ONE
Buffy Summers paid the cashier for her meal and then turned to find a seat in the cafeteria. It was nearly deserted this time of day. One of the reasons she had chosen this particular place. It had only been a few short months since she and the others had defeated The First Evil. She found she liked spending a lot of her time alone these days.
She found a seat and glanced around at the other people in the place. An elderly woman picking at her food as if searching for some hidden treasure. A young man just a bit older than she was who had ordered half a dozen hamburgers. And had insisted that they be cooked so rare they were practically raw.
There was also a woman with two young children. They were nearly finished and the young mother was having trouble getting her son to finish his broccoli. There was also the man who had been behind her in line. Late thirties, dark brown hair, piercing green eyes. He had smiled at her briefly when she had looked back at him.
Besides the three people who obviously worked here, these were the only people in the place. And it was the middle of the afternoon with the sun blazing brightly in a cloudless sky. No vampires around and no demons looking to kill her. She was enjoying the respite that defeating The First Evil had brought.
"Mind if I join you?" asked the man who had been behind her in line. "I hate to eat alone."
"Sorry," said Buffy, smiling weakly at him, "I'd just as soon not. I just came in to get something to eat. Nothing else."
"I can understand that," said the man, sitting down across from her. "It must be somewhat refreshing to be able to sleep at night. To not have to worry about who - or what - might be out there preying on the innocent."
Buffy eyed the man suspiciously. His choice of words had seemed deliberate. As if he knew exactly who and what she was. But that was impossible. Since defeating The First Evil, demonic activity had been severely curtailed. Most nights she didn't even need to patrol.
"Listen," Buffy began.
"You'll want to talk with me," said the man. "Trust me, Buffy. Things are changing and you are definitely going to want to hear what I have to say."
"How do you know my name?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, I know a great deal about you," said the man. "Mother, Joyce, deceased. Estranged from your father. One sister, who's not really your sister. Recently from Sunnydale that just happens not to exist any longer. The one girl in all the world born with the strength yada yada yada. You have a very impressive resume."
"Who are you?" demanded Buffy. "If you know about me, then you also know I can kick your butt from here to next Tuesday. And what I've been through recently it wouldn't be much of a challenge."
"More than you might think," said the man. "You can call me Restin. And I'm not a threat to you. Now that guy," he indicated the man devouring the nearly uncooked hamburgers, "he might be. At least once the sun goes down."
"What do you mean?" asked Buffy.
"Werewolf," Restin whispered to her. "And tonight is the first night of the full moon. I'm thinking you're going to be busy at least for part of the night. Once the moon rises."
"Just who are you?" asked Buffy.
"As I said," said Restin, "my name is Restin. And I'm what you might call your guardian angel. Well, actually, more of a guide. Someone who has the answers to some of your questions."
"A guide?" questioned Buffy. "To where?"
"To where you're going," said Restin. "You've fulfilled your destiny. You've defeated a powerful evil. Now, you have new destiny. I'm going to help you discover that destiny and prepare for it."
"Just how do you plan to do that?" asked Buffy. "I don't even know you. How do I know you aren't some powerful evil wanting to manipulate me into doing what you want?"
"We don't work that way," said Restin. "You will always have free will to choose what you want to do. I'll just try to help steer you in the right direction, that's all. Call me a supernatural Watcher of sorts."
"Listen," said Buffy, "I've had my fill of Watchers. Besides, they don't exist any more. Haven't you heard? They've disbanded."
"Not those kinds of Watchers," Restin said. "They're job was to prepare you for your role as the Slayer. I'm going to prepare you for something much more important."
"Just what might that be?" asked Buffy suspiciously.
"All in good time," said Restin. "In the mean time, you might want to take a little stroll by that economy motel about a mile down the road after the sun sets. Our friend over there is staying there right now. Room twenty-seven. And he's not like your friend, Oz. He enjoys what he is."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" asked Buffy, glancing over at the man who was still devouring the uncooked hamburgers.
When she looked back at Restin, he was gone. There was no evidence he had ever been there. She looked around the cafeteria but nothing seemed out of place. Apparently no one had noticed this man simply vanish from the table. Buffy didn't finish her meal. Instead, he left the cafeteria and hurried back to the motel where Giles and the others were staying.
