A/N: Yay another chapter done. And guess what happened one year ago today, on 11/14/03? Someone published the first part of a little fic called The Good Life...:-D
Thanks to all that have been reviewing, but there is only going to be 12 parts to this and I really want a total of at least 100 reviews. So no more lurking! If you are reading this, review! That means you! Well, enjoy the chapter!
Part 10
One Week Later
Monday, July 3rd, 2020
"I've got it!" Buffy called, racing to get the ringing phone. "Hello?" she gasped, picking it up.
"Hey girl," sounded Tracey's familiar voice. "I haven't heard from you in a while. Oh my God, you will not believe what happened. I got Punk'd! Seriously, okay I was out in Beverly Hills-"
"Trace something big happened," Buffy said quietly, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Her friend's voice became instantly serious. "What is it?"
"We found out that Serena is a slayer," Buffy said sadly.
There was a brief silence as Tracey took that in. "Oh my God. But how?"
"That's a really long story. Serena went to Giles, said she'd been having strange dreams, and he found a loophole in the prophecy. I guess when a slayer has a daughter she eventually takes over," Buffy explained.
"How is she taking it?" Tracey asked.
Buffy took a deep breath. "Not very well. She's known for a week now, and since we told her she's barely spoken to us. Whenever we tried last week she would just say she had to study. But exams are over now, and we need to start dealing with this. And we think she might have told Liz, because she hasn't been over here since Serena stormed off to her house the day we told her."
"Yikes," Tracey said sincerely. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. How are you and Angel dealing with all of this?"
Buffy felt herself smile a little. "Well, on the bright side, Angel and I have worked out all our issues. Everything, even the stuff about Liam. We've moved on, and we've never been stronger."
"Now that is great news," Tracey said, obviously happy. "See, I told you it would all work itself out."
Buffy nodded, even though she knew her friend was miles away and couldn't see her. "So today Giles is coming over. We are hoping that maybe he can get through to Serena. Although that's really a slim chance, because she is pretty mad at her grandpa right now."
"Buffy, I'm sure she'll come around. You told me how hard it was for you when you first found out you were the slayer. She just needs some time to deal."
"I know, but I am just afraid of how much time she's going to need. Giles figures that the Council probably already knows by now. Any day now we could have a mini-Giles show up at the door, and what I am supposed to say? Sorry, you'll have to come back later to train my daughter for her sacred duty."
"Why can't Giles train her?" Tracey asked. "Or you and Angel?"
"Well the Council fired Giles back when I was in high school, I quit, and they aren't too crazy about former vampires. Even nice ones. So we figure they will most likely send someone official."
"Is there anything I can do? Right now I am in the middle of this new thriller movie, but I can ask for the weekend off-"
"No, it's okay. I think we can manage. But you'll be here for Serena's birthday, right? I know it's still three weeks away, but I just want it to be special."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. Well, they need me back on set. You just hang in there, okay?"
Buffy smiled. "I will. Thanks."
They said their goodbyes and hung up, just in time for the doorbell to ring. Buffy hurried out to the front hall to find Angel letting Giles inside.
"Hello Buffy," Giles said gently. "Is Serena..."
"Up in her room. That's becoming kind of a recurring theme lately," Angel said dryly.
Giles took a seat on the couch. "I'm afraid our situation has grown considerably worse."
Buffy put her head in her hands. "Don't tell me. The council called."
"That they did. However, they said that they are having a bit of a problem finding a suitable Watcher for Serena. The size of the Council has decreased considerably." Giles chuckled slightly. "And I think the few they still employ may be a bit hesitant to take the job, out of fear that their new slayer may be as rebellious as her mother."
That made Buffy smile. "Well I think they can count on that."
Giles glanced upstairs. "Do you think I should talk to her?"
Angel glanced at Buffy. "You can try, but keep in mind that she's still upset with you for telling us about her dreams."
Giles hung his head. "The last thing I wanted to do was betray her confidence."
Buffy placed a hand on his arm. "Giles, don't feel bad. You did the right thing. Serena is just in a rough place right now, and we think that you were the easiest person to blame."
He looked up. "Have you heard from Liz?"
Angel shook his head. "It's been a week, and she hasn't been over here, or called. Serena hasn't even left the house since her last exam on Friday. Barely even left her room."
"So we can assume that Serena told her the truth," Giles said, sighing.
"And I'm guessing she didn't take it too well," Buffy added. "Poor Serena, Liz was her best friend, her only really good friend. If she didn't believe her, I'm sure that isn't helping her with the coping."
"I told Joyce," Giles said slowly. "She wanted to come with me today, but I thought it would be best if she didn't."
Buffy nodded emphatically. "She isn't exactly the biggest fan of the whole slayer gig."
