Disclaimer: I am not Joss or anyone else.. Sorry
Chapter 15
"Crying for me, princess?"
"Doyle?" Cordy asked with a tremble in her voice, her head snapping up as tears still trailed from her eyes.
"Last time I checked." he replied and grinned at her, while everyone else shifted closer to a weapon of some sort. Buffy looked at him thoughtfully her senses telling her that he was at least part demon, but not the demon that they were looking for.
"You're part demon." Buffy stated and Doyle turned to look at her.
"Nice to see you again, Buffy." Doyle told her, "And yes, I am still part demon."
"Still getting visions?" Angel asked, not trusting the person standing in front of them, he had watched Doyle die!
"Yes," Doyle said, "after the PTB realized the mistake that had been made, they sent me back. I didn't realize that the Cordy I kissed wasn't the actual Cordy."
"You kissed her!"
"Well, how did you expect me to pass on my powers?" he asked, glad to see that she was indeed jealous, it meant she cared. Cordy looked him over, he looked like the same Doyle that she had known and he seemed the same, looking to Buffy for an answer.
"Don't look at me." Buffy said, "I can tell he's half demon, but he doesn't feel like the demon that's trying to kill us."
"He isn't." Dawn said with finality, startling everyone, who turned to stare at her. "What?"
"We were wondering how you knew that, Nibblet." Spike said, walking towards Dawn.
"I can see him."
"What do you mean you can see him?" Giles asked in confusion.
"Well, I mean, I can see him." she sighed when she realized that no one was getting what she said, except maybe her sister who was looking at her thoughtfully, "Buffy has this light around her that shines so bright, like Faith, except hers wasn't as bright. Angel and Spike have the face of the demon, but they have the light also, like Doyle."
"Why didn't you say anything about the other Cordy?" Gunn asked.
"Because I figured that it was just the type of demon she had been turned into."
"Remarkable." Wesley said, looking at Dawn intently, who began to shift from foot to foot from all the attention that was being paid to her.
"Thank you." Doyle said, he knew that they really had all the right in the world not to trust him and he didn't feel insulted at all.
"Nice to see you again." Buffy said softly, taking Angel's hand and pulling him toward the door while making eye contact with Giles and Xander, who began to pull people from the room, leaving Cordy and Doyle alone.
"How have you been?" she asked softly, insecure as to where she fit into everything, she had missed so much.
"I missed you." Doyle told her, stepping closer and pulling her into his arms, "Every day I was gone, it wasn't Heaven, because you weren't there with me." he bent his head and caught her lips in a sweet kiss meant to reassure and to familiarize themselves again.
"You were in Heaven?" she asked when they had ended the kiss.
"Yes, it hurt watching everything happen and being unable to do anything to stop it. But what hurt the most was that it wasn't you that I kissed when I died, but some demon that had killed me." he told her and part of Cordy melted at his whispered confession.
"It hurt when they told me that you were gone." she confessed, looking him in the eyes, "they never mentioned the kiss though."
"That's my princess." he said with a laugh, before catching her in another kiss.
"Ready to face your friends?" she asked, glowing from the love she was feeling.
"With you?" he asked and she nodded, "Always." they walked into the other room, where everyone was trying not to listen in on the conversation that had been going on.
"How long, Dawn?" Buffy asked and Dawn shifted from foot to foot.
"About a week or two." she replied, finding her shoes more interesting then looking at the condemnation in her sister's eyes.
"Oh. When where you going to tell me?" she asked, wondering how her sister would think that she wouldn't care about something like that.
"When you were better."
"Dawn," Buffy began and then sighed when the younger girl braced herself. Moving forward, she dragged Dawn into her arms, "it's just you're my sister and I can help, you know? I love you."
"I love you too." Dawn said, pulling Buffy closer and hugging her tighter, "But with you coming back from the dead and the baby and everything, I didn't want to add to your burden."
"Dawn, you aren't a burden. You're my sister." Buffy told her, "Granted you can be annoying, but that's what little sisters do." looking at Wesley and Giles, "Can you guys find out about the next slayer?"
"Yes." Giles answered, going into the other room and picking up the phone.
"I don't understand." Fred said, "If you're here alive and well and Faith is in jail, how would another slayer be called?"
"She died again." Tara said.
"But the slayer line stopped going through her when she died the first time." Wesley said and everyone looked at him to continue, "When Buffy was drowned she should have died, but instead she was brought back. She died long enough for another slayer to be called, but because she had died, the slayer line went onto Kendra and then onto Faith."
