "All vampires and demons in one place keeps them away from everyone else, right?" He looks around at everyone who stays pretty much silent the whole time. "Wrong. Believe me, they will try to migrate. Sure, right now they might have a whole lot of people to feed off of, but with their numbers growing they are going to run out of food very quickly. So if we are going to do something, we better do it fast. I know it seems impossible, seeing the army and the intiative were taken out. But our organization has been around much longer, and now thanks to Mr. Giles, we are much stronger than before. Now you are all to stay here in London until we come up with a battle plan." At that moment Dawn hears Reese groan right beside her, Alax continues. "With that our meeting is closed until further notice."
Once Alax has finished, most of the young girls rush out of the conference room due to boredom. Reese looks at Dawn and she knods to tell her that she can leave as well. Reese runs out the double doors with the rest of the slayers. The Watchers talk amongst themselves for a few minutes, then most of them walk out the door. Dawn talks to VI and Andrew with Kennedy staying in her corner being very quiet, she has become quite the silent war bird over the last couple of years. Dawn, VI and Andrew are on their way out of the room when Alax who has been going through paperwork (something he hates doing) stops them. "Hey guys," the three of them stop and look at him. " Can you guys follow me to my offices," He looks back at Kennedy. "You too."
Seeing that they can't say no to him, he is their boss now, the four follow him down the hallway. Kennedy is the first one to question Alax. "So what's this all about? I thought we we're here for the Watchers meeting."
Alax stops before he gets to the door of his private office. "And that you were. But you are also here for a different kind of meeting."
Dawn thinks she knows where he is going when he says that, but apparently it went over the others heads. "What kind of meeting are you talking about?" VI asks as Alax opens the door to his office.
He grins the door opens and they see who has been waiting for them inside. "A Scooby Gang meeting." And there stands the sister who had abandoned her all those years ago in the middle of Alax Harris's office. Buffy gives Dawn a reluctant smile as all four of them stand in shock over the returning Buffy Summers. Well at least the three girls are shocked at Buffy. Andrew was shocked at something else.
"Wait, I'm a member of the Scooby Gang?" Andrew asks with excitement.
VI gives Andrew a shove telling him to stay quiet as Dawn and Buffy just stare at each other with contempt. It seems like days go by as she stares into the blue eyes of her sister, so much anger grows inside her as the time goes further and further. She thinks about the day she left, she looks back the weddings the funerals, the battles that she has missed. The times that she needed her, she wasn't there. But now here she is like nothing has changed a bit and Dawn bets that she won't even apologize for all those missed moments. Buffy opens her arms for a hug as Dawn walks up getting ready to slap her in the face. The open arms for a hug soon turns to Buffy bringing up her right arm to block the slap. Right as Dawn is about to deck her sister and Buffy is ready to block it they both stop and look at each others eyes once more. It is at that exact moment that Dawn bursts into to tears and falls to the floor, something she's been doing a lot of since Giles passing. She spends not half a second as she looks up and Buffy is kneeling right next to her also in tears. Dawn leans her head to Buffy's shoulder and they both embrace in tears of joy and loss. But still the words ring through her head.
"Buffy still won't choose you. She will be against you."
But then Dawn thinks to herself, at least she is here today, she is with me right now.
Twenty Years Later Part 3: Buffy Won't Choose You
Those words have been ringing through her ears for the last twenty years of her life, it was a warning that her mom gave her from the afterlife. At first she didn't know if that was prophecy that would come true, everyone just assumed that it was The First playing with her mind, and it very well could've been. But still five years later, that prophecy came true. Her sister, the one who she would protect her, abandoned her for a life of self solitude. Of course the warning wasn't wasn't as life or death as she though it would be at the time, but still it happened. She had to make all the tough decisions on her own from then on, even Giles couldn't save her from leading two slayers to death and darkness. Maybe if her sister Buffy would've been around, she probably could've avoided those disasters. Then Dawn Summers she realized that she has zoned out again into her own thoughts.
"So how long is this going to take?" Her charge, Reese, asks very impatiently in the lobby of The Watcher's council.
"I don't know Reese, from what Alax told me, this is a meeting that involves both slayers and watchers, you can't try to get out of it this time." Dawn has been pretty grim these couple of days just due to the loss of Rupert. She knows that Reese is trying her hardest to understand that this is a very hard loss for her, but she is still a teenaged girl and doesn't really look farther beyond that. "Don't worry, this trip will be over soon"
"Let's hope, I can't wait to get back to New York, to kick some vampire ass. Plus, the english stench is already getting to me."
"Don't be rude, they payed for the hotel and the food."
"But still they didn't pay for my shopping spree, there is something completely wrong with that" Dawn gives her smile, something she hasn't done for the last couple of days. Reese than changes the subject on her, asking her something that she wouldn't expect from her young slayer. "So what was Mr. Giles really like, I mean I actually never met him. But from the funeral he apparently was a great man, or at least the way Alax was talking about him and that weird white haired lady."
Dawn is a little shocked by this question, but she figures that she needs to answer, pass on the legacy. "First of all, that weird white haired ladies name is Willow. Now Giles, he was a great man.."
"I'm getting that, but what was he like?" As usual, Reese is being very impatient.
"Well, firstly, he was very, well, um english. He used big words and was very compassionate and he had a great voice."
Reese gives Dawn an unimpressed look. "That's it? That's all you can say about the guy who brought you up?"