Buffy Summers paid the cashier for her meal and then turned to find a seat in the cafeteria. It was nearly deserted this time of day. One of the reasons she had chosen this particular place. It had only been a few short months since she and the others had defeated The First Evil. She found she liked spending a lot of her time alone these days.
She found a seat and glanced around at the other people in the place. An elderly woman picking at her food as if searching for some hidden treasure. A young man just a bit older than she was who had ordered half a dozen hamburgers. And had insisted that they be cooked so rare they were practically raw.
There was also a woman with two young children. They were nearly finished and the young mother was having trouble getting her son to finish his broccoli. There was also the man who had been behind her in line. Late thirties, dark brown hair, piercing green eyes. He had smiled at her briefly when she had looked back at him.
Besides the three people who obviously worked here, these were the only people in the place. And it was the middle of the afternoon with the sun blazing brightly in a cloudless sky. No vampires around and no demons looking to kill her. She was enjoying the respite that defeating The First Evil had brought.
"Mind if I join you?" asked the man who had been behind her in line. "I hate to eat alone."
"Sorry," said Buffy, smiling weakly at him, "I'd just as soon not. I just came in to get something to eat. Nothing else."
"I can understand that," said the man, sitting down across from her. "It must be somewhat refreshing to be able to sleep at night. To not have to worry about who - or what - might be out there preying on the innocent."
Buffy eyed the man suspiciously. His choice of words had seemed deliberate. As if he knew exactly who and what she was. But that was impossible. Since defeating The First Evil, demonic activity had been severely curtailed. Most nights she didn't even need to patrol.
"Listen," Buffy began.
"You'll want to talk with me," said the man. "Trust me, Buffy. Things are changing and you are definitely going to want to hear what I have to say."
"How do you know my name?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, I know a great deal about you," said the man. "Mother, Joyce, deceased. Estranged from your father. One sister, who's not really your sister. Recently from Sunnydale that just happens not to exist any longer. The one girl in all the world born with the strength yada yada yada. You have a very impressive resume."
"Who are you?" demanded Buffy. "If you know about me, then you also know I can kick your butt from here to next Tuesday. And what I've been through recently it wouldn't be much of a challenge."
"More than you might think," said the man. "You can call me Restin. And I'm not a threat to you. Now that guy," he indicated the man devouring the nearly uncooked hamburgers, "he might be. At least once the sun goes down."
"What do you mean?" asked Buffy.
"Werewolf," Restin whispered to her. "And tonight is the first night of the full moon. I'm thinking you're going to be busy at least for part of the night. Once the moon rises."
"Just who are you?" asked Buffy.
"As I said," said Restin, "my name is Restin. And I'm what you might call your guardian angel. Well, actually, more of a guide. Someone who has the answers to some of your questions."
"A guide?" questioned Buffy. "To where?"
"To where you're going," said Restin. "You've fulfilled your destiny. You've defeated a powerful evil. Now, you have new destiny. I'm going to help you discover that destiny and prepare for it."
"Just how do you plan to do that?" asked Buffy. "I don't even know you. How do I know you aren't some powerful evil wanting to manipulate me into doing what you want?"
"We don't work that way," said Restin. "You will always have free will to choose what you want to do. I'll just try to help steer you in the right direction, that's all. Call me a supernatural Watcher of sorts."
"Listen," said Buffy, "I've had my fill of Watchers. Besides, they don't exist any more. Haven't you heard? They've disbanded."
"Not those kinds of Watchers," Restin said. "They're job was to prepare you for your role as the Slayer. I'm going to prepare you for something much more important."
"Just what might that be?" asked Buffy suspiciously.
"All in good time," said Restin. "In the mean time, you might want to take a little stroll by that economy motel about a mile down the road after the sun sets. Our friend over there is staying there right now. Room twenty-seven. And he's not like your friend, Oz. He enjoys what he is."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" asked Buffy, glancing over at the man who was still devouring the uncooked hamburgers.
When she looked back at Restin, he was gone. There was no evidence he had ever been there. She looked around the cafeteria but nothing seemed out of place. Apparently no one had noticed this man simply vanish from the table. Buffy didn't finish her meal. Instead, he left the cafeteria and hurried back to the motel where Giles and the others were staying.