"Yes." Giles said stepping back into the room, "It seems that Faith died about two weeks ago."
"Why wasn't I notified?" Angel asked, "I was supposed to be called if anything happened."
"Because you've been down here, they have been unable to reach you." Giles said.
"So," Buffy said, "Dawn has become the next slayer?"
"They aren't sure. They have no idea if the next slayer has been called or not, as far as they can tell, there hasn't been one called."
"How can they not be sure?" Anya asked, "You guys have all of those mages and stuff."
"It isn't that simple." Giles told them, "Because she is the key, we can't tell if she has the slayer essence in her. But judging by the power she has in her and her new ability coinciding with Faith's death and who she was made of, I would assume that she was indeed the next slayer."
"Cool." Dawn said, "Does that mean Giles is gonna be my watcher, too?"
"Yes, they asked me to watch over you." Giles said, taking his glasses off and cleaning them as everyone turned to look at Buffy, who was still hugging Dawn.
"You'll do great." Buffy said confidently. "Besides, Wesley will keep you in check." "I may not be there." Wesley reminded her gently and Buffy just gave him a look that spoke volumes.
"Are you leaving Angel's Investigation?" Buffy asked and Wesley shook his head in denial. "There you go. Dawn will get two watchers."
"When do I start training?" Dawn asked in excitement.
"Why couldn't you be more like her when I first met you?" Giles asked in amusement.
"Cause I wasn't involved with slayers on a daily basis," Buffy replied giving her best mock pout, "and I wasn't created out of a slayer."
"Yes, well there is that, I suppose." Giles replied.
"And why is that?" Buffy asked.
"Well, sweet pea," Lorne said taking over for the two flustered watchers who had no idea how to answer, "no one is sure exactly what makes one girl more susceptible to being the slayer than another girl, but because you were the slayer when they created Dawn, it makes sense that she would be the next slayer called."
"Not that I'm not all happy for this," Fred said looking at Dawn, "but what happened to Faith?" everyone turned to Giles who looked very unsure of the answer himself.
"I've got a question," Gunn said, "would the watcher's council kill Faith off in order to call the next slayer?"
"Possibly," Wesley answered, when Giles was unwilling to do so. "I doubt that they would, but they could very well."
"Especially after they heard about Buffy's death." Giles said.
"Ya, cause we all know how much they cared for me." Buffy muttered darkly, "If they come near Dawn.."
"I am sure that they are well aware of the risks." Angel said soothingly, bringing her back into his arms and rubbing her back soothingly.
"Oui, I've got a question." Spike said and everyone looked at him, "what did the demon look like again?"
"Big, ugly, blue, why?" Dawn asked.
"Because he's standing right behind you!" Spike replied and everyone turned, jumping to the side when the demon threw a fire ball at them.
"How do we kill him?" Cordy asked, looking around the room at the scattered group who had taken cover behind different objects. Everyone looked at one another, unsure of what would be the correct answer.
"Well, he wasn't supposed to be able to attack until Sunday." Giles reminded them, "we need the blood of the slayer to kill him."
"Which one?" Anya asked.
"Me." Dawn said and continued when Buffy went to speak, "you're pregnant so Angel would never let you bleed on anyone, except maybe him." Angel nodded and Buffy did slowly, knowing that she coudln't protect Dawnie anymore, because she had become the slayer. Dawn reached up into one of the drawers and pulled out a long butcher knife, just as another fireball hit the space directly behind her head. Muttering to herself she cut into her skin a hiss of pain following, and then stood, the demon turning his attention to her.
"Slayer."
"Present." Buffy said and the demon looked at her in confusion, giving Dawn enough time to take advantage and throw the butcher's knife as he released a fireball. Dawn went down with a scream of pain as the fireball singed her skin, but she gave a quick grin as she watched the demon clutch the knife in his chest, before dissolving.
"Dawnie!" Buffy screamed out, getting to her feet and rushing to her side, only to be beat by Spike, who gave a warning growl when Buffy got too near. Buffy pulled back in shock of the growl and watched as Spike tenderly probed the area around the wound and then picked her up in his arms, before whisking her down stairs to his room. "Why?"
"He's a vampire sweety." Angel reminded her gently, restraining her from going down the stairs, "he has claimed her I would guess."
"But.."
"I think it's because she was called as the slayer that he stepped in and claimed her."
"But he can't do that." she said in confusion, looking to Giles and Wesley for help.
"Well, actually he can." Giles replied, "It doesn't happen often, if at all in this day and age, but they can do it."