Dawn wishes she could say more, but her mind is off in a dozen other places right now. She is still mourning the loss of her sisters ex watcher, but now she thinks more and more about Buffy. She wonders if Buffy just stopped caring about everything years back, why wasn't she at the funeral. She has left many times before, but she always came back, but now fifteen years later, she can't come back just for a few minutes for something like this? And she didn't even show up for her wedding, that's not the Buffy Summers she remembers. She notices her mind wander off again and she turns back to Reese. "Sometimes, there are people who are so great that it is hard to get their essence into a sentence or paragraph. Plus, I'm not trying to think about him as gone, I had to do a lot of that growing up."
Reese takes a moment to think over what Dawn says and then says the last thing that Dawn wants to hear. " Oh yeah, because your sister sacrificed herself for you, right?" Dawn looks down in more remorse for her lost sister, as it looks like Reese is thinking hard about something. "Wait, if your sister died saving you and the world, how did she lead the potential slayers to defeat The First two years later? Where is she now?"
Dawn looks deeply, giving her an 'I don't want to continue this conversation' look, "I don't know." Reese gets the hint and backs off of her watcher. As they reach the main offices Dawn notices a figure she recognizes very well. Well of course she recognizes him, he was the guy that they kept hostage at their house for a few months, how could she not forget that face and the wormy posture. But of course every time she sees him, she can't help but smile at his nerdy charm. She wonders if this was how Buffy saw Alax or Xander in the High School days that she's heard so much about. Reese on the other hand has met Andrew a few times before, and everytime he opens his mouth around her, she tries not to laugh at his dorkyness. Dawn thinks he looks kind of funny in his suit and tie, just because she remembers when he was hardcore trekkie. As oppose to Xander, he still has his hair, but it has turned into a weird pale blonde color, he also has attempted to grow a goatee to either look younger or to look like the evil alternate dimension version of Captain Kirk, she can't tell which. Over the last couple of years he has become a book keeper of sorts for the Watchers Council, something he is quite good at.
"Mrs. Summers, Reese" He gives them a wild grin while stroking his chin hair, always the fidgety one. "You two have arrived right on time, Alax is just about to get started. May I take your coat?"
Dawn gives Andrew a very warm look, while Reese just rolls her eyes. "Good to see you too Andrew. What exactly is this meeting all about and once again, you're the book keeper not the councils butler"
Andrew goes aback like he had just been insulted, he's just a bit sensitive, but still he answers her question. "Well apparently the meeting is just Mr. Harris taking his spot as head of the Watcher's Council and what he plans to do about L.A."
"Will it be long?" Reese bursts out loud. If it were to one of the more uptight older members of the council, she would have scolded her slayer, but Andrew was probably was wondering the same thing.
"I hope not, Sci fi channel is playing a 'Quantum Leap' marathon."
"What is that?" Reese asks, and to be honest, Dawn has never heard of that show either. But it kind of goes to show that Andrew is still the same old nerd he always has been, maybe a little more mature, but still a fanboy at heart.
Andrew again looks offended. "You never heard of 'Quantum Leap'? Scott Bakula?"
"Who's Scott Bakula?" Reese just asks that last question to get under his skin, although she had no clue who he was anyways.
Andrew looks at Dawn with a very upset look. "What are you teaching this girl? The first thing a good slayer should know is good television."
Dawn shrugs. "Sorry, I grew up watching 'Charmed'."
Now it's Andrew's turn to roll his old eyes. "Witches, Demons, who growing up in our era watched that stuff anyways?" Before he can continue his rant a slim hand goes over his mouth. Dawn begins to glow as VI stands there holding Andrew back with smirk on her face. Dawn really likes VI, of all the slayers that she had to bunk with during The First war, she liked her the most. And although, they have recently learned that slayers age very well when it comes to their looks, at least with the proof of Faith and Kennedy's old age, she is sure the youngest looking one and she is a good thirty eight years old. She doesn't look a day over twenty one, despite her red hair growing down to her back, she looks almost the same.
"Sorry, I like the guy," She begins with a sweet smile and letting go of his mouth. "But when you get him going on millenium sci fi shows, he doesn't seem to be able to shut himself up."
"Ouch, remember you have slayer strength." Andrew says grabbing at his jaw, then strokes his chin hair once more.
"Hey VI" Dawn says giving her a hug. "How is the slaying going?"
"Same as usual, but I think I'm about ready to retire now. I've been doing this since I was what? Fifteen? Time to trade in my stake for a comfy bed. But how are you doing? How's your husband?"
Then her mind goes somewhere, she thinks about her husband, someone who has been worrying her for a couple of months now. He seemed in bad shape when they left New York, been having very strange nightmares. Whenever she would ask him if she could do anything, he would just tell her to leave him alone. For the first time ever in their relationship, he is rejecting her love. He has become very brooding as of late actually, kind of reminds her of a guy that her sister used to date. But she decides to lie to VI about her husband. "Oh, Connors doing very good."
He wakes up in a deep sweat for the third time this week, the same dream again. Makes it not having Dawn around or maybe it's that he has being feeling useless in the world as of late. But his dreams are so weird, they have nothing to do with any of that. But it also seems like they have nothing do with him either, it's about some other guy, well a vampire really. He remembers seeing this man/vampire fighting demons in some place that isn't New York, he thinks most likely L.A. Most of his dreams took place in a gorgeous hotel where this vampire and his minions took sanctuary in. He knows their faces, better than people he see's on a normal basis now. There of course was the vampire, but there was also the tough looking black man, the weird green faced guy who wears flashy clothes, a very skinny but lovely looking girl, and a british man who sometimes wore glasses. And there was someone else, someone who really caught his eye, beautiful young woman, there's something about this woman that he just can't put his finger on. But most of his dreams are about the vampire, the dark mysterious vampire who haunts his dreams every night.
