Destiny Up For Grabs
Summary: BtVS/Stargate xover. Sunnydale's gone, so where do we go from here? Buffy and Co. thought they'd have a little time to decide, now that the Hellmouth was permanently closed, but the PTB have other plans for them. A Slayer's destiny never takes a vacation, but it can change, especially when their original line of destiny was broken by death. Buffy's destiny is up for grabs now, and even the PTB doesn't know who will get to control it.
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A/N: OH MY GOD!! Can I just say I am extremely stunned by your overwhelming responses, not to mention the 'made me feel good' reviews all of you wrote. I thought maybe I'd get about 20 responses…but…but…98?! You guys rock! Thank you SO much! I just wish I could get that many for the second chapter too (hopeful look). ;)
anon - Sheilynn subtly kicks the canon scene under the couch and gives a toothy smile Can we just pretend that Spike went to the monastery alone? Hmmm?
Caltlimere – ROTFLMAO…you almost made me pee my pants…I could literally hear the =thump==thump= of the bus driving over her body. LOL I take it you like Kennedy about as much as I do? Read on to find out if anything happens. ;)
Rhoboat - =snurt= =choke= Spots? Now you got ME going on the weird visuals. LOL Yes, I meant bespectacled…LOL…spots…heehee. =snurt= btw – Daniel had spots too. LMAO. I've fixed it. Thanks!! =snurt=
tater – You're right…bad me. It's Will, not Wills…I think I've read too many fanfics that used it, and subconsciously wrote it that way. I've fixed it. Thanks!!
Malaskor – Xander's income is pretty non-existent…at least that's how I see it. I figure he's still paying off the non-wedding (even if you cancel a wedding, you still have to pay the bills), and probably doesn't have much spare cash – remember, Anya was going ballistic with all the details, pre-parties, and every little thing that was considered "traditional" for a wedding…they probably spent THOUSANDS of dollars for it. When Xander walked out, Anya probably footed him with the whole bill.
sctobb – Hmmm…I think you're right. Teal'c wouldn't use words like energy wave. I've tweaked it to (hopefully) sound more like what he would actually say. Check it out and let me know if it works better. (Basically, I just removed the references to "energy".)
clair – Yeah, I kind of did that on purpose. The abrupt changes were snippets to get them where they were before the first meeting between BtVS and SG-1. I'm sure I could have done better, but I didn't want to spend too much time on those scenes, since their only purpose was to serve as informational pieces. I just had a thought =snicker= - do you want me to go back and put in camera shots of the full moon then panning down to the entrance of Cheyenne Mountain (jeep and strolling guards optional)? Or maybe I should just give the camera to Andrew and let him set each scene…with commentary. LOL
Sigma1 – Hmmm…I don't know that I would say that O'Neill is biased against women fighters. I would say he's cautious with them. He trusts Carter to watch his back, but even that took time, so that's what I think his hesitation towards women fighters is all about…trust. It's a given that most men are physically stronger than most women, but I would say that if a 5'5" scrawny man was the only one available to watch his back in a hand-to-hand fight, O'Neill wouldn't trust him to do so until the guy proved himself. Also, until recently, women were not allowed to be involved as part of the ground troops in a war, much less the front lines – it would be difficult for someone of O'Neill's generation to trust that any woman had battle experience. But, maybe that's what you meant, and I'm just nattering on and keeping you from reading the next chapter. ;)
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You Don't Kill the Messenger, You Bargain With Him
The oddly-dressed man lay on the ground, rubbing his jaw.
"I guess I deserved that, Slayer."
Daniel and his group started at the man calling Buffy 'Slayer', then exchanged brief glances.
Buffy just arched an eyebrow at him, as she expressionlessly watched the man pick himself up from the ground. As soon as he was fully upright, she decked him again.
"Ow! Dammit, Slayer. What was that one for?!"
"The first was for Angel, the second for Spike," Buffy ground out at him.
O'Neill gave Daniel a 'what the hell' look and mouthed the word 'Spike?'. Daniel just returned the look, mouthing 'Angel?'. They both shrugged and returned to the interesting confrontation going on in front of them. O'Neill wondered if he should intervene if she hit him again.
"Fine…fine. Is that it, or should I just stay down here indefinitely?" he grumbled.
"Oh I could think of a few hundred Potentials more, not to mention my sister and my friends," the blonde woman responded grimly. "But I think I can wait a while for those, Whistler. If I took care of everyone now, we'd be here all night."
Whistler cautiously picked himself up again, keeping an eye on the angry Slayer…which was why he didn't see Xander approach. The dark-haired boy decked him.
"That was for Anya," he replied tonelessly, giving the man a blank look before going back to where he had originally been standing next to Dawn.
"Ow…feel the love, people, feel the love," Whistler said from the ground. "Now if you're all finished, I can get to the reason for my being here."
Getting no response, he took it as a sign that he was allowed to stand up, and did so. Brushing his hands down his coat, he smoothed out the wrinkles.
"So who do I have to kill now, Whistler? One of my friends? My sister? I'm afraid I don't have any lovers left for you to choose from," Buffy hissed.
"Woah, woah, girl…no one said anything about you killing anyone," Whistler held up his hands to stop the Slayer's venomous tirade.
"No, you'll just wait until I relax my guard…and then you'll mention the killing," Buffy retorted.
"Can we get off the killing topic? I'm here to pass on a message from the Powers That Be, Slayer. Unless you don't want to know why you're here," the man said, irritated.
Buffy's friends shifted nervously, weapons gripped tightly. O'Neill's group just looked confused, though Daniel was clearly fascinated with what was going on.
"The new, not so improved, Hellmouth, we know."
"There's a Hellmouth…here?!" Daniel blurted out.
"Yeah, kid. Now quiet…I'm talkin' to the Slayer. You'll have your turn later," Whistler snarked before turning back to Buffy.
Daniel backed off, a worried expression on his face as thoughts ran through his head. He turned to his friend and whispered a quiet explanation, and, upon hearing his words, Carter and O'Neill didn't look much at ease either.
