Chapter 2: Thanks to dawn1, Faith04, Spuffyluvr, and Anon for your
encouraging reviews! There's a bit of Spuffy in this chapter for all you
Spike fans. Don't forget to R&R!
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Buffy stared at Giles, unable to respond. Had she just heard him right? Did he say her powers might be gone for good?
Anya stopped sweeping the floor and looked up. "How can that be?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Buffy's the slayer. She kills demons. What good is she without her powers?"
Anya's harsh words cut through Buffy like a knife. She had to admit though. The same thought had been floating around in the back of her mind. What good was she without her powers?
"I'm not exactly sure," Giles said responding to Anya's initial question. "It appears there was something we didn't know about Buffy's powers. Travers just informed me that they have, for lack of a better term, an expiration date."
"An expiration date?" repeated Buffy, finally finding her voice. "You mean like the one written on a sour container of milk?"
"Yes, exactly!" responded Giles. Upon seeing Buffy's horrified expression he quickly added, "I mean, no... this is entirely different."
Buffy raised her eyebrow, waiting for him to explain.
"According to Travers, every slayer is destined to lose her powers after a designated amount of time. Another, younger girl is then chosen to take her place. Apparently you are the first slayer who has lived long enough for this...err... condition to occur."
Buffy stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "You mean they think I'm too old to still be the slayer?"
Giles sighed. "It's part of your destiny Buffy. Believe me. I don't like this any more than you do."
"I'm confused," cut in Anya. "Buffy's still a good slayer. It's not like she's old and decrepit. Why take away her powers if she can still fight?"
Buffy nodded her head eagerly. "Good point Anya. I like that point."
"Yes," began Giles, "I share the same opinion and Mr. Travers seems to feel that way as well. He and some other members of the council are coming to Sunnydale to discuss the matter further. With luck, they may be able to restore your powers."
Buffy's eyes grew wide with excitement and Giles quickly continued. "However, Buffy, there is a chance your loss of power will be permanent. You must be prepared if that is indeed the case."
"I know," said Buffy. She began nervously pacing the room. "This is just so much to take in all at once. I mean one day I'm the slayer and the next day I'm just... normal. Shouldn't they have warned me about this in the slayer handbook or something?"
"I must confess that I was uninformed as well," said Giles. He walked over to Buffy and placed a fatherly arm on her shoulder. "Whatever happens, we will get through this together. Your friends will love you the same whether you have slayer powers or not."
Buffy managed a small smile for Giles sake, but she wasn't very convinced by his words. She thought hard, but found it difficult to remember her life before becoming the slayer.
Countless times she had wished for a normal life. Now that the possibility could very well become a reality, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be normal after all.
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After the initial shock wore off, Buffy had called together an impromptu Scooby meeting in the magic shop.
Xander stood leaning against a bookshelf, his arm around Anya's waist. Willow and Giles were both seated at the table. The watcher had a pile of reference books spread before him and was busily searching through them for some answers. Buffy quickly explained the situation to Willow and Xander. They listened in silence as she spoke, neither knowing quite what to say.
Willow was the first to speak. "Buffy, I...I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do..."
"That goes ditto," added Xander. "When I get my hands on that Travers...he's going to wish he never messed with the Scooby gang."
Buffy couldn't help but grin. It was at times like these that she was grateful for such loyal friends.
"It's not really Travers' fault," Buffy began. "Not that I'm defending him or anything. Don't get me wrong, the guy's a creep, but Giles thinks this is all part of my destiny or something."
Having heard his name, Giles momentarily looked up from his books. "Yes...quite right," he mumbled before turning back to his research.
Willow squirmed in her seat. "I don't mean to sound negative or anything but who's going to patrol if Buffy doesn't have any powers?"
"Yeah," added Xander. "Unless all the demons in Sunnydale suddenly put in for early retirement, somebody's got to kill them."
Buffy wasn't sure how to respond. Slaying was her job. It was the thing she was good at, the thing she was born to do. Just because she didn't have powers didn't mean she was completely helpless. She thought her friends, of all people, would understand that.
"I can still patrol," she said nervously.
The room grew very quiet and Buffy started to feel uncomfortable.
"Come on guys," she continued. "You've all staked vamps before without having any powers. I can do it too. I'll just have to be a little more careful."
"Buffy," Willow said barely above a whisper. "Staking vamps without your powers...it might be harder than you think."
Anya finally broke her silence. "You should listen to Willow. Staking vamps is hard. I even broke a nail once."