Connor figures since he can't get any sleep tonight, he might as well go out patrolling. As he puts his clothes on he wonders what any of this has to do with him? Sure he helps his wife Dawn and her student fight evil, but that doesn't explain why he has those dreams. But there is the super strength and instincts that he has pretty much remembered having since he was eighteen, he has always wondered where that came from. Is he some sort of male slayer? No probably not. He puts his black trench coat on and thinks about that man/vampire in his dreams. There's something more to him, and the beautiful woman for that matter, but he feels some sort of bond toward the vampire. That bond is the same thing that is telling him that this vampire has long since died. So why is he haunted by dreams of him.
He grabs his stakes and places them in the sleeve of his coat, then he opens up the closet of the two bedroom apartment and pulls out a mini crossbow and places it on his belt buckle. He tries to get these silly dreams out his head as he opens the door to his hallway. What he mostly tries to focus is on is the kill, when he goes out there, he goes out there to hunt. But as he opens the front door, he realizes that he will not be able to get away from these dreams. He looks at the man who seems like he has been standing in his doorway for a while now. The man has a very innocent face and is wearing a goofy derby ontop of his head and Connor can smell that he is a demon.
The man smiles at Connor. "Hi Connor, the names Whistler and I'm here to give you a push in the right direction."
Dawn was surprised at how many Watchers and Slayers could fit into the Council's conference room, bout seventy in all had to cram into the room with a long table in the middle. And for the first time ever, Alaxander Lavelle Harris is at the forefront. Dawn only recognized half of the people there, she is surprised that the council was able to get rid of most of the older males who lived through the blast that took out the original council twenty years back. Now it just seems like the council is built up of people who are forty five or younger, which is a good thing. She is also surprised to see that a lot of the watchers are women like her. They are not the council of the old male dominance. And all of it goes to the man who took over the council twenty years ago, Giles really did change things for the better.
The conference went pretty much the way Andrew said it would, it was pretty much Alax taking the role of leadership and then went talking about the whole L.A situation. He didn't shine any new info on the situation, pretty much just stressing how extreme measures are with it. He mostly stood up as he did his exposition, behind him, the slayer general Kennedy is in a corner shining HER Scythe. Alax gives her the floor to explain exactly what went down in L.A and it was basically her and her group of slayers and watchers going in and slaughtered by vamps right away. She said she couldn't find any information on what led to the takeover. So really nothing new, accept more death. Alax then gave the floor to Andrew who pulled out a big board and grabbed a pointer showing all the main activity of vampires over the world. And of course the highest activity was in Los Angelos. Apparently, it has now become a safe haven for vamps to feed off the dead and create their own society.
"Okay, now some of you may see this as a good thing," Alax began his finishing up speech. "All vampires and demons in one place keeps them away from everyone else, right?" He looks around at everyone who stays pretty much silent the whole time. "Wrong. Believe me, they will try to migrate. Sure, right now they might have a whole lot of people to feed off of, but with their numbers growing they are going to run out of food very quickly. So if we are going to do something, we better do it fast. I know it seems impossible, seeing the army and the intiative were taken out. But our organization has been around much longer, and now thanks to Mr. Giles, we are much stronger than before. Now you are all to stay here in London until we come up with a battle plan." At that moment Dawn hears Reese groan right beside her, Alax continues. "With that our meeting is closed until further notice."
Once Alax has finished, most of the young girls rush out of the conference room due to boredom. Reese looks at Dawn and she knods to tell her that she can leave as well. Reese runs out the double doors with the rest of the slayers. The Watchers talk amongst themselves for a few minutes, then most of them walk out the door. Dawn talks to VI and Andrew with Kennedy staying in her corner being very quiet, she has become quite the silent war bird over the last couple of years. Dawn, VI and Andrew are on their way out of the room when Alax who has been going through paperwork (something he hates doing) stops them. "Hey guys," the three of them stop and look at him. " Can you guys follow me to my offices," He looks back at Kennedy. "You too."
Seeing that they can't say no to him, he is their boss now, the four follow him down the hallway. Kennedy is the first one to question Alax. "So what's this all about? I thought we we're here for the Watchers meeting."
Alax stops before he gets to the door of his private office. "And that you were. But you are also here for a different kind of meeting."
Dawn thinks she knows where he is going when he says that, but apparently it went over the others heads. "What kind of meeting are you talking about?" VI asks as Alax opens the door to his office.
He grins the door opens and they see who has been waiting for them inside. "A Scooby Gang meeting." And there stands the sister who had abandoned her all those years ago in the middle of Alax Harris's office. Buffy gives Dawn a reluctant smile as all four of them stand in shock over the returning Buffy Summers. Well at least the three girls are shocked at Buffy. Andrew was shocked at something else.
"Wait, I'm a member of the Scooby Gang?" Andrew asks with excitement.
VI gives Andrew a shove telling him to stay quiet as Dawn and Buffy just stare at each other with contempt. It seems like days go by as she stares into the blue eyes of her sister, so much anger grows inside her as the time goes further and further. She thinks about the day she left, she looks back the weddings the funerals, the battles that she has missed. The times that she needed her, she wasn't there. But now here she is like nothing has changed a bit and Dawn bets that she won't even apologize for all those missed moments. Buffy opens her arms for a hug as Dawn walks up getting ready to slap her in the face. The open arms for a hug soon turns to Buffy bringing up her right arm to block the slap. Right as Dawn is about to deck her sister and Buffy is ready to block it they both stop and look at each others eyes once more. It is at that exact moment that Dawn bursts into to tears and falls to the floor, something she's been doing a lot of since Giles passing. She spends not half a second as she looks up and Buffy is kneeling right next to her also in tears. Dawn leans her head to Buffy's shoulder and they both embrace in tears of joy and loss. But still the words ring through her head.