"Hey! Wait a second, Whistler…uh…guy," Jack interrupted before the man could continue his conversation with the blonde girl. "Daniel says having a Hellmouth here is a bad thing…what can we do to get rid of it?"
"Nothing…the Hellmouth is here to stay," Whistler gave him an irritated look.
"But…"
"The permanent closing of the Hellmouth in Sunnydale took out the entire city…buildings, houses, streets, cars…everything – and left a large crater in its place. Do you want that to happen here?"
O'Neill's eyes widened in surprise.
"Besides," Whistler continued, "without going to the level of nukes, you don't have anything that would work, not even a truck-load of C-4 would make a dent…it might actually do more bad than good. Do you really want to see what a city looks like when it's overrun with demons?"
"Uh…I'm gonna have to go with 'No' on that," O'Neill replied quickly, wondering how life had gotten weirder without even being on another planet.
Buffy gave a snort of amusement, saying, "Good call – it's not a pretty sight."
"Now, if you don't mind, could I get back on track with Blondie here?" Whistler sighed in irritation, lifting an eyebrow at O'Neill.
O'Neill rolled his eyes, then tilted his head forward as he made an expansively magnanimous gesture of 'go head', like he was giving permission to a lower being.
The man scowled at him, but O'Neill only smirked back.
As he turned back to Buffy, Whistler grumbled something under his breath, the others only catching the words 'peon' and 'ass'.
"Now where was I? Oh…yeah…why you're here. The Hellmouth is their reason," Whistler gestured to the Sunnydale group, "not yours."
Buffy glared at him. "Do I even wanna know?"
"You sure do, sweets," the trenchcoat-clad man replied. "Because you took the leap that your sister was supposed to take, it forced the Powers That Be to re-route your line of destiny to another, because your destiny was supposed to have ended two years ago. But since someone had to go and play with powers they weren't supposed to touch," he gave a hard glare at Willow, causing her to blush and look down, "it not only allowed The First to get a foothold – nice job by the way – but it also left you without a destiny. Basically, your destiny is up for grabs, and the Powers want to ensure that you're put to good use, preferably with them at the reigns."
"I'm still a tool, I see," Buffy frowned.
"And a darn good one at that, sweets. You're the strongest Slayer the Powers have ever seen, period. They're interested in seeing what your children will be like."
"Wha-what? I'm to become a…a…cow for them now? A breeding machine? Just because they're interested?! Absolutely not!" Buffy fumed.
"Woah…woah…hold your horses." Whistler frantically waved his hands, trying to calm the rapidly mounting temper of the Slayer. "I said that they were interested, not that it would be your new destiny. No, someone even higher than them put the kibosh on implementing that idea, though they're leaving the possibility open for…uh…discussion."
"Someone higher, you say? Would that be…um…God?" Giles asked hesitantly interjected.
"Uh…no, just higher. If you understand the general set-up of celestial beings, the Powers That Be would be around level seven. The one that put any type of breeding program on indefinite hold is several steps closer to numero uno – aka God…and that's all I'm going to say about that," Whistler replied firmly.
Giles and Daniel looked intrigued, but Buffy was relieved to know that at least one higher being was looking out for her in some small way, though the open-ended plan of being bred like an animal still irked her.
Both groups curiously kept quiet, watching Buffy and the man named Whistler talk, as if it was a tennis match. Questions were held off…the topic was too interesting to interrupt…but you could see that Giles, Daniel and Sam were making a mental list.
Of course, having had too many confrontations with beings claiming to be 'Gods', Jack couldn't help opening his mouth to make a snarky comment, but was quickly cut off by Whistler.
"Ah-ah-ah…no comments from the situationally-engendered atheist, mister, or I'll make sure that you go to Hell when you die for real. You can ask Blondie here what that's like…and she only saw one of the outer levels."
"You really don't want to go there, Jack," Buffy said, scrunching her nose. "It was really, really…icky."
"You've been to hell?" Jack asked, dubious look on his face. He and the others had been to a Gou'ald's version of Hell, and couldn't help but wonder if it was another fake representation.
"All right people! Stop right there! I do not want to be here all night – so if you don't shut it, I'll shut it for you," Whistler griped.
Jack scowled at him, but Buffy hid a smile – she was having fun watching Whistler get irritated with all the side-tracking.
"Blondie, your destiny has yet to be determined, which is why the Powers set me to you. A lot of…uh…celestial beings are volleying for control of your destiny, apparently there are a lot of problems out there that could use someone with your proven track record, and you wouldn't believe how many of them are pleading their case in order to get control of you – I swear, if they had saliva, all of them would be drooling…you're a very popular girl."
"Oh joy…more celestial beings who want to screw with my life," Buffy deadpanned.
"It could be a heckuva lot worse, kid…your destiny could lie somewhere where they've never even heard of fashion."
"True. So why are you here? Can't the PTB just pick up control of my line of destiny again, and run with it like they usually do?"
"Unfortunately, no. They had their shot, and when the line was broken, their re-routing freed you up when you got back. For the past two years, your destiny has been waving in the wind like a red flag to a herd of bulls, and everyone up there has been arguing over who gets control. So the Powers sent me to give you a little push in their chosen direction. It's gonna be a little different than what you're used to, but another level up there had a greater case, so the Powers made an agreement with them. They had to make several concessions in order to keep some level of control over your destiny, but they're basically back in the driver's seat if you accept the push in the direction they want you to go."
"Do I even want to know what these concessions are?"
"I can't tell you, but you'll eventually find out."
"Figures. You've never been this forthcoming with this much information before, Whistler…what's the what? Why are you actually answering my questions in detail? You usually just do the cryptic thing and disappear."
"Desperate measures…" Whistler mumbled.
Buffy snorted in amusement at the thought that celestial beings could actually feel desperation.
"So, why should I agree to work for them, Whistler? They haven't exactly made any part of my life a bed of roses. It's all been take, take, take, and not one iota of give," Buffy gave him a piercing look.