"But why Dawn?"
Chapter 15
"Crying for me, princess?"
"Doyle?" Cordy asked with a tremble in her voice, her head snapping up as tears still trailed from her eyes.
"Last time I checked." he replied and grinned at her, while everyone else shifted closer to a weapon of some sort. Buffy looked at him thoughtfully her senses telling her that he was at least part demon, but not the demon that they were looking for.
"You're part demon." Buffy stated and Doyle turned to look at her.
"Nice to see you again, Buffy." Doyle told her, "And yes, I am still part demon."
"Still getting visions?" Angel asked, not trusting the person standing in front of them, he had watched Doyle die!
"Yes," Doyle said, "after the PTB realized the mistake that had been made, they sent me back. I didn't realize that the Cordy I kissed wasn't the actual Cordy."
"You kissed her!"
"Well, how did you expect me to pass on my powers?" he asked, glad to see that she was indeed jealous, it meant she cared. Cordy looked him over, he looked like the same Doyle that she had known and he seemed the same, looking to Buffy for an answer.
"Don't look at me." Buffy said, "I can tell he's half demon, but he doesn't feel like the demon that's trying to kill us."
"He isn't." Dawn said with finality, startling everyone, who turned to stare at her. "What?"
"We were wondering how you knew that, Nibblet." Spike said, walking towards Dawn.
"I can see him."
"What do you mean you can see him?" Giles asked in confusion.
"Well, I mean, I can see him." she sighed when she realized that no one was getting what she said, except maybe her sister who was looking at her thoughtfully, "Buffy has this light around her that shines so bright, like Faith, except hers wasn't as bright. Angel and Spike have the face of the demon, but they have the light also, like Doyle."
"Why didn't you say anything about the other Cordy?" Gunn asked.
"Because I figured that it was just the type of demon she had been turned into."
"Remarkable." Wesley said, looking at Dawn intently, who began to shift from foot to foot from all the attention that was being paid to her.
"Thank you." Doyle said, he knew that they really had all the right in the world not to trust him and he didn't feel insulted at all.
"Nice to see you again." Buffy said softly, taking Angel's hand and pulling him toward the door while making eye contact with Giles and Xander, who began to pull people from the room, leaving Cordy and Doyle alone.
"How have you been?" she asked softly, insecure as to where she fit into everything, she had missed so much.
"I missed you." Doyle told her, stepping closer and pulling her into his arms, "Every day I was gone, it wasn't Heaven, because you weren't there with me." he bent his head and caught her lips in a sweet kiss meant to reassure and to familiarize themselves again.
"You were in Heaven?" she asked when they had ended the kiss.
"Yes, it hurt watching everything happen and being unable to do anything to stop it. But what hurt the most was that it wasn't you that I kissed when I died, but some demon that had killed me." he told her and part of Cordy melted at his whispered confession.
"It hurt when they told me that you were gone." she confessed, looking him in the eyes, "they never mentioned the kiss though."
"That's my princess." he said with a laugh, before catching her in another kiss.
"Ready to face your friends?" she asked, glowing from the love she was feeling.
"With you?" he asked and she nodded, "Always." they walked into the other room, where everyone was trying not to listen in on the conversation that had been going on.
"How long, Dawn?" Buffy asked and Dawn shifted from foot to foot.
"About a week or two." she replied, finding her shoes more interesting then looking at the condemnation in her sister's eyes.
"Oh. When where you going to tell me?" she asked, wondering how her sister would think that she wouldn't care about something like that.
"When you were better."
"Dawn," Buffy began and then sighed when the younger girl braced herself. Moving forward, she dragged Dawn into her arms, "it's just you're my sister and I can help, you know? I love you."
"I love you too." Dawn said, pulling Buffy closer and hugging her tighter, "But with you coming back from the dead and the baby and everything, I didn't want to add to your burden."
"Dawn, you aren't a burden. You're my sister." Buffy told her, "Granted you can be annoying, but that's what little sisters do." looking at Wesley and Giles, "Can you guys find out about the next slayer?"
"Yes." Giles answered, going into the other room and picking up the phone.
"I don't understand." Fred said, "If you're here alive and well and Faith is in jail, how would another slayer be called?"
"She died again." Tara said.
"But the slayer line stopped going through her when she died the first time." Wesley said and everyone looked at him to continue, "When Buffy was drowned she should have died, but instead she was brought back. She died long enough for another slayer to be called, but because she had died, the slayer line went onto Kendra and then onto Faith."