Buffy was growing angrier by the second. She knew her friends were trying to help but she wasn't some little girl who needed protecting. There was only one way to prove it to them.
After grabbing a stake off the table, Buffy turned and headed towards the door. "Powers or not, I can still dust a stupid vamp," she shouted back at them.
"Buffy, wait!" yelled Xander, but she had already disappeared into the night.
"Giles! Do something!" Xander pleaded. He ran over to where the watcher was sitting. "She's going to get herself killed."
Giles glanced up, completely oblivious to what had just occurred. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"
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"So much for my friends believing in me," Buffy muttered as she made her way towards one of Sunnydale's many graveyards. "What do they know about slaying anyway? There's more to killing vampires than just strength. There's the mental part of it. There's the catching them by surprise and the sarcastic remarks. In fact, sarcasm is the most important part of slaying if you ask me."
Buffy was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the dark figure following her in the shadows. The man smirked and watched the slayer as she talked to herself.
"And she thinks I'm off my rocker," he said out loud.
After a few more minutes of follow-the-slayer, the man became restless. Why hadn't she noticed him yet? Usually, it only took a few seconds before she yanked him out of the shadows and scolded him for following her. The blond vampire was puzzled. He thought perhaps she was ignoring him but quickly dismissed the idea. Even though she always acted irritated when he was around, he knew that deep down she enjoyed his company. In fact, in the last few weeks their relationship had become what you might even call a friendship. Well...if it was possible for a vampire and a slayer to develop a friendship that is.
Spike sensed the vampire before he saw it. It was an ugly brute with messy black hair and a scar down the side of its cheek. Its purple shirt and bellbottom pants just screamed the 1970s.
He watched as the vamp crept closer and closer to the slayer. At any moment he expected her to spin around and attack the vamp with a roundhouse kick or a quick jab in the gut, but to his surprise, she didn't. The creature was now only inches away from Buffy and she still hadn't noticed its presence.
Suddenly the vampire lunged at its prey, knocking Buffy right off her feet. The force of the attack caused her to drop her stake. She struggled to stand, but the vampire had pinned her to the ground.
Spike couldn't believe his eyes. Why wasn't she punching him, kicking him, anything? She was the bloody slayer after all.
Buffy tried desperately to push the creature away, but it was no use. She could smell the scent of whiskey on his breath and the disgusting odor of clothes that hadn't been washed for months. Her heart was beating rapidly and she knew the vampire could sense her fear. She lay helpless as it slowly leaned in, fangs inches from her neck. 'Oh God,' she thought. 'I'm going to die.'
A sudden movement from behind, distracted the vampire. He turned around and was struck in the face by Spike's fist. Before the vamp could recover from the blow, Spike reached down and grabbed him by the shirt. He threw the creature into a tree and quickly picked up Buffy's stake where she had dropped it. With one swift movement, Spike thrust the weapon into the creature's lifeless heart. It let out a painful cry and turned to dust.
Buffy slowly dragged herself off the ground and into a sitting position. She leaned against a gravestone and pulled her legs close to her chest. Spike kneeled down beside her. He carefully pulled a twig out of her messy golden hair. "You've gotta be more careful next time, luv. If I hadn't been here, that vamp would have had itself a tasty dinner."
Suddenly Buffy couldn't keep it in any longer. All the stress and pain of the day was released in an explosion of sobs and tears.
Spike didn't know how to react. Apocalypses he could handle. Killing demons was a piece of cake. But a crying slayer? This was not his expertise.
"There, there, slayer," he said patting her awkwardly on the back. "Everything turned out ok. There's no need for tears."
Buffy looked up into his crystal blue eyes. She couldn't believe she was crying her eyes out...in front of Spike of all people, but for some reason, the tears wouldn't stop. A look of concern crossed over Spike's face, and Buffy was surprised that he seemed to care so deeply about her.
"I'm sorry," she finally mumbled, fighting desperately to hold back the tears. "It's been a long day."
Spike knew she wasn't telling him the whole story, but he didn't press the issue any further.
"It's ok, pet. How about we go to my crypt and get a bandage for your arm?" He gestured towards a bloody cut on Buffy's arm that she must have gotten when the vampire knocked her down.
Buffy nodded and Spike helped her off the ground. They walked side by side through the graveyard in silence. Both were lost in their thoughts. Buffy knew now that her friends had been right. She never should have gone to the graveyard alone. 'If Spike hadn't been there to save me...' She shuddered remembering how close the vampire had come to biting her. 'Next time,' she thought, 'I might not be so lucky.'