"Buffy still won't choose you. She will be against you."
But then Dawn thinks to herself, at least she is here today, she is with me right now.
Those words have been ringing through her ears for the last twenty years of her life, it was a warning that her mom gave her from the afterlife. At first she didn't know if that was prophecy that would come true, everyone just assumed that it was The First playing with her mind, and it very well could've been. But still five years later, that prophecy came true. Her sister, the one who she would protect her, abandoned her for a life of self solitude. Of course the warning wasn't wasn't as life or death as she though it would be at the time, but still it happened. She had to make all the tough decisions on her own from then on, even Giles couldn't save her from leading two slayers to death and darkness. Maybe if her sister Buffy would've been around, she probably could've avoided those disasters. Then Dawn Summers she realized that she has zoned out again into her own thoughts.
"So how long is this going to take?" Her charge, Reese, asks very impatiently in the lobby of The Watcher's council.
"I don't know Reese, from what Alax told me, this is a meeting that involves both slayers and watchers, you can't try to get out of it this time." Dawn has been pretty grim these couple of days just due to the loss of Rupert. She knows that Reese is trying her hardest to understand that this is a very hard loss for her, but she is still a teenaged girl and doesn't really look farther beyond that. "Don't worry, this trip will be over soon"
"Let's hope, I can't wait to get back to New York, to kick some vampire ass. Plus, the english stench is already getting to me."
"Don't be rude, they payed for the hotel and the food."
"But still they didn't pay for my shopping spree, there is something completely wrong with that" Dawn gives her smile, something she hasn't done for the last couple of days. Reese than changes the subject on her, asking her something that she wouldn't expect from her young slayer. "So what was Mr. Giles really like, I mean I actually never met him. But from the funeral he apparently was a great man, or at least the way Alax was talking about him and that weird white haired lady."
Dawn is a little shocked by this question, but she figures that she needs to answer, pass on the legacy. "First of all, that weird white haired ladies name is Willow. Now Giles, he was a great man.."
"I'm getting that, but what was he like?" As usual, Reese is being very impatient.
"Well, firstly, he was very, well, um english. He used big words and was very compassionate and he had a great voice."
Reese gives Dawn an unimpressed look. "That's it? That's all you can say about the guy who brought you up?"
Dawn wishes she could say more, but her mind is off in a dozen other places right now. She is still mourning the loss of her sisters ex watcher, but now she thinks more and more about Buffy. She wonders if Buffy just stopped caring about everything years back, why wasn't she at the funeral. She has left many times before, but she always came back, but now fifteen years later, she can't come back just for a few minutes for something like this? And she didn't even show up for her wedding, that's not the Buffy Summers she remembers. She notices her mind wander off again and she turns back to Reese. "Sometimes, there are people who are so great that it is hard to get their essence into a sentence or paragraph. Plus, I'm not trying to think about him as gone, I had to do a lot of that growing up."
Reese takes a moment to think over what Dawn says and then says the last thing that Dawn wants to hear. " Oh yeah, because your sister sacrificed herself for you, right?" Dawn looks down in more remorse for her lost sister, as it looks like Reese is thinking hard about something. "Wait, if your sister died saving you and the world, how did she lead the potential slayers to defeat The First two years later? Where is she now?"
Dawn looks deeply, giving her an 'I don't want to continue this conversation' look, "I don't know." Reese gets the hint and backs off of her watcher. As they reach the main offices Dawn notices a figure she recognizes very well. Well of course she recognizes him, he was the guy that they kept hostage at their house for a few months, how could she not forget that face and the wormy posture. But of course every time she sees him, she can't help but smile at his nerdy charm. She wonders if this was how Buffy saw Alax or Xander in the High School days that she's heard so much about. Reese on the other hand has met Andrew a few times before, and everytime he opens his mouth around her, she tries not to laugh at his dorkyness. Dawn thinks he looks kind of funny in his suit and tie, just because she remembers when he was hardcore trekkie. As oppose to Xander, he still has his hair, but it has turned into a weird pale blonde color, he also has attempted to grow a goatee to either look younger or to look like the evil alternate dimension version of Captain Kirk, she can't tell which. Over the last couple of years he has become a book keeper of sorts for the Watchers Council, something he is quite good at.
"Mrs. Summers, Reese" He gives them a wild grin while stroking his chin hair, always the fidgety one. "You two have arrived right on time, Alax is just about to get started. May I take your coat?"
Dawn gives Andrew a very warm look, while Reese just rolls her eyes. "Good to see you too Andrew. What exactly is this meeting all about and once again, you're the book keeper not the councils butler"
Andrew goes aback like he had just been insulted, he's just a bit sensitive, but still he answers her question. "Well apparently the meeting is just Mr. Harris taking his spot as head of the Watcher's Council and what he plans to do about L.A."
"Will it be long?" Reese bursts out loud. If it were to one of the more uptight older members of the council, she would have scolded her slayer, but Andrew was probably was wondering the same thing.
"I hope not, Sci fi channel is playing a 'Quantum Leap' marathon."
"What is that?" Reese asks, and to be honest, Dawn has never heard of that show either. But it kind of goes to show that Andrew is still the same old nerd he always has been, maybe a little more mature, but still a fanboy at heart.
Andrew again looks offended. "You never heard of 'Quantum Leap'? Scott Bakula?"
"Who's Scott Bakula?" Reese just asks that last question to get under his skin, although she had no clue who he was anyways.