They all looked up when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Serena stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Giles sitting there. "Never mind," she muttered, turning around and running back to her room.
"Serena, wait," Angel called, getting up. But she was already gone.
Buffy ran her hands through her hair. "I don't know what we're going to do."
"Perhaps I should try to talk to her," Giles offered.
Angel shook his head. "No offense, but I think you're probably the last person she wants to see right now."
Giles stood up. "Well, I feel I need to try." He started towards the stairs.
"Just go easy on her," Buffy said softly. "She's in a hard place right now." Giles nodded before continuing up the stairs.
He knocked softly on the door. "Serena?" There was no response. He opened it a crack, stepping inside. Serena was lying on her bed, reading a book, refusing to look up.
"I don't want to talk to you," she said flatly.
"Serena, I am so sorry. I had no choice, they would have found out anyway," Giles insisted.
"Do I hear something?" Serena said, sounding bored.
"Serena, we only want to help you. Please just come downstairs and talk to us," he begged.
"Serena's not here right now. You can leave a message after the beep," she said, still in the same flat, slightly rude tone.
Giles sighed. "Well you are going to have to face this eventually." Without waiting for a response, he left, closing the door behind him.
Serena put down her book, the one she had only been pretending to read. She stared out the window, ignoring the lone tear that was escaping down her cheek.
Giles rejoined Buffy and Angel in the living room. "Well dare I say that wasn't as successful as I'd hoped," he said, sitting down heavily.
"It's not your fault. She's just mad at the world right now," Angel said, holding Buffy's hand. "I just hope that she'll come around soon."
Tuesday, July 4th, 2020
"Serena, are you sure you don't want to come with us? It's going to be a lot of fun," Buffy pleaded to the closed door.
"No thanks. Have a good time," came the reply from inside.
Buffy sighed and looked at her husband. A producer that had worked on the Forbidden Love movie was having his annual Fourth of July party, the one that the three of them had always gone to. But now it looked like Buffy and Angel might be going alone.
"Okay. You know how to reach us if you need anything," Angel said. He took his wife's hand. "Come on. It's no use."
Buffy shot one last, sad glance at the closed door. "We love you sweetheart." Silence followed. Angel gently pulled her hand, and the two of them descended the stairs and went out into the night.
Serena waited until she heard the car start and pull away. Then she emerged from her bedroom, hightailing it to the kitchen. She'd been spending so much time in her room that she had only been eating three meals a day, with no snacks in between. She rummaged through the cabinets and the fridge, passing by fruit and other nutritious snacks. "Jackpot," she said, pulling a bag of Cajun Fiesta chips out from behind the cereal. She opened the bag and started to eat, pouring herself some soda as well, doing anything to distract herself. Truth was, she really liked the Fourth of July party. She really liked seeing the fireworks. But she wasn't willing to give her parents the satisfaction of going along.
She was sitting alone at the kitchen table, munching on chips, when the doorbell rang. She sighed. It was probably her parents, having decided that they just couldn't manage the Fourth without her. Sitting back, she decided not to answer it. They had a key, they could let themselves in.
She sat up a little straighter when the bell rang three more times, and was joined by pounding on the door. Getting up, she headed to the living room and looked out the window. "Oh my God," she said to herself, running to open the door. "What happened?"
"Oh God, Rena, I'm so sorry," Liz sobbed. Her shirt was torn, and there was a large scratch on her shoulder. Her hair was messed up, and her nose was bleeding. She also seemed to be favoring one leg. "Oh God, I should have believed you, they're after me..."
"What happened?" Serena repeated, leading her friend out to the kitchen. She sat her down in the chair and ran to the bathroom to get first aid supplies.
"I-I-I was at the park with Stacey. It got late, it was dark, it was really really dark and I was going home and they attacked me!" she sobbed.
Serena hurried back, carrying cotton balls, peroxide, and bandages. "Who attacked you?"
Liz stared at her friend, eyes wide and fearful. "V-vampires."
Serena froze. "I thought you said vampires weren't real."
Liz started rocking back and forth, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, I believe you, they're real, and they got me..."
"Liz, listen to me. Did they hurt you?" Serena asked firmly.
She finally shook her head. "N-no, but they tried. Two of them, they grabbed me, forced me down...ripped my shirt, but I got away, I got away."
Serena breathed an inward sigh of relief. "How did you get away?" She dabbed peroxide on the cut on Liz's shoulder.
"Ow! I-I kicked him, and then I ran. I think I lost them," she whimpered, still very shaken.
"It's going to be okay," Serena said. She cleaned up the blood under her nose. "Do you have any other injuries?"
She shook her head. "I think I twisted my ankle when I ran, but I'll be okay."