"They want me to let you know that um…youcanhavechildrenifyouwant," Whistler mumbled in a rush.
"What…was…that?" Buffy ground out.
Whistler sighed. There was no way he was going to get out of this one.
"I said that you can have children if you want. No, no…no breeding program," the man rushed to clarify when the Slayer's eyes flashed at his words, "They're just leaving the option open for you. Free will, and all, you know…hehe. I was just supposed to give you a subtle hint, to entice you to accept by playing on your cravings to have some normalcy in your life, but you know me and subtlety…"
"And tell me, Whistler," Buffy snarled his name, circling him as if he was her prey, "Do the Powers That Be have…plans…for my children? Have they already chosen my husband for me?"
Whistler kept silent, shifting uncomfortably.
"I'll take that as a yes," Buffy whirled around, turning her back on him as she thought hard, and quickly.
Turning back to the man who was smart enough to keep quiet, Buffy firmly said, "I find this unacceptable. So, now…we bargain, Whistler."
"What? No. No bargaining with the Powers, Slayer. You know that."
"If they want me to let them fiddle with my destiny again, they bargain…or no deal, and I go off to the Big Apple to indefinitely shop for shoes, then no one gets control," Buffy firmly stood her ground, then slyly said. "Or maybe I'll just accept someone else's offer."
Whistler tilted his head as if listening to someone, then turned his attention back to the blonde woman. "I can't make any guarantees, Slayer, but they'll hear what you have to say."
Buffy nodded her head sharply. "First of all, the husband…or boyfriend, or whatever…no irritating kid, or someone as old as Methuselah. I'm thinkin' somewhere around 7 years older than me. What do you think Dawnie?"
"Sounds good to me, but no more than 10 years older than you. And they have to be human…and male," Dawn interjected.
"Ah, yes…male and human. Good idea, Dawn. So, Whistler, a human male, 7 to 10 years older than me, fairly intelligent, in decent shape, and relatively good looking. It would also help if he could hold his own in a fight. Can they agree to that?"
"Done."
The man had agreed so quickly, it made Buffy wary, but she put it off to take care of the next issue.
"Now…my children," the blonde said grimly, pinning Whistler with a sharp glare, "You can only have one."
"One?! Now hold on there…"
"One, Whistler. Because of what I am, any children I have will be involved in my world anyway. Whether or not they become future Slayers or Watchers, I won't have them all forcibly tied to it. I want them to have the choice I never did…to leave it behind, if they want. Free will, and all, you know," Buffy mockingly parroted his words, "So you can take it or leave it."
"Three," Whistler countered, "We are bargaining here, Slayer."
"One, with the option that any of the others can agree to whatever offers the Powers That Be may tender, on the condition that the Powers wait until they're over the age of 17. The age condition also applies if any of my children offer themselves freely to work for the Powers, if they haven't been approached yet. Any younger, and they will need to ask my permission." Buffy thought for a moment. "And the others get to have an out, if or when they want to leave it all."
"Three."
"Two, with the conditions I mentioned before, only one can be a Slayer, Potential Slayer, or any type of warrior, and they all stay human. That's all you'll be getting from me, if you want me to agree," she firmly held her ground.
Whistler sighed, and agreed.
O'Neill's group looked agog at Buffy's bartering of her children's lives, but the Sunnydalers sadly nodded their heads in both understanding and agreement, knowing that there was no way Buffy could get away scot-free…and neither could her children.
"Now, since I believe my new destiny will have something to do with these people," Buffy waved her hand at O'Neill's group, who looked startled at her words, "we're going to need to make a couple other bargains."
"How do you know your destiny has anything to do with us?" Daniel inquired curiously.
"Some Slayer's, like myself, have visions of the future, Dr. Jackson. When we were last in California, my vision told me to come here. It also showed a flash of gold wings. And if my assumptions are correct, those two have the same symbol attached to their jackets," Buffy waved at O'Neill and Sam, whose hands automatically reached up to touch the gold pin fastened above the stitched USAF logo on their jackets. "And let me take a guess that you all work in Cheyenne Mountain."
O'Neill's group shared startled looks, but Daniel slowly nodded his head to confirm her guess.
"You just keep getting better and better, Slayer. There was a time that you would have thought a pair of wings would have something to do with food or Fed-Ex," Whistler mocked.
"Watch it…I'm still mad at you," Buffy glared at him.
"Easy, killer. I'm just saying that you've improved a lot over the years, absences notwithstanding."
Buffy's face tightened at the thought of just what her absences had encompassed.
"Just tell me why the Powers That Be want to hand me over to the military, Whistler. 'Cuz we know what happened the last time a secret military organization found out about me. Do the words Terminator slash Edward Scissor-hands slash demonic killing machine ring any bells?"
"You sure do have a way with words, sweets," Whistler chuckled before a serious look came over his face. "They opened up a big ol' can of snakes, and it will rapidly get out of their control if we don't get someone in to help them…namely, you."
"So I've got to pull the military's fat out of the fire…again?" Buffy looked disgusted.
O'Neill would have taken offense at the young woman's words, if he wasn't so concerned at the possible security leak of the Stargate program.
"What do you know, Mr. Whistler, and where did you hear about it?" O'Neill demanded.
Daniel cleared his throat to get the Colonel's attention. "Uh, Jack. If he works for celestial beings called the "Powers That Be", I would say it wasn't so much as a security leak, as it is…uh…someone watching over us…similar to our…uh…large-eyed friends who begin with an 'A'. Would that be correct, Mr. Whistler?"
"Just Whistler, kid. And you would be correct, except for the fact that, unlike the Asgard, the Powers That Be are the real thing."
Jack squirmed. He really wanted to say something offensive about these 'Powers That Be', and wondered if he should take the chance. Throwing caution to the wind, Jack opened his mouth to let out a zinger.
Before he could say anything, Whistler glared and pointed a finger at him, saying, "Hell, Jack…Hell."
Jack snapped his mouth shut, scowling. Dammit…this guy seemed to know him only to well.