Andrew looks at Dawn with a very upset look. "What are you teaching this girl? The first thing a good slayer should know is good television."
Dawn shrugs. "Sorry, I grew up watching 'Charmed'."
Now it's Andrew's turn to roll his old eyes. "Witches, Demons, who growing up in our era watched that stuff anyways?" Before he can continue his rant a slim hand goes over his mouth. Dawn begins to glow as VI stands there holding Andrew back with smirk on her face. Dawn really likes VI, of all the slayers that she had to bunk with during The First war, she liked her the most. And although, they have recently learned that slayers age very well when it comes to their looks, at least with the proof of Faith and Kennedy's old age, she is sure the youngest looking one and she is a good thirty eight years old. She doesn't look a day over twenty one, despite her red hair growing down to her back, she looks almost the same.
"Sorry, I like the guy," She begins with a sweet smile and letting go of his mouth. "But when you get him going on millenium sci fi shows, he doesn't seem to be able to shut himself up."
"Ouch, remember you have slayer strength." Andrew says grabbing at his jaw, then strokes his chin hair once more.
"Hey VI" Dawn says giving her a hug. "How is the slaying going?"
"Same as usual, but I think I'm about ready to retire now. I've been doing this since I was what? Fifteen? Time to trade in my stake for a comfy bed. But how are you doing? How's your husband?"
Then her mind goes somewhere, she thinks about her husband, someone who has been worrying her for a couple of months now. He seemed in bad shape when they left New York, been having very strange nightmares. Whenever she would ask him if she could do anything, he would just tell her to leave him alone. For the first time ever in their relationship, he is rejecting her love. He has become very brooding as of late actually, kind of reminds her of a guy that her sister used to date. But she decides to lie to VI about her husband. "Oh, Connors doing very good."
He wakes up in a deep sweat for the third time this week, the same dream again. Makes it not having Dawn around or maybe it's that he has being feeling useless in the world as of late. But his dreams are so weird, they have nothing to do with any of that. But it also seems like they have nothing do with him either, it's about some other guy, well a vampire really. He remembers seeing this man/vampire fighting demons in some place that isn't New York, he thinks most likely L.A. Most of his dreams took place in a gorgeous hotel where this vampire and his minions took sanctuary in. He knows their faces, better than people he see's on a normal basis now. There of course was the vampire, but there was also the tough looking black man, the weird green faced guy who wears flashy clothes, a very skinny but lovely looking girl, and a british man who sometimes wore glasses. And there was someone else, someone who really caught his eye, beautiful young woman, there's something about this woman that he just can't put his finger on. But most of his dreams are about the vampire, the dark mysterious vampire who haunts his dreams every night.
Connor figures since he can't get any sleep tonight, he might as well go out patrolling. As he puts his clothes on he wonders what any of this has to do with him? Sure he helps his wife Dawn and her student fight evil, but that doesn't explain why he has those dreams. But there is the super strength and instincts that he has pretty much remembered having since he was eighteen, he has always wondered where that came from. Is he some sort of male slayer? No probably not. He puts his black trench coat on and thinks about that man/vampire in his dreams. There's something more to him, and the beautiful woman for that matter, but he feels some sort of bond toward the vampire. That bond is the same thing that is telling him that this vampire has long since died. So why is he haunted by dreams of him.
He grabs his stakes and places them in the sleeve of his coat, then he opens up the closet of the two bedroom apartment and pulls out a mini crossbow and places it on his belt buckle. He tries to get these silly dreams out his head as he opens the door to his hallway. What he mostly tries to focus is on is the kill, when he goes out there, he goes out there to hunt. But as he opens the front door, he realizes that he will not be able to get away from these dreams. He looks at the man who seems like he has been standing in his doorway for a while now. The man has a very innocent face and is wearing a goofy derby ontop of his head and Connor can smell that he is a demon.
The man smiles at Connor. "Hi Connor, the names Whistler and I'm here to give you a push in the right direction."
Dawn was surprised at how many Watchers and Slayers could fit into the Council's conference room, bout seventy in all had to cram into the room with a long table in the middle. And for the first time ever, Alaxander Lavelle Harris is at the forefront. Dawn only recognized half of the people there, she is surprised that the council was able to get rid of most of the older males who lived through the blast that took out the original council twenty years back. Now it just seems like the council is built up of people who are forty five or younger, which is a good thing. She is also surprised to see that a lot of the watchers are women like her. They are not the council of the old male dominance. And all of it goes to the man who took over the council twenty years ago, Giles really did change things for the better.
The conference went pretty much the way Andrew said it would, it was pretty much Alax taking the role of leadership and then went talking about the whole L.A situation. He didn't shine any new info on the situation, pretty much just stressing how extreme measures are with it. He mostly stood up as he did his exposition, behind him, the slayer general Kennedy is in a corner shining HER Scythe. Alax gives her the floor to explain exactly what went down in L.A and it was basically her and her group of slayers and watchers going in and slaughtered by vamps right away. She said she couldn't find any information on what led to the takeover. So really nothing new, accept more death. Alax then gave the floor to Andrew who pulled out a big board and grabbed a pointer showing all the main activity of vampires over the world. And of course the highest activity was in Los Angelos. Apparently, it has now become a safe haven for vamps to feed off the dead and create their own society.
"Okay, now some of you may see this as a good thing," Alax began his finishing up speech. "All vampires and demons in one place keeps them away from everyone else, right?" He looks around at everyone who stays pretty much silent the whole time. "Wrong. Believe me, they will try to migrate. Sure, right now they might have a whole lot of people to feed off of, but with their numbers growing they are going to run out of food very quickly. So if we are going to do something, we better do it fast. I know it seems impossible, seeing the army and the intiative were taken out. But our organization has been around much longer, and now thanks to Mr. Giles, we are much stronger than before. Now you are all to stay here in London until we come up with a battle plan." At that moment Dawn hears Reese groan right beside her, Alax continues. "With that our meeting is closed until further notice."