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Buffy stared at Giles, unable to respond. Had she just heard him right? Did he say her powers might be gone for good?
Anya stopped sweeping the floor and looked up. "How can that be?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Buffy's the slayer. She kills demons. What good is she without her powers?"
Anya's harsh words cut through Buffy like a knife. She had to admit though. The same thought had been floating around in the back of her mind. What good was she without her powers?
"I'm not exactly sure," Giles said responding to Anya's initial question. "It appears there was something we didn't know about Buffy's powers. Travers just informed me that they have, for lack of a better term, an expiration date."
"An expiration date?" repeated Buffy, finally finding her voice. "You mean like the one written on a sour container of milk?"
"Yes, exactly!" responded Giles. Upon seeing Buffy's horrified expression he quickly added, "I mean, no... this is entirely different."
Buffy raised her eyebrow, waiting for him to explain.
"According to Travers, every slayer is destined to lose her powers after a designated amount of time. Another, younger girl is then chosen to take her place. Apparently you are the first slayer who has lived long enough for this...err... condition to occur."
Buffy stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "You mean they think I'm too old to still be the slayer?"
Giles sighed. "It's part of your destiny Buffy. Believe me. I don't like this any more than you do."
"I'm confused," cut in Anya. "Buffy's still a good slayer. It's not like she's old and decrepit. Why take away her powers if she can still fight?"
Buffy nodded her head eagerly. "Good point Anya. I like that point."
"Yes," began Giles, "I share the same opinion and Mr. Travers seems to feel that way as well. He and some other members of the council are coming to Sunnydale to discuss the matter further. With luck, they may be able to restore your powers."
Buffy's eyes grew wide with excitement and Giles quickly continued. "However, Buffy, there is a chance your loss of power will be permanent. You must be prepared if that is indeed the case."
"I know," said Buffy. She began nervously pacing the room. "This is just so much to take in all at once. I mean one day I'm the slayer and the next day I'm just... normal. Shouldn't they have warned me about this in the slayer handbook or something?"
"I must confess that I was uninformed as well," said Giles. He walked over to Buffy and placed a fatherly arm on her shoulder. "Whatever happens, we will get through this together. Your friends will love you the same whether you have slayer powers or not."
Buffy managed a small smile for Giles sake, but she wasn't very convinced by his words. She thought hard, but found it difficult to remember her life before becoming the slayer.
Countless times she had wished for a normal life. Now that the possibility could very well become a reality, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be normal after all.
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After the initial shock wore off, Buffy had called together an impromptu Scooby meeting in the magic shop.
Xander stood leaning against a bookshelf, his arm around Anya's waist. Willow and Giles were both seated at the table. The watcher had a pile of reference books spread before him and was busily searching through them for some answers. Buffy quickly explained the situation to Willow and Xander. They listened in silence as she spoke, neither knowing quite what to say.
Willow was the first to speak. "Buffy, I...I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do..."
"That goes ditto," added Xander. "When I get my hands on that Travers...he's going to wish he never messed with the Scooby gang."
Buffy couldn't help but grin. It was at times like these that she was grateful for such loyal friends.
"It's not really Travers' fault," Buffy began. "Not that I'm defending him or anything. Don't get me wrong, the guy's a creep, but Giles thinks this is all part of my destiny or something."
Having heard his name, Giles momentarily looked up from his books. "Yes...quite right," he mumbled before turning back to his research.
Willow squirmed in her seat. "I don't mean to sound negative or anything but who's going to patrol if Buffy doesn't have any powers?"
"Yeah," added Xander. "Unless all the demons in Sunnydale suddenly put in for early retirement, somebody's got to kill them."
Buffy wasn't sure how to respond. Slaying was her job. It was the thing she was good at, the thing she was born to do. Just because she didn't have powers didn't mean she was completely helpless. She thought her friends, of all people, would understand that.
"I can still patrol," she said nervously.
The room grew very quiet and Buffy started to feel uncomfortable.
"Come on guys," she continued. "You've all staked vamps before without having any powers. I can do it too. I'll just have to be a little more careful."
"Buffy," Willow said barely above a whisper. "Staking vamps without your powers...it might be harder than you think."
Anya finally broke her silence. "You should listen to Willow. Staking vamps is hard. I even broke a nail once."
Buffy was growing angrier by the second. She knew her friends were trying to help but she wasn't some little girl who needed protecting. There was only one way to prove it to them.