"Let me get you another shirt," Serena said, cleaning up the medical supplies. Liz grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"Rena, I am so sorry, I didn't believe you, but you were right, it's real," she said, still crying a little, but otherwise calmed down.
Serena nodded. "It is real." She didn't really know what else to say. Part of her was thrilled that she had her friend back, but another part remembered Liz's harsh words and was still upset with her. "Come upstairs."
She helped her friend climb the stairs. Once they were in her room Liz sat on the bed and Serena got her a shirt from the closet. "You should call your parents, they'll get worried," Serena said quietly.
"Rena, please, you have to forgive me. You're my best friend. I am so sorry, I promise I will always believe you," Liz pleaded.
Serena finally couldn't help herself. She collapsed on the bed and gave her friend a tight hug. "I've really missed you. I'm so scared," she said softly.
"Rena? I am so happy we're friends again, but you're kind of hurting me," Liz said with a laugh.
Serena laughed, letting go. "I'm sorry." She shook her head. "My life is just such a mess right now. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just dumped all of that on you and expected you to believe me."
"No, I should have," Liz said firmly. "So now I'm here, and I want you to tell me everything. You said that you...you're supposed to fight vampires?"
Serena nodded. Then she told her the whole story again, more slowly, from the beginning. Liz just listened.
"Wow. I guess you really are in a mess right now," she said when Serena was done.
"Tell me about it. And my parents want me to like start training or whatever but I'm really scared," Serena admitted.
"Well, Rena I think that you know what you're going to have to do eventually. I mean, it's like fate, right? As in you can't get out of it?" Liz said uncertainly. Serena nodded.
"Well I think that you need to talk to your mom about it. She knows how you feel. And maybe you will be happier if you just face up to it, and stop hiding up here. That is what you've been doing for the last week, right?" Liz asked.
"Yeah, and it's been pretty miserable," Serena said finally.
"I think that you need to decide what to do yourself. But just know that I'm here now. And I promise never to call you crazy again," Liz said, holding back a smile. They both laughed.
"I know, but I was just looking forward to the rest of my life, you know?" she said softly.
"And you still can. I mean, look at your mom! She's been the...slayer for how many years now, and she's still here," Liz said.
Serena shook her head. "But it really messed her up. She lost Liam because of vampires. And it has taken her five years to recover from that."
"And that was tragic. But isn't that the risk we all have? I mean hey, I didn't even believe in vampires, and I was attacked," Liz said.
Serena smiled. "Well, I think that now that you are a believer, you should learn the three rules of life in Sunnydale."
Liz laughed. "And what are they?"
"Rule number one: never go out alone in the dark," Serena said, swatting her friend with the pillow.
She laughed again. "I guess that was pretty dumb."
"Just a little. Rule number two: Never invite anyone in that you don't know, no matter how nice and normal they look."
"Check," Liz said solemnly.
"And rule number three: never leave the house without one of these." Serena fished around in her backpack, pulling out a wooden stake.
Liz raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? That's how you fight vampires?"
"Wooden stake through the heart. Mom and dad have made me take one everywhere for years." She handed the stake to Liz. "So if you follow those rules, you should be able to survive life in Sunnydale."
"I will follow them at all times," Liz said with a nod. She smiled softly. "Just for the record, I've been pretty lonely this past week too."
"Well from now on we are going to stick together," Serena promised. "Hey, why don't you call your mom and get changed. Then we can hang out."
Liz smiled. "I'm already looking forward to it."
It was past midnight when Buffy and Angel returned home. Serena was sitting on the couch, flipping channels. Mrs. Chester had picked Liz up over an hour ago, and Serena had been deep in thought ever since.
"Serena! You're still up," Buffy said, hanging up her coat. "Everyone was asking for you tonight."
Serena turned off the tv and took a deep breath. "I'm ready."
Angel glanced at Buffy before looking back to Serena. "Ready for what?"
"I'm ready to be the slayer. I'm ready to train, or whatever. I'm not saying I'm going to like it, but I am going to try," Serena said, as confidently as she could manage.
Buffy and Angel stared at each other in surprise. "Honey, I am so proud of you," Buffy finally said, rushing to hug her daughter.
"We can start training tomorrow, if you want," Angel said hopefully.
Serena tried to smile. "Okay."
Buffy smiled at her. "I am so glad. We have been really worried about you."
"I'm sorry. I just...needed some time to deal. But I am done now. With the dealing," she added.
Angel smiled at the two of them. "Well we should get up to bed. It's going to be a big day tomorrow."
Buffy took her daughter's hand. "We are going to get through this you know. All three of us."
Serena nodded. "I know." And for the first time, she really did.
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