Once Alax has finished, most of the young girls rush out of the conference room due to boredom. Reese looks at Dawn and she knods to tell her that she can leave as well. Reese runs out the double doors with the rest of the slayers. The Watchers talk amongst themselves for a few minutes, then most of them walk out the door. Dawn talks to VI and Andrew with Kennedy staying in her corner being very quiet, she has become quite the silent war bird over the last couple of years. Dawn, VI and Andrew are on their way out of the room when Alax who has been going through paperwork (something he hates doing) stops them. "Hey guys," the three of them stop and look at him. " Can you guys follow me to my offices," He looks back at Kennedy. "You too."
Seeing that they can't say no to him, he is their boss now, the four follow him down the hallway. Kennedy is the first one to question Alax. "So what's this all about? I thought we we're here for the Watchers meeting."
Alax stops before he gets to the door of his private office. "And that you were. But you are also here for a different kind of meeting."
Dawn thinks she knows where he is going when he says that, but apparently it went over the others heads. "What kind of meeting are you talking about?" VI asks as Alax opens the door to his office.
He grins the door opens and they see who has been waiting for them inside. "A Scooby Gang meeting." And there stands the sister who had abandoned her all those years ago in the middle of Alax Harris's office. Buffy gives Dawn a reluctant smile as all four of them stand in shock over the returning Buffy Summers. Well at least the three girls are shocked at Buffy. Andrew was shocked at something else.
"Wait, I'm a member of the Scooby Gang?" Andrew asks with excitement.
VI gives Andrew a shove telling him to stay quiet as Dawn and Buffy just stare at each other with contempt. It seems like days go by as she stares into the blue eyes of her sister, so much anger grows inside her as the time goes further and further. She thinks about the day she left, she looks back the weddings the funerals, the battles that she has missed. The times that she needed her, she wasn't there. But now here she is like nothing has changed a bit and Dawn bets that she won't even apologize for all those missed moments. Buffy opens her arms for a hug as Dawn walks up getting ready to slap her in the face. The open arms for a hug soon turns to Buffy bringing up her right arm to block the slap. Right as Dawn is about to deck her sister and Buffy is ready to block it they both stop and look at each others eyes once more. It is at that exact moment that Dawn bursts into to tears and falls to the floor, something she's been doing a lot of since Giles passing. She spends not half a second as she looks up and Buffy is kneeling right next to her also in tears. Dawn leans her head to Buffy's shoulder and they both embrace in tears of joy and loss. But still the words ring through her head.
"Buffy still won't choose you. She will be against you."
But then Dawn thinks to herself, at least she is here today, she is with me right now.
Twenty Years Later Part 3: Buffy Won't Choose You
Those words have been ringing through her ears for the last twenty years of her life, it was a warning that her mom gave her from the afterlife. At first she didn't know if that was prophecy that would come true, everyone just assumed that it was The First playing with her mind, and it very well could've been. But still five years later, that prophecy came true. Her sister, the one who she would protect her, abandoned her for a life of self solitude. Of course the warning wasn't wasn't as life or death as she though it would be at the time, but still it happened. She had to make all the tough decisions on her own from then on, even Giles couldn't save her from leading two slayers to death and darkness. Maybe if her sister Buffy would've been around, she probably could've avoided those disasters. Then Dawn Summers she realized that she has zoned out again into her own thoughts.
"So how long is this going to take?" Her charge, Reese, asks very impatiently in the lobby of The Watcher's council.
"I don't know Reese, from what Alax told me, this is a meeting that involves both slayers and watchers, you can't try to get out of it this time." Dawn has been pretty grim these couple of days just due to the loss of Rupert. She knows that Reese is trying her hardest to understand that this is a very hard loss for her, but she is still a teenaged girl and doesn't really look farther beyond that. "Don't worry, this trip will be over soon"
"Let's hope, I can't wait to get back to New York, to kick some vampire ass. Plus, the english stench is already getting to me."
"Don't be rude, they payed for the hotel and the food."
"But still they didn't pay for my shopping spree, there is something completely wrong with that" Dawn gives her smile, something she hasn't done for the last couple of days. Reese than changes the subject on her, asking her something that she wouldn't expect from her young slayer. "So what was Mr. Giles really like, I mean I actually never met him. But from the funeral he apparently was a great man, or at least the way Alax was talking about him and that weird white haired lady."
Dawn is a little shocked by this question, but she figures that she needs to answer, pass on the legacy. "First of all, that weird white haired ladies name is Willow. Now Giles, he was a great man.."
"I'm getting that, but what was he like?" As usual, Reese is being very impatient.
"Well, firstly, he was very, well, um english. He used big words and was very compassionate and he had a great voice."
Reese gives Dawn an unimpressed look. "That's it? That's all you can say about the guy who brought you up?"
Dawn wishes she could say more, but her mind is off in a dozen other places right now. She is still mourning the loss of her sisters ex watcher, but now she thinks more and more about Buffy. She wonders if Buffy just stopped caring about everything years back, why wasn't she at the funeral. She has left many times before, but she always came back, but now fifteen years later, she can't come back just for a few minutes for something like this? And she didn't even show up for her wedding, that's not the Buffy Summers she remembers. She notices her mind wander off again and she turns back to Reese. "Sometimes, there are people who are so great that it is hard to get their essence into a sentence or paragraph. Plus, I'm not trying to think about him as gone, I had to do a lot of that growing up."
