Chapter One

The next few days passed uneventfully. Everyone was slightly on edge about The Council coming. Especially Spike. He knew how it went. One slayer dies, another one is chosen. He has helped that process more than once. It used to sound great, one after another. An endless supply of good kills. But now, it all seemed too…casual. Everyone, once again, sat around the Magic Box. The Council had called the day before. They would be there in a few minutes.
"I wonder if she'll come here." Dawn broke the silence in the room.
Giles came out of thought, "Who?"
"The new slayer." She sighed.
"Yeah, why are they coming to us anyway?" Willow looked at Giles, "Do you think they will want you to be her Watcher?"
Giles took off his glasses and started to clean them, "That's almost a laughable thought. I highly doubt it."
Just then the Travis walked into the room, followed by several young men and women, all in suits. It all seemed too familiar, the memory of the same thing, still fresh in everyone's minds as they remembered The Council coming, to see if they could trust them with information on Glory.
"Rupert." Travis nodded.
"Travis."
"I suspected you all would be here…" He looked around the room at Spike, Dawn, Tara, Willow, Anya, and Xander. "We've come with rather shocking news." He stated bluntly.Within a few minutes, all the Scoobies, (including Spike) and Travis were sitting around the round table. The other Watchers, watching from various places in the room.
"I suppose, you all want to know why we are here to discuss the new slayer."
"No, we wanted to know if you wanted some tea." Spike ground out.
"There is no need to get hostile, Mister…Bloody."
Spike rolled his eyes.
"Now, we have heard about the Slayer's death…"
At that moment, Dawn's eyes filled with tears, as did Willow's, Tara's, and Xander's. Anya looked down, and Spike morphed, only for a second, as he was soon back to human features.
"You will be more respectful." Giles bit out harshly.
"Right, of course…"Travis corrected, "But to move on. A new Slayer has been called. Infact, she's already here in Sunnydale. It is a odd case though. She's older than normal, to be called."
"And we need to know this why?" Xander asked.
"Well, Mr. Harris, to put it bluntly…because Ms. Rosenberg is the new Slayer.