After grabbing a stake off the table, Buffy turned and headed towards the door. "Powers or not, I can still dust a stupid vamp," she shouted back at them.
"Buffy, wait!" yelled Xander, but she had already disappeared into the night.
"Giles! Do something!" Xander pleaded. He ran over to where the watcher was sitting. "She's going to get herself killed."
Giles glanced up, completely oblivious to what had just occurred. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"
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"So much for my friends believing in me," Buffy muttered as she made her way towards one of Sunnydale's many graveyards. "What do they know about slaying anyway? There's more to killing vampires than just strength. There's the mental part of it. There's the catching them by surprise and the sarcastic remarks. In fact, sarcasm is the most important part of slaying if you ask me."
Buffy was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the dark figure following her in the shadows. The man smirked and watched the slayer as she talked to herself.
"And she thinks I'm off my rocker," he said out loud.
After a few more minutes of follow-the-slayer, the man became restless. Why hadn't she noticed him yet? Usually, it only took a few seconds before she yanked him out of the shadows and scolded him for following her. The blond vampire was puzzled. He thought perhaps she was ignoring him but quickly dismissed the idea. Even though she always acted irritated when he was around, he knew that deep down she enjoyed his company. In fact, in the last few weeks their relationship had become what you might even call a friendship. Well...if it was possible for a vampire and a slayer to develop a friendship that is.
Spike sensed the vampire before he saw it. It was an ugly brute with messy black hair and a scar down the side of its cheek. Its purple shirt and bellbottom pants just screamed the 1970s.
He watched as the vamp crept closer and closer to the slayer. At any moment he expected her to spin around and attack the vamp with a roundhouse kick or a quick jab in the gut, but to his surprise, she didn't. The creature was now only inches away from Buffy and she still hadn't noticed its presence.
Suddenly the vampire lunged at its prey, knocking Buffy right off her feet. The force of the attack caused her to drop her stake. She struggled to stand, but the vampire had pinned her to the ground.
Spike couldn't believe his eyes. Why wasn't she punching him, kicking him, anything? She was the bloody slayer after all.
Buffy tried desperately to push the creature away, but it was no use. She could smell the scent of whiskey on his breath and the disgusting odor of clothes that hadn't been washed for months. Her heart was beating rapidly and she knew the vampire could sense her fear. She lay helpless as it slowly leaned in, fangs inches from her neck. 'Oh God,' she thought. 'I'm going to die.'
A sudden movement from behind, distracted the vampire. He turned around and was struck in the face by Spike's fist. Before the vamp could recover from the blow, Spike reached down and grabbed him by the shirt. He threw the creature into a tree and quickly picked up Buffy's stake where she had dropped it. With one swift movement, Spike thrust the weapon into the creature's lifeless heart. It let out a painful cry and turned to dust.
Buffy slowly dragged herself off the ground and into a sitting position. She leaned against a gravestone and pulled her legs close to her chest. Spike kneeled down beside her. He carefully pulled a twig out of her messy golden hair. "You've gotta be more careful next time, luv. If I hadn't been here, that vamp would have had itself a tasty dinner."
Suddenly Buffy couldn't keep it in any longer. All the stress and pain of the day was released in an explosion of sobs and tears.
Spike didn't know how to react. Apocalypses he could handle. Killing demons was a piece of cake. But a crying slayer? This was not his expertise.
"There, there, slayer," he said patting her awkwardly on the back. "Everything turned out ok. There's no need for tears."
Buffy looked up into his crystal blue eyes. She couldn't believe she was crying her eyes out...in front of Spike of all people, but for some reason, the tears wouldn't stop. A look of concern crossed over Spike's face, and Buffy was surprised that he seemed to care so deeply about her.
"I'm sorry," she finally mumbled, fighting desperately to hold back the tears. "It's been a long day."
Spike knew she wasn't telling him the whole story, but he didn't press the issue any further.
"It's ok, pet. How about we go to my crypt and get a bandage for your arm?" He gestured towards a bloody cut on Buffy's arm that she must have gotten when the vampire knocked her down.
Buffy nodded and Spike helped her off the ground. They walked side by side through the graveyard in silence. Both were lost in their thoughts. Buffy knew now that her friends had been right. She never should have gone to the graveyard alone. 'If Spike hadn't been there to save me...' She shuddered remembering how close the vampire had come to biting her. 'Next time,' she thought, 'I might not be so lucky.'