"Fascinating," Daniel responded, awestruck at the thought that celestial beings could be real (though his scholarly mind was making comparisons to ancient written works).
"Yes, yes…we all know you're fascinated, Daniel. But that still doesn't answer how this guy knows about what he knows." O'Neill was being careful about what he said, as the Whistler guy hadn't outright mentioned the Stargate program.
"Ce-les-ti-al be-ings, Colonel Jack O'Neill…they know about everything…or at least when they're paying attention to it, and I'm their mouthpiece. Your Stargate program set off a major bru-ha-ha upstairs when several of your recent situations almost created chaos on this planet, not to mention that the energy leaks from the gate caused a new Hellmouth to form from a weak spot here in the Springs. You're playing with things you don't understand, kids. While celestial beings can't affect your free will to explore, and fully approve of your attempts at reconnecting with what they term the 'Lost Children', they feel that they need to do some damage control, hence one of the concessions the Powers made was to maneuver the Slayer's destiny to coincide with yours."
"Stargate program?" Giles inquired, his turn to be intrigued.
"Top Secret military program, not to be bandied about in casual conversation, if you get my meaning, Watcher," Whistler drawled, "Besides, it's not something you need to know about."
"But…"
"You are staying on the Hellmouth. She is going with them. Hence, she is the only one that needs to know the details at this point. Kapeesh?"
"Oh, very well," Giles responded in exasperation.
O'Neill's group relaxed a little, knowing that, for now, their secret would be kept.
"If I'm supposed to go with them, who's going to watch over the Hellmouth?" Buffy asked, confused, "I can't do both. And while the Scoobies do a great job, they still need a Slayer to take care of the bigger baddies. No offense, guys."
The Scoobies waved off her comment, knowing that she spoke the truth. They couldn't handle everything without a resident Slayer.
Whistler clapped his hands together, rubbing them in delight. "Ah…now this is where everything gets good. The Powers are going to activate a third Slayer!"
"What?!" Buffy exclaimed, shocked.
The Sunnydale group was also stunned – they had just deactivated all the Potentials. If the Powers were going to activate another Slayer, why hadn't they just kept one of the activated ones? Kennedy looked pleased.
"But…but…the balance," Giles stuttered.
"That's the thing, Watcher. With the loss of most of the Potentials, and with what they're doing and the multitude of nasty characters that are coming out of it," Whistler nodded towards O'Neill's group, "the scales have heavily tipped towards evil, hence the need for a third Slayer."
Giles looked concerned. "Is it really that bad…what they are doing?"
"I wouldn't say bad…just dangerous…something that could easily get out of hand," Whistler said cautiously, "If it isn't handled carefully, this entire world could find itself playing 'hosts', and not in the tea-party kind of way, if you get my meaning."
Whistler looked at the large dark-skinned man, who frowned gave a sharp nod in understanding. His companions looked worried.
"If the Powers are allowing another Slayer, why did you deactivate all of them? Why not keep one active, and…uh…turn the rest off?" Xander asked, confused. "Were they all like…on the same switch, or something…like the main switch on a breaker box?"
"Very funny, kid. No." Whistler rolled his eyes. "It took some time for the scales to recover from your latest Sunnydale festivities – you wouldn't believe the weight those Turok-Hans gave to the other side. Anyway, the mini-Slayers had already been deactivated, and it wasn't until the dust settled that the Powers realized the imbalance."
"So why all the chatter? Why not just activate one?" Kennedy asked eagerly. "I'm here right now…activate me!"
"Sorry, kid. Activating Slayers doesn't work like that, and the normal choosing process is beyond your comprehension," Whistler chided. "Red here may have done some major mojo with the Slayer's Scythe, but that was to release all the Slayers, not just one."
"So why are you telling us all this? Why not just activate the third Slayer, and send her our way?"
"The Powers thought they'd give you a break, Blondie. Your destiny may lay with the camouflaged stiffs, but you'll still be pulling babysitting duties on the Hellmouth. Since the newbie will technically be encroaching on your 'turf', and your Watcher, they thought you might like the opportunity to choose your replacement. Selecting a new Slayer has never happened like this before, but the Powers were pleased with how you handled yourself in the situation with The First, and decided that your choice would be held in high esteem."
Buffy stared wide-eyed at him. "You're serious?"
"As an Armani suit, sweets."
She looked at him a moment longer. Then, thinking rapidly, a look of concern crossed her face.
"I need to know one thing first, Whistler. Is Dawn still in danger?"
"She always will be, Slayer," he nodded reluctantly. "Not as bad, and not by the same type of opponent you originally protected her from, but she still has some residual power left that will draw some evil types. The Hellmouth should hide it for the most part, but if they're here in the same town, they'll be drawn to her."
Buffy nodded gravely, deep in thought.
O'Neill's group stared curiously at the brunette teen in the other group, wondering what made her so important that she needed protection. Dawn, noticing their stares, scowled at them, then stuck out her tongue.
Sam chuckled, and even Teal'c's lips twitched. Daniel just grinned at her and gave her a wink, which caused Dawn to blush and step closer to Xander.
O'Neill gave a snort of amusement before turning his gaze back to the blonde woman, and wondered when it would be their turn to have their questions answered.
Breaking from her thoughts, Buffy abruptly turned to her Watcher and said, "Giles, I need to speak to you before I make any decisions. You too, Dawn. Give us a moment, Whistler? Since this decision will affect both Giles and Dawn the most, I'd like to get their opinions…privately."
"Of course, Slayer. I'd say 'take your time', but I am on a schedule, you know. Just…don't take too long, eh?" Whistler gave her a cheeky wink.
Buffy rolled her eyes, gesturing for Giles and her sister to follow her out of hearing distance of the rest of the group.
Once the three stopped, Giles turned to his Slayer. "I must say, Buffy, you are taking this extremely well."
"I have no choice, Giles, you know that. It may sound like I have some leeway, but if I refused, I'm sure the Powers would have found some other way of getting me to that mountain, one that would probably have been less pleasant," Buffy responded tiredly.