"Yes." Giles said stepping back into the room, "It seems that Faith died about two weeks ago."
"Why wasn't I notified?" Angel asked, "I was supposed to be called if anything happened."
"Because you've been down here, they have been unable to reach you." Giles said.
"So," Buffy said, "Dawn has become the next slayer?"
"They aren't sure. They have no idea if the next slayer has been called or not, as far as they can tell, there hasn't been one called."
"How can they not be sure?" Anya asked, "You guys have all of those mages and stuff."
"It isn't that simple." Giles told them, "Because she is the key, we can't tell if she has the slayer essence in her. But judging by the power she has in her and her new ability coinciding with Faith's death and who she was made of, I would assume that she was indeed the next slayer."
"Cool." Dawn said, "Does that mean Giles is gonna be my watcher, too?"
"Yes, they asked me to watch over you." Giles said, taking his glasses off and cleaning them as everyone turned to look at Buffy, who was still hugging Dawn.
"You'll do great." Buffy said confidently. "Besides, Wesley will keep you in check." "I may not be there." Wesley reminded her gently and Buffy just gave him a look that spoke volumes.
"Are you leaving Angel's Investigation?" Buffy asked and Wesley shook his head in denial. "There you go. Dawn will get two watchers."
"When do I start training?" Dawn asked in excitement.
"Why couldn't you be more like her when I first met you?" Giles asked in amusement.
"Cause I wasn't involved with slayers on a daily basis," Buffy replied giving her best mock pout, "and I wasn't created out of a slayer."
"Yes, well there is that, I suppose." Giles replied.
"And why is that?" Buffy asked.
"Well, sweet pea," Lorne said taking over for the two flustered watchers who had no idea how to answer, "no one is sure exactly what makes one girl more susceptible to being the slayer than another girl, but because you were the slayer when they created Dawn, it makes sense that she would be the next slayer called."
"Not that I'm not all happy for this," Fred said looking at Dawn, "but what happened to Faith?" everyone turned to Giles who looked very unsure of the answer himself.
"I've got a question," Gunn said, "would the watcher's council kill Faith off in order to call the next slayer?"
"Possibly," Wesley answered, when Giles was unwilling to do so. "I doubt that they would, but they could very well."
"Especially after they heard about Buffy's death." Giles said.
"Ya, cause we all know how much they cared for me." Buffy muttered darkly, "If they come near Dawn.."
"I am sure that they are well aware of the risks." Angel said soothingly, bringing her back into his arms and rubbing her back soothingly.
"Oui, I've got a question." Spike said and everyone looked at him, "what did the demon look like again?"
"Big, ugly, blue, why?" Dawn asked.
"Because he's standing right behind you!" Spike replied and everyone turned, jumping to the side when the demon threw a fire ball at them.
"How do we kill him?" Cordy asked, looking around the room at the scattered group who had taken cover behind different objects. Everyone looked at one another, unsure of what would be the correct answer.
"Well, he wasn't supposed to be able to attack until Sunday." Giles reminded them, "we need the blood of the slayer to kill him."
"Which one?" Anya asked.
"Me." Dawn said and continued when Buffy went to speak, "you're pregnant so Angel would never let you bleed on anyone, except maybe him." Angel nodded and Buffy did slowly, knowing that she coudln't protect Dawnie anymore, because she had become the slayer. Dawn reached up into one of the drawers and pulled out a long butcher knife, just as another fireball hit the space directly behind her head. Muttering to herself she cut into her skin a hiss of pain following, and then stood, the demon turning his attention to her.
"Slayer."
"Present." Buffy said and the demon looked at her in confusion, giving Dawn enough time to take advantage and throw the butcher's knife as he released a fireball. Dawn went down with a scream of pain as the fireball singed her skin, but she gave a quick grin as she watched the demon clutch the knife in his chest, before dissolving.
"Dawnie!" Buffy screamed out, getting to her feet and rushing to her side, only to be beat by Spike, who gave a warning growl when Buffy got too near. Buffy pulled back in shock of the growl and watched as Spike tenderly probed the area around the wound and then picked her up in his arms, before whisking her down stairs to his room. "Why?"
"He's a vampire sweety." Angel reminded her gently, restraining her from going down the stairs, "he has claimed her I would guess."
"But.."
"I think it's because she was called as the slayer that he stepped in and claimed her."
"But he can't do that." she said in confusion, looking to Giles and Wesley for help.
"Well, actually he can." Giles replied, "It doesn't happen often, if at all in this day and age, but they can do it."
"But why Dawn?"