Reese takes a moment to think over what Dawn says and then says the last thing that Dawn wants to hear. " Oh yeah, because your sister sacrificed herself for you, right?" Dawn looks down in more remorse for her lost sister, as it looks like Reese is thinking hard about something. "Wait, if your sister died saving you and the world, how did she lead the potential slayers to defeat The First two years later? Where is she now?"
Dawn looks deeply, giving her an 'I don't want to continue this conversation' look, "I don't know." Reese gets the hint and backs off of her watcher. As they reach the main offices Dawn notices a figure she recognizes very well. Well of course she recognizes him, he was the guy that they kept hostage at their house for a few months, how could she not forget that face and the wormy posture. But of course every time she sees him, she can't help but smile at his nerdy charm. She wonders if this was how Buffy saw Alax or Xander in the High School days that she's heard so much about. Reese on the other hand has met Andrew a few times before, and everytime he opens his mouth around her, she tries not to laugh at his dorkyness. Dawn thinks he looks kind of funny in his suit and tie, just because she remembers when he was hardcore trekkie. As oppose to Xander, he still has his hair, but it has turned into a weird pale blonde color, he also has attempted to grow a goatee to either look younger or to look like the evil alternate dimension version of Captain Kirk, she can't tell which. Over the last couple of years he has become a book keeper of sorts for the Watchers Council, something he is quite good at.
"Mrs. Summers, Reese" He gives them a wild grin while stroking his chin hair, always the fidgety one. "You two have arrived right on time, Alax is just about to get started. May I take your coat?"
Dawn gives Andrew a very warm look, while Reese just rolls her eyes. "Good to see you too Andrew. What exactly is this meeting all about and once again, you're the book keeper not the councils butler"
Andrew goes aback like he had just been insulted, he's just a bit sensitive, but still he answers her question. "Well apparently the meeting is just Mr. Harris taking his spot as head of the Watcher's Council and what he plans to do about L.A."
"Will it be long?" Reese bursts out loud. If it were to one of the more uptight older members of the council, she would have scolded her slayer, but Andrew was probably was wondering the same thing.
"I hope not, Sci fi channel is playing a 'Quantum Leap' marathon."
"What is that?" Reese asks, and to be honest, Dawn has never heard of that show either. But it kind of goes to show that Andrew is still the same old nerd he always has been, maybe a little more mature, but still a fanboy at heart.
Andrew again looks offended. "You never heard of 'Quantum Leap'? Scott Bakula?"
"Who's Scott Bakula?" Reese just asks that last question to get under his skin, although she had no clue who he was anyways.
Andrew looks at Dawn with a very upset look. "What are you teaching this girl? The first thing a good slayer should know is good television."
Dawn shrugs. "Sorry, I grew up watching 'Charmed'."
Now it's Andrew's turn to roll his old eyes. "Witches, Demons, who growing up in our era watched that stuff anyways?" Before he can continue his rant a slim hand goes over his mouth. Dawn begins to glow as VI stands there holding Andrew back with smirk on her face. Dawn really likes VI, of all the slayers that she had to bunk with during The First war, she liked her the most. And although, they have recently learned that slayers age very well when it comes to their looks, at least with the proof of Faith and Kennedy's old age, she is sure the youngest looking one and she is a good thirty eight years old. She doesn't look a day over twenty one, despite her red hair growing down to her back, she looks almost the same.
"Sorry, I like the guy," She begins with a sweet smile and letting go of his mouth. "But when you get him going on millenium sci fi shows, he doesn't seem to be able to shut himself up."
"Ouch, remember you have slayer strength." Andrew says grabbing at his jaw, then strokes his chin hair once more.
"Hey VI" Dawn says giving her a hug. "How is the slaying going?"
"Same as usual, but I think I'm about ready to retire now. I've been doing this since I was what? Fifteen? Time to trade in my stake for a comfy bed. But how are you doing? How's your husband?"
Then her mind goes somewhere, she thinks about her husband, someone who has been worrying her for a couple of months now. He seemed in bad shape when they left New York, been having very strange nightmares. Whenever she would ask him if she could do anything, he would just tell her to leave him alone. For the first time ever in their relationship, he is rejecting her love. He has become very brooding as of late actually, kind of reminds her of a guy that her sister used to date. But she decides to lie to VI about her husband. "Oh, Connors doing very good."
He wakes up in a deep sweat for the third time this week, the same dream again. Makes it not having Dawn around or maybe it's that he has being feeling useless in the world as of late. But his dreams are so weird, they have nothing to do with any of that. But it also seems like they have nothing do with him either, it's about some other guy, well a vampire really. He remembers seeing this man/vampire fighting demons in some place that isn't New York, he thinks most likely L.A. Most of his dreams took place in a gorgeous hotel where this vampire and his minions took sanctuary in. He knows their faces, better than people he see's on a normal basis now. There of course was the vampire, but there was also the tough looking black man, the weird green faced guy who wears flashy clothes, a very skinny but lovely looking girl, and a british man who sometimes wore glasses. And there was someone else, someone who really caught his eye, beautiful young woman, there's something about this woman that he just can't put his finger on. But most of his dreams are about the vampire, the dark mysterious vampire who haunts his dreams every night.