"Regardless, you handled it well, as you did your negotiations," Giles smiled at her. "At least you know you'll be able to have a family of your own now. I know you've always wanted one."
"While I am glad, I can't help thinking I am dooming any children I have to a similar fate as mine," Buffy frowned. "It's not the life I would have chosen for them, Giles."
"Neither would I, but you did the best you could with the hand that was dealt to you, Buffy."
"I just hope it's better than any of the other offers I could have had," Buffy said seriously, then smirked, "Although, with my luck, I would have gotten stuck being a female version of Ghandi whose destiny was to bring peace to the middle-east."
"An impossible task, no doubt. So, better the devil you know…or in this case the celestial being?" Giles' lips twitched.
"Yeah, something like that," Buffy snorted in amusement. "Besides, you know how I like to twist destiny's tail when it comes to what it wants. I don't plan on changing that anytime soon."
They grinned at each other.
The three stood in silence for a moment, before Dawn shuffled nervously.
"Um, Buffy? Aren't we supposed to be choosing the new Slayer?" Dawn asked nervously. "I don't want to rush you, but I think we better hurry before Whistler and the Powers get impatient, and decide to choose someone like Cordelia."
"Yeah…so what are your thoughts, Dawnie?" Buffy asked, arching her eyebrow at her sister.
"Me?! Why are you asking me?" Dawn squeaked.
"Because I need to know that the new Slayer will protect you if there's any trouble," the blonde woman said, concerned. "It sounds like I won't be able to be there for you all the time, and the newbie needs to know that your life is a top priority."
"Oh." Dawn looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I don't know. I would have said Amanda, but…"
Dawn looked down tearfully, still upset over the loss of the one Potential she had considered her friend. Buffy gave her a pained look.
Giles broke the awkward moment. "I-I was quite impressed with both Kennedy and Rona. They both have had some training already, and the other girls seemed to follow their lead…especially Kenne…"
"Kennedy's out, Giles," Buffy interrupted.
"Why? Is this because you don't get along with her?" Giles asked, angry at his Slayer's immediate dismissal of Willow's partner.
"Maybe, in part. I will have to work with her, Giles. She may have good instincts, innovation, and sheer guts, but she's missing one key thing…responsibility. It's a game to her. She thinks it's her right to have the power, like she earned it somehow. She doesn't want the power of the Slayer to help people, Giles…she just wants the power," Buffy frowned. "And that's not the type of person who will protect Dawn with everything she has."
"I can take care of myself, Buffy! I'm not a child anymore!" Dawn snapped out.
"I never said you couldn't, Dawn, but even I need help sometimes. If Kennedy became a Slayer again, she would only do things that would benefit herself, and protecting you would not be in her own interests. No, Kennedy is out."
"Perhaps Rona then?" Giles said stiffly.
"She doesn't want it, Giles. She said so when we were all at the Hyperion, and I saw her face when it was taken away…she was relieved. And she only has 6 months until her 18th birthday. Don't do this to her, Buffy," Dawn pleaded.
"OK, Dawnie, OK…Rona's out," Buffy sighed. "Any other suggestions?"
"I-I didn't know any of the other girls that well," Giles stuttered.
Dawn shrugged.
"Then I guess we'll have to go to Plan B. Maybe it's for the best, though," Buffy said tiredly. "Giles, could you stand over here, and turn your back on the others?"
"Wha… Why?"
"Just do it, OK? I need you to hide both Dawn and I, because what I have to say is going to cause my sister to have a funky expression," Buffy explained.
Though he was confused, Giles moved to where Buffy indicated. When Buffy was sure that they couldn't be seen, she indicated them to lean in closer.
Lowering her voice to a mere whisper, she said, "Besides myself, there's only one other person who could protect Dawn the best, Giles, and I think you know who it is."
Looking him straight in the eye, she waited for his highly intelligent brain to make the connection. She could almost hear the actual 'click' when he finally understood who she was talking about.
"But…but that's preposterous! I don't believe that's what the Powers had in mind when they said you could choose your replacement!" Giles blurted.
"Who?! Who?!" Dawn squeaked out, bouncing in eagerness.
"You have to admit that she'd be the best choice."
"She's not even a Potential, Buffy! I'm sure the Powers meant for you to pick from the Slayers-in-Training."
"Who is it?!" Dawn whined.
"They said anyone, Giles, they didn't specify that it had to be a Potential. Besides, she's got the instincts, the talent, and a lot of training – Hell, even Spike was impressed. She's intelligent, cunning, and has been dealing with this crap for a lot longer than any of the Potentials," Buffy argued. "And she already knows the score. She'd be good, Giles - maybe even better than me someday."
"But she's more rebellious than even you have ever been, and now you want to saddle me with her," Giles grumbled. He sighed, knowing he couldn't change her mind. "Are you sure you want this for her? Can you live with her fighting the monsters every night? Knowing that she could die?"
"I honestly don't know, Giles, but when we get right down to it, that's my problem to deal with. I don't want this for her, but it should be her choice…she's mature enough to make her own decision…" Buffy sighed.
God Dammit! Tell me who it is!" Dawn growled, finally losing patience.
"…besides she's too stubborn to die. We're too stubborn to die or stay dead…it's in our blood, after all." Buffy gave a side-glance to her fuming sister, waiting for her to fit all the clues together.
"Will you just tell me?! This isn't fair! It's like you're talking in some code or something…" Dawn continued her tirade for several moments, Buffy and Giles looking at her, amused.
As the young brunette continued to grumble quite huffily, Giles off-handedly commented, "Oh, and you mustn't forget the extraordinary strength her emotions would give her…after all, all the Summers women are quite passionate."
Buffy blanched as a picture of Giles, her mom, and the hood of a police car flashed through her head.
"Didn't need to know that, Giles. But, you're right, us Summers women gain strength from our emotions…I think it comes from our mom's side of the family," Buffy responded, still waiting for Dawn to figure it out.
After another brief moment, Dawn stopped in mid-rant, mouth agape.
