Summary: When Spike has finally had enough of Buffy's games, an important force in Spike's past shows up in Sunnydale determined to show Buffy a few home truths.
Timeline: post – 'As You Were' (anything up to there is game for spoilers)
Pairing: Spike/Buffy.
Disclaimer: Buffy, Spike and Sunnydale, et al, are property of Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Joss is All Powerful. I merely use his creations to entertain myself and hopefully others. Author's Note: This is my first fiction, so if it sucks, sorry. Please, I beg you, R&R. Tell me how to make this better! Chapter 2 – Pyjamas and Demigods
Instinctively, Buffy spun to face the sound and jumped into a defensive stance. As she did, a small figure came flying out from behind the mausoleum and crashed into a nearby headstone, shattering it with the force of the collision. The figure jumped up just as a large demon came barreling around the mausoleum in pursuit.
Buffy jumped into immediate action. With a series of flips, Buffy was in front of the demon and delivering a kick to its large torso.
Before Buffy could administer the series of kicks and punches that was her normal routine in slaying, the demon had barreled forward, flicking Buffy away like a fly. She flew across the cemetery and landed in a heap near the mausoleum the demon had initially appeared from behind. She landed with a loud thud and pain shot through her body. Buffy dazedly looked up and tried to get her bearings so she could get back in the fight when she noticed the small figure she had all but forgotten about circling with the demon in the darkness. With preternatural speed that even made Buffy blink in shock, the figure had reined a series of kicks, punches and jabs that had the demon pinned up against a tree. Before Buffy had blinked again, she watched as the now decidedly female figure grabbed the large demon and, with a flick of her wrist, snapped its neck. It crumpled to the ground and the girl kicked the demon in what seemed like annoyance.
"Bloody well try to sacrifice me to some demigod. I think not." Buffy heard her mumble as the girl leisurely walked away from the demon's now dissolving form. As she walked out of the shadows, Buffy finally got a good look at the being that had just brought down a demon that would have been a challenge for her in thirty seconds flat. What Buffy saw made her blink in shock again – the being was a girl, in pajamas. But not just a girl, a vision that even made Buffy think wow.
At about 5'6" the girl had extremely long, dark red hair that contrasted with her skin, which seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. As her face became clearer, Buffy could see large, bright green eyes, a perfect nose, and full, lips. And she was only wearing pajamas, a pair of large, black men's pajama bottoms with a small burgundy tank top.
As she walked towards Buffy, she suddenly stumbled, grabbing her foot in pain. "Bugger! Bloody stone in my bloody way! Really not what I need tonight." She yelled in a polished British accent that made Giles sound 'common' as she looked up at the stars in frustration, almost as if they were a person she was directing the comment towards. Continuing towards Buffy, she mumbled to herself, "He says go to LA before you start work. Visit this guy I know, you'll love him. Forgets to mention a demon bar and the fact that some half-wit demon will get the grand idea that I will be a perfect sacrifice. He probably knew exactly what would happen. When I see him again…"
As the girl got closer, Buffy jumped into her fighting stance, forgetting the pain she was in. The girl paused, looked Buffy up and down, and continued towards Buffy casually, only stopping as Buffy jumped up and took a defensive stance.
"Hello. You're the slayer, right? Before you attack, let me just point out I'm not a demon." Buffy looked at her skeptically, remaining ready to fight. "I'm an immortal. Well, not an immortal immortal. I just don't die. I'm a Keeper. Well, a record keeper if you want to be technical. I work for the Powers. Like Whistler, you're the Slayer that's met Whistler right?"
"And all this rambling is supposed to convince me that I should relax after seeing you kill a demon five times your size like he was a fly?"
"She, actually. Really, I'm not evil. I've got a soul, not a human soul, thank the Powers, but a soul. The council of watchers is still pushing the importance of that one right? Anyways, I bumped into this demon at a bar in LA and she decides that Keeper's blood would be the perfect sacrifice to her god. Not even a real god, but a demigod. Bloody moron. Follows me home, drugs and kidnaps me. Hence the outfit or lack there of. I mean really! Have you even heard of manners on this continent? She could have at least grabbed me more to wear than an undershirt. It's rather cold this time of year. Anyways, you don't have to worry about killing me. I'm perfectly harmless. Okay, well not really. I'm pretty much anything but harmless if the situation calls for violence. But on a regular basis, I'm not into the whole fighting thing. Far too much of an effort. We haven't had a proper introduction yet, have we? I'm Arabella Louise Montgomery," she stepped forward and held out her hand to Buffy, who took it hesitantly. "I work for the Powers. You must be the legendary Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's definitely going to be interesting knowing you. That's why I'm here, well why I was going to be here, next week. But I guess…"
"What? Could you please stop talking for five seconds," Buffy crossed her arms across her chest and stared angrily at Arabella. "Why do you know who I am?"
"Oh, well, I was actually pretty much finished, and I mean, you are the bloody slayer, the best slayer since I've been around. You are kind of well known."
"Really?"