Connor figures since he can't get any sleep tonight, he might as well go out patrolling. As he puts his clothes on he wonders what any of this has to do with him? Sure he helps his wife Dawn and her student fight evil, but that doesn't explain why he has those dreams. But there is the super strength and instincts that he has pretty much remembered having since he was eighteen, he has always wondered where that came from. Is he some sort of male slayer? No probably not. He puts his black trench coat on and thinks about that man/vampire in his dreams. There's something more to him, and the beautiful woman for that matter, but he feels some sort of bond toward the vampire. That bond is the same thing that is telling him that this vampire has long since died. So why is he haunted by dreams of him.
He grabs his stakes and places them in the sleeve of his coat, then he opens up the closet of the two bedroom apartment and pulls out a mini crossbow and places it on his belt buckle. He tries to get these silly dreams out his head as he opens the door to his hallway. What he mostly tries to focus is on is the kill, when he goes out there, he goes out there to hunt. But as he opens the front door, he realizes that he will not be able to get away from these dreams. He looks at the man who seems like he has been standing in his doorway for a while now. The man has a very innocent face and is wearing a goofy derby ontop of his head and Connor can smell that he is a demon.
The man smiles at Connor. "Hi Connor, the names Whistler and I'm here to give you a push in the right direction."
Dawn was surprised at how many Watchers and Slayers could fit into the Council's conference room, bout seventy in all had to cram into the room with a long table in the middle. And for the first time ever, Alaxander Lavelle Harris is at the forefront. Dawn only recognized half of the people there, she is surprised that the council was able to get rid of most of the older males who lived through the blast that took out the original council twenty years back. Now it just seems like the council is built up of people who are forty five or younger, which is a good thing. She is also surprised to see that a lot of the watchers are women like her. They are not the council of the old male dominance. And all of it goes to the man who took over the council twenty years ago, Giles really did change things for the better.
The conference went pretty much the way Andrew said it would, it was pretty much Alax taking the role of leadership and then went talking about the whole L.A situation. He didn't shine any new info on the situation, pretty much just stressing how extreme measures are with it. He mostly stood up as he did his exposition, behind him, the slayer general Kennedy is in a corner shining HER Scythe. Alax gives her the floor to explain exactly what went down in L.A and it was basically her and her group of slayers and watchers going in and slaughtered by vamps right away. She said she couldn't find any information on what led to the takeover. So really nothing new, accept more death. Alax then gave the floor to Andrew who pulled out a big board and grabbed a pointer showing all the main activity of vampires over the world. And of course the highest activity was in Los Angelos. Apparently, it has now become a safe haven for vamps to feed off the dead and create their own society.
"Okay, now some of you may see this as a good thing," Alax began his finishing up speech. "All vampires and demons in one place keeps them away from everyone else, right?" He looks around at everyone who stays pretty much silent the whole time. "Wrong. Believe me, they will try to migrate. Sure, right now they might have a whole lot of people to feed off of, but with their numbers growing they are going to run out of food very quickly. So if we are going to do something, we better do it fast. I know it seems impossible, seeing the army and the intiative were taken out. But our organization has been around much longer, and now thanks to Mr. Giles, we are much stronger than before. Now you are all to stay here in London until we come up with a battle plan." At that moment Dawn hears Reese groan right beside her, Alax continues. "With that our meeting is closed until further notice."
Once Alax has finished, most of the young girls rush out of the conference room due to boredom. Reese looks at Dawn and she knods to tell her that she can leave as well. Reese runs out the double doors with the rest of the slayers. The Watchers talk amongst themselves for a few minutes, then most of them walk out the door. Dawn talks to VI and Andrew with Kennedy staying in her corner being very quiet, she has become quite the silent war bird over the last couple of years. Dawn, VI and Andrew are on their way out of the room when Alax who has been going through paperwork (something he hates doing) stops them. "Hey guys," the three of them stop and look at him. " Can you guys follow me to my offices," He looks back at Kennedy. "You too."
Seeing that they can't say no to him, he is their boss now, the four follow him down the hallway. Kennedy is the first one to question Alax. "So what's this all about? I thought we we're here for the Watchers meeting."
Alax stops before he gets to the door of his private office. "And that you were. But you are also here for a different kind of meeting."
Dawn thinks she knows where he is going when he says that, but apparently it went over the others heads. "What kind of meeting are you talking about?" VI asks as Alax opens the door to his office.
He grins the door opens and they see who has been waiting for them inside. "A Scooby Gang meeting." And there stands the sister who had abandoned her all those years ago in the middle of Alax Harris's office. Buffy gives Dawn a reluctant smile as all four of them stand in shock over the returning Buffy Summers. Well at least the three girls are shocked at Buffy. Andrew was shocked at something else.
"Wait, I'm a member of the Scooby Gang?" Andrew asks with excitement.
VI gives Andrew a shove telling him to stay quiet as Dawn and Buffy just stare at each other with contempt. It seems like days go by as she stares into the blue eyes of her sister, so much anger grows inside her as the time goes further and further. She thinks about the day she left, she looks back the weddings the funerals, the battles that she has missed. The times that she needed her, she wasn't there. But now here she is like nothing has changed a bit and Dawn bets that she won't even apologize for all those missed moments. Buffy opens her arms for a hug as Dawn walks up getting ready to slap her in the face. The open arms for a hug soon turns to Buffy bringing up her right arm to block the slap. Right as Dawn is about to deck her sister and Buffy is ready to block it they both stop and look at each others eyes once more. It is at that exact moment that Dawn bursts into to tears and falls to the floor, something she's been doing a lot of since Giles passing. She spends not half a second as she looks up and Buffy is kneeling right next to her also in tears. Dawn leans her head to Buffy's shoulder and they both embrace in tears of joy and loss. But still the words ring through her head.
"Buffy still won't choose you. She will be against you."
But then Dawn thinks to herself, at least she is here today, she is with me right now.