"Fish alert! I think she got a clue, Giles," Buffy smirked. "A little slow on the uptake tonight, are we Dawn?"
"Bu…bu…bu…"
"Yes, Dawnsy-wansy? Are we having a widdle baby-talk moment?" Buffy cooed.
Dawn gave her a look of irritation, before her expression changed to one of nervous hope.
"Me?" she whispered. "Really?"
"It's not a life I would choose for you, Dawnie," Buffy said softly, "but it's not my place to decide anymore…you're old enough to know what you want."
"I'll…"
Buffy held up a hand, interrupting her sister before she could make her choice, "Just remember, Dawn, it's not temporary. It's a lifetime commitment…however long or short yours may be. Take a moment to really think if it's what you want."
Dawn frowned. Looking down, she thought long and hard. Coming to a decision, she gave a sharp nod.
"I'll do it, Buffy," she said firmly. "I know you don't really want me to, but I'm already involved, and will continue to be involved, just for being what I am, what I used to be…you know that. I can't go back to ignoring what's out there…I've seen and experienced too much, just like you. Having the Slayer strength will let me do something about it."
Buffy gave her a searching look. Seeing the determination and conviction shining in her sister's eyes, she nodded.
"Welcome to the Slayer team, Dawnie." Buffy grabbed her sister and gave her a fierce hug.
From her sister's arms, Dawn said, "We are so gonna kick demon ass, Buffy. All the bad guys are gonna fear the Summers name."
"I can deal with that," Buffy chuckled as she released her sister. "Just as long as you remember that your life is top priority…you're not allowed to die. Got it?!"
"Got it." Dawn grinned. "Hey…ya think I can get the same bargain as you? I'd like to have a family at some point, too."
"I think we could twist the Powers' arms…if they have any. They owe me big time. I think I'll try to barter it for Faith too, though I really can't see her with children."
The two sisters looked at each other and shuddered.
Buffy turned to her Watcher, their Watcher now. Taking his hands in her own, she gave him a serious yet pleading look.
"Take care of her, Giles. Teach her everything you know."
"You know I will, Buffy…she already knows half of it anyway," Giles smiled. Then, giving her a cheeky smirk, he said, "At least she'll be better at research than you ever were!"
"Hey!" Buffy exclaimed, affronted. "I'll have you know that I only bailed out to keep from getting those funky crows feet around my eyes, like you have. I pulled my weight in the intelligence portion when we really needed it."
"Sure you did, Buffy," Dawn placated her sister, in an obviously fake manner. "That's why your high school transcript states that you're so smart."
"Let's see how well you do on your SATs, then we'll talk about smarts."
"That's enough, children," Giles stated firmly, but humorously. "I think it's about time we returned to the others, before we really do end up with a Cordelia clone."
The girls shuddered again.
===============================================================
While the three were talking, the Sunnydalers huddled together, whispering amongst each other – Kennedy looking quite ecstatic. O'Neill's group, on the other hand, was trying to get some answers.
"So…uh…Whistler," O'Neill started gruffly, "how is it that you think Ms. Summers will be able to help us? She may be an excellent fighter, but we already have a lot of those working in our program. What else does she have to offer?"
"You'd be surprised, Colonel O'Neill. That dumb blonde act is just that, an act – even her friends would be surprised to know that there's more than meets the eye with Blondie. The Slayer is a lot smarter than she appears to be, but has gotten complacent having been surrounded by two geniuses," Whistler responded. "Oh, she's no astrophysicist (Whistler gave the tall blonde woman in their group a wink), but she knows a lot more than she lets on – you'll just have to figure out what it is…if she'll let you. A slippery one, she is."
The man shook his head in amusement. Having occasionally taken a peek over the years at how the Sunnydale group was doing, he still couldn't believe they all continued to fall for the 'I'm just a fashion conscious girl, I'm really not that smart' act of the Slayer's. Most of them had fought along side her for over 7 years…you'd think they would have caught on by now. Though, over all, it somehow had worked in the Slayer's favor, for the most part…it made the others think for themselves, feel that they were making a difference, and kept them all alive in several cases…but at the expense of no one knowing Blondie's full potential. That would have to change.
"Besides, how many of your fighters have the strength of 10 men, can pick up any weapon and instinctively know how to use it, have the tactical skills of a seasoned veteran, have fought every day of their life for 7 years straight, and can think like the enemy because they carry the same darkness within them?"
O'Neill's group looked shocked…even Teal'c raised an eyebrow in surprise. There was some concern though.
"Too be honest, it sounds like it could be a recipe for disaster," O'Neill stated flatly. "She sounds like the ultimate fighting machine. How are we supposed to control her, if no one can stand up against her?"
"There's no controlling this Slayer, Colonel," Whistler sounded amused. "Let me tell you a secret about Blondie, kids…she'll listen to you while she gets the lay of the land. If you want her to continue to listen to you, you have to gain her respect…and that's not by beating her in hand-to-hand. All Slayers are natural leaders, but this one doesn't have to be one. She will follow, if she respects you and the decisions you make…you just have to make sure you listen to her if she disagrees, because there's usually a darn good reason."
"Is it really true that there are several celestial beings fighting for control of her destiny?" Daniel couldn't seem to get off the fact that they actually existed.
"In all honesty?...yeah. You wouldn't believe the uproar it caused upstairs when they all found out that Blondie was free and available. Why do you think it took 2 years for me to approach her? There were so many petitions, meetings, deals, and re-petitioning that it finally took a high council ruling to weed out the ones who wouldn't have used her full potential," he shook his head in disbelief at the memory. "I was only allowed to approach her with the Powers' offer before any decisions were made, because we've worked with her before."
"The celestial plane sounds a lot like human politics," Daniel looked a little disappointed.
"It pretty much is, kid – they have a lot to keep watch over. But their politics tend to be more polite – no back-stabbing, just a lot of working together and making honest deals…though the monochrome décor leaves a lot to be desired."
"That's it! I've had enough with this whole 'celestial beings' and 'God' malarkey!" O'Neill ground out. "How can you expect us to believe any of this without proof?"
