Chapter Eleven

          Willow was pacing her office anxiously, checking her watch every ten seconds and groaning. Hearing a car pull into the mansion drive, followed by a door slamming shut, Willow stopped dead in her tracks, lifting her head. Footsteps on the gravel path stopped for a moment and the redhead heard the mansion doors swing open. Another pause. Bouncing shut the heavy doors creaked and a suitcase was dropped atop the floor. Muffled voices filtered into her office and Willow turned as her door opened.

          "She's here," Drusilla smiled.

          Rushing past her dark haired friend Willow hurried through the mansion corridors, down the stairs, through the open kitchen, under the arched doorway leading to the terrace and onto the terrace itself. Five cages sat side-by-side encircled by 3rd Division agents holding tranquilizer guns. As Willow entered the 3-D squad hopped to attention, saluting their ranking agent. Waving them away Willow looked quickly about the room. Buffy, Xander, Giles, Oz, Cordelia…

          "Willow!"

          Spinning around the redhead was enveloped in the arms of another young redhead. Stumbling Willow toppled into a chair behind her, taking the other girl with her. Laughing Willow returned the embrace, pushing away only when breathing became an issue.

          Smiling at the girl Willow asked, "What are you doing here? I told you I was going to pick you up from airport."

          Sheepishly the redhead grinned and responded in a light British accent, "I know but my flight came in early and it was quicker just for me to take a cab."

          Brushing a lock of curly hair from the girl's forehead Willow sighed, "I suppose you're right."

          "Of course I am."

          Laughing, Willow asked, "So how was London?"

          "Exactly the same as it was when I left."

          Giles cleared his throat and the two redheads looked up, suddenly remembering that there were other's in the room. Standing to her feet the younger girl straightened her tee-shirt and tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ears, honey-colored eyes glancing between the Watcher and Willow. "I'm assuming, Willow, that you're acquainted with Hope. The Slayer."

          Lacing her finger's through Hope's Willow responded, "Of course. I helped train her."

          "Helped train her?"

          Rolling her eyes Willow exchanged a look with Hope before answering, "I don't believe I stuttered, Cordelia."

          "Hope was orphaned as a young child," Drusilla stepped onto the terrace and was immediately bombarded by Hope's strong arms. Returning the embrace and placing a kiss on the young Slayer's brow she continued, "As a Potential she was taken into the Council's care and raised, logically, as a Slayer alongside a few dozen other girls also orphaned or given willingly to the Council by their families."

          "When she was eleven Hope was placed under my guidance," Willow said.

          Shaking her head Buffy asked, "Why?"

          "Among other things," Spike appeared beside Dru and was not sparred the redheaded Slayer's affection, "Willow is a leading authority on demons within the Watcher's Council."

          "Makes sense," Buffy said. "Willow always was the go-to girl when it came to demons and whatnot. Other than Giles, I mean," she added seeing the glare the Watcher directed at her.

          "Because of that," Spike continued, "and her experience on a Hellmouth Willow was appointed Director of the Novice Academy Demon Studies, the DNADS, where she taught courses dealing with the history, anatomy, language and dimensions of hundreds of demons."

          Buffy rolled her eyes. "Sounds fun," her tone was thickly sarcastic.

          "Exactly the attitude of most Potentials," Willow frowned. "Who cares where a demon comes from if you kick its ass, right?" It was a rhetorical question and no answered. "You were lucky, Buffy to have people to research for you and tell you how, or how not, to slay a demon but what if you'd been alone and one night found yourself face to face with a K'tack demon, what would you do? Seeing as they stand a good two inches shorter then you you'd probably go straight for decapitation, right? You'd regret it immediately seeing as the blood of a K'tack demon is extremely acidic and would easily melt the flesh from you're bones before you even had time to register what was happening. But Hope, because she studied the anatomy of the K'tack demon, knows how to dispose of that particular species."

          Grinning at her mentor Hope answered, "The malformed appendage beneath its left arm. That's the only area of a K'tack's body which lacks blood flow because it's actually a sack, separate from the body's circulatory system and containing the demon's main organ of life – it's heart, so to speak. Once detached from the body the sack withers and the demon will, in effect, suffocate to death."

          "Good, girl," Willow winked at Hope before turning her attention back to the Scooby's. "As you can see, Hope was different from the other Potentials. She wanted to learn where a demon came from and how to find its heart as well as how to kill it and because of that interest she and I were never often from each others' side."

          "And because of that," Dru added, "Head Watcher Travers assigned Willow as Hope's sole instructor in both study and defense alongside a handful of other girls likewise interested as Hope."

          "So I'm assuming," Xander spoke, "that you knew of the Council's plans to retire Buffy?"

          Willow smiled. "Oh, we knew. It was the least that Buffy deserved and I was a strong advocate in seeing it pass." Meeting Buffy's eyes Willow continued, "Buffy lived almost nine years as the Slayer where the average Slayer lifespan is less than two and no Slayer in history has ever survived beyond four. Buffy was the greatest Slayer in Council history and retirement was the very least they owed her."

          Buffy returned Willow smile. Despite their past Willow would never argue against Buffy's incredible success as Slayer nor her claim to being the greatest. It was true and Willow admired Buffy for it.

          "Yeah," Xander grinned proudly. "First time the Council's had to actually retire a Slayer. I never even knew they could do that.

          "Technically they can't," Willow responded. "Buffy is still a Slayer and she still has all her Slayer abilities but she's no longer part of the Slayer Line so when she dies another Slayer won't be called to take her place because Hope is the Slayer now, not Buffy."

          "Then how…?"

          Willow grinned at Xander. "Since Buffy didn't die it was up to the Council to choose the Potential best suited to take up the Slayer reins which, let me tell you, is no easy task, especially since they had to communicate directly with the Powers That Be and get permission to do such a thing and then they had to actually choose the girl."

          "That was fun," Dru said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Evaluating thousands of Potentials and deciding upon one. It's enough to turn your hair gray."

          Intrigued, Giles asked, "You three had a voice in the matter?"

          "Naturally," Spike responded. "We are the Council's top Team and Willow is in charge of Potential Training and Instruction."

          "It took months of debate," Willow resumed. "But, finally, it came down to two girls and we chose Hope."