"What...you want me to walk on water? Turn water in to wine?" Whistler smirked. "Doesn't work like that, kid. Anyone care to tell him why?"
"I believe that is what the Tau'ri call 'faith', is it not, Whistler?" Teal'c replied, eyebrow lifting in question.
"Bzzzt. We have a winner here! Give the alien a prize!" Whistler quipped.
O'Neill scowled, taking a quick look over at the other group to make sure they hadn't overheard the 'alien' remark. Fortunately, they were too busy in their own discussion to have noticed.
"You're asking us to believe in a lot, Whistler," Carter said cautiously.
"As the big guy said, it's all about faith," Whistler smirked at her. "But stick with Blondie, and you'll be seeing a lot of things you thought were bedtime stories or myths – and take it from me, it makes believing in God a lot easier. Besides, considering everything that you do at the mountain is classified, would you be able to convince a stranger that aliens are real with only your word?"
Seeing they were in a losing argument, O'Neill steered the topic back to more familiar ground.
"So…getting back to the girl…she's that good?" O'Neill quirked an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah!" Whistler said emphatically. "Why do you think they all want her? 'Cuz she's cute? That's just a bonus. No…Blondie is…special. She's beaten everything we sent her way to handle, and believe me…it was a lot. And in a few cases, the odds were heavily against her, but we didn't have any choice – she was the only one who had a chance."
"What can you tell us about her, Whistler? What kind of opponents has she gone up against? How did she win? How old is she, really?" Sam asked eagerly.
For a moment, the man looked incredibly sad, looking over at the trio having their private conversation. He turned back to the tall blonde woman, his face blank.
"It's not my place to tell, it's her story, but I can say this…take all the crap you've been dealing with since you started your gig, and add fighting creatures from the deepest pits of Hell – that's what they've all been dealing with every day. Add several really nasty pieces of work, who could control forces far beyond your worst nightmares, then throw in a few situations where you had to kill someone important to you, and you've got what she has had to deal with, by herself," Whistler ground out, then continued softly, "And if that isn't enough, add not getting paid, no rewards, the loss of the only maternal figure they had, and start it all 7 years ago."
The group looked both stunned and disturbed. Considering what they had all experienced, as older adults, since signing up with the Stargate program, just thinking about what the young woman must have gone through was staggering.
They looked over at the group talking in private, and couldn't help but notice how young the woman appeared to be. They all wondered the same thing, but only Sam voiced the question.
"How…how old is she, Whistler?" Sam stuttered.
"Twenty-two," Whistler answered softly. "She's been fighting since she was 15."
Sam paled. Daniel and O'Neill looked extremely upset, but Teal'c nodded his head in understanding – while he may not have fought battles at the age of 15, he had finished his training in the arts of war, and knew the difficulties surrounding one so young.
It was at this point that Buffy returned with Giles and Dawn. Everyone quieted…there was a Slayer to be chosen, and all of them were interested in who it would be.
=========================================================
Buffy looked long and hard at Whistler, wondering what was going on through that fedora-bedecked head as he stared blankly back at her.
Breaking the silence, Buffy said flatly, "Before I make my choice, Whistler, would you ask the Powers if they will offer the same opportunity to both Faith and the new Slayer that they gave to me? Between the three of us, I think we can work something out to cover each other's backs when needed."
Whistler cocked his head, then turned back to Buffy, "They agree, though they may not choose any of the other children to be Potentials."
"I'm surprised they agreed so quickly," she arched an eyebrow at him.
"There were heavy losses of both Potentials and Watchers. Who better to help carry on the line for both, than three Slayers – the ones who will do all they can to ensure that the Council doesn't become corrupt again, and make sure that the Potentials are allowed to have as normal a life as possible?"
Buffy looked pleased at his response.
"Thank you."
"So, sweets, who shall it be? The sarcastically funny Rona? The lovely hot-blooded Kennedy? The Chatty-Cathy Vi?" he rubbed his hands together.
"I can really choose anyone?" Buffy asked, giving him a dubious look.
"Anyone, sweets."
"You're sure? I mean, they're not gonna say, 'nope, don't want that one', and pick someone else?"
"Nope. You pick, you get."
"You're positive?"
"Yes!"
"Anyone I want?"
"Anyone, Slayer. Now pick!" Whistler growled impatiently.
"Then I choose, Dawn."
"You're wish is…hey! She's not a Potential!" he said in surprise.
"You said anyone."
"But…but…" the man stuttered, flabbergasted.
"You never said she had to be a potential," Buffy smiled sweetly at him.
Most of the Sunnydale group couldn't decide whether they were shocked or amused – it made for some extremely funny faces all around. Kennedy just looked stunned.
"Well, I'll be damned. That's a first." Whistler scratched the back of his neck, looking both irritated and amused. "No Slayer has ever gotten one over on the Powers before, but a promise is a promise. Dawn it is."
"But it should be me!" Kennedy blurted out, shaking off Willow's hand on her arm and approaching them. "I'm the best out of all the Potentials, and you know it!"
"It's not about who's the best, but who is right for it…and you're not," Buffy said flatly.
"This is all your fault! I know I'm supposed to be next! You think you're so perfect, but all you did was get a lot of us killed! It's mine, you bitch, and I won't let you take it away from me," Kennedy snarled. Drawing back a hand, she stupidly went to punch Buffy in her anger.
Catching the girl's fist in her hand, long before it could get close to her face, Buffy squeezed it, hard. Using her other hand, she quickly grasped Kennedy by the front of her neck and drew her closer.
"I know I have faults, and maybe I did get some of you killed because I wasn't fast enough, wasn't smart enough," Buffy looked pained for a moment, but her anger quickly sparked, "but I also know that if it wasn't for me, all of us would have died. Or have you forgotten who found the Scythe, who came up with the idea of activating all the Slayers, who stopped all of you from killing Spike…you know, the guy who sacrificed himself to save the world…and us? And if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have done it…Spike loved me, and the rest of the world could have gone to Hell in a hand-basket, as long as I was safe. But he knew…he knew I wanted everyone else to live too, so he sacrificed himself…for me."
Buffy took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions.
"Could you do that Kennedy? Give up everything, and everyone, to save the world? To save the people you love, so they can live another day…even if it's without you?"
The Slayer looked deep into the young girl's eyes and saw only anger. She released the fist she gripped and pushed the younger girl away, causing her to fall to the ground where she tensely sat, rubbing her neck.
"I didn't think so." Rubbing a hand over her eyes, Buffy said tiredly, "Go home, Kennedy, there's nothing for you here."
Kennedy stood, glaring at the Slayer as she hissed, "It should be mine, and it will!"
Giving the girl a sharp look, Buffy responded, "Not if I have anything to say about it."
Turning to Whistler, the Slayer said, "Whistler, I formally request that Kennedy be removed from the Slayer line. She is a danger to the current Slayers, and the third one you will soon be activating."
"You can't do that!" Kennedy screamed. "It's my right!"
"The Powers agree, and it will be done," Whistler said gravely.
"I also suggest that you wipe her memory of all involvement with the Slayers, and return her back to where she came from. It's the only way we can be sure she won't seek any of us out in retribution."
"No! No! You can't do this!" Kennedy pleaded. Willow put her arms around her lover, and shot Buffy a furious look.
Whistler waived a hand in the ex-potential's direction, effectively silencing her, and binding her in place.
"That will be a little difficult. Her absence has been noticed by both her friends and her parents. But since she never made her phone call back in L.A., we do have more leeway in plausible excuses."
"Send her to a hospital as a Jane Doe in a coma…someone who got hit by a car on her way back from a Britney Spears concert. I really don't care. I just want her gone, with no memory of Slayers, the Hellmouth, or anything else in connection to us."
"Done." Whistler snapped his fingers and Kennedy was gone, causing Willow to stumble as she clutched at nothing.
"How could you do that, Buffy!" Willow yelled tearfully. "She has as much right to be a Slayer as you do!"
"Maybe at one point she did," Buffy responded, shaking her head sadly. "But people change, Willow. Kennedy became too spoiled and greedy as she grew up… she would only have used the power for herself, not to protect people, and that's not what being a Slayer is about."
"That's what you say, and we all know how right you are all the time," Willow replied sarcastically, tears running down her face.
Buffy narrowed her eyes at her red-headed friend, "I'm not perfect, Will, and I know that. But in this, I'm right. If you doubt me," Buffy had seen the uncertainty in the faces of her two best-friends and on her Watcher, "if you all doubt me…again…we can ask an impartial third-party."
Spinning in the direction of O'Neill's group, she raised an eyebrow at them.
"So, tell me honestly. From what you've just seen, would any of you place your safety in Kennedy's hands? Would you trust her to protect the world? Would you have given her the power of a Slayer?"
"I would not, Buffy Summers," Teal'c was the first to respond. "She craved the power too much. Those who crave power are ones who would abuse it."
O'Neill just said, "That girl needs to be spanked…long and hard."
Daniel and Sam murmured their agreement.
Buffy turned back to the Sunnydale group, only to see that Willow still wasn't budging in her belief in her girlfriend.
"I'll never forgive you for this, Buffy," Willow growled. "Did you even think about the fact that, when you sent her away with her memory erased, you would be taking my partner from me? That she wouldn't remember even me?"
"She may not remember you, but at least she's alive. Could you have lived with it if she killed one of us to get the Slayer power, Will? Because that's what she would have to do to get it, or have you forgotten that it's only when one dies that another is called," Buffy said softly. "Would you let Dawn die, just so Kennedy could become a Slayer?"
Willow looked pained. "You could have just chosen her as the third Slayer."
"With an attitude of 'I'm the best, it's mine, and I won't let you take it from me'…I don't think so. That would just be begging for the next apocalypse to succeed."
"Do you doubt her that much?" Willow hissed. Upon seeing the Slayer's sharp nod, she tensed. "I can't stay here. I can't…I-I'm going to find her."
"If that's what you want to do, Willow, I won't stop you. I only ask that you don't mention anything about our world to her, for our safety," Buffy said tiredly. "I don't see what you see in her, but if you prove me wrong, I'll freely admit it."
"I know I'm right," Willow said tensely.
With nothing left to be said, the red-headed witch gathered her power around her and, without so much as a good-bye to anyone, disappeared.
Exclamations of shock came from O'Neill's group. Sam began to ramble that it wasn't possible to just disappear into thin air.
Waving a hand at them, Buffy sighed, "Magic is real. Get used to thinking that, because there will probably be more of it showing up in the near future."
Daniel kept pointing to where Willow had once stood, saying, "She…(point)…she…(point)…"
"Disappeared?" Buffy gave a short laugh at how the man kept pointing at the empty space with a befuddled look on his face.
"How…how…" Daniel stuttered, still in shock.
"Maaaaagiiiiiic," Buffy twiddled her fingers at him, grinning.
"Are you expecting us to believe magic is real too?!" O'Neill snapped out incredulously.
"No, but you're welcome to come up with another reason for her vanishing without a trace," Buffy whipped back.
O'Neill glared at her. She glared back.
"We'll be here all night if we have to explain every little thing to you guys. And I don't know about you, but I didn't bring my camping gear," Buffy said shortly, then sighed before continuing in a conciliatory tone, "Can you just add it to your list of questions for now, and I'll try to explain when we have more time?"
The older man paused a moment, then gave a sharp nod of his head.
Buffy smiled at him, then snickered when she saw that Daniel continued to point at the empty spot where Willow had stood, the befuddled expression still on his face.
O'Neill, noticing her gaze, smacked the younger man on the back of his head, breaking him out of his trance.
"Are you happy now, Buffy? Or are you going to drive us all off, one by one." Xander said sarcastically.
"It was Willow's choice to leave," she responded quietly, her smile dropping from her face as she turned back to her friend.
"Yeah, after you made her lover disappear," he retorted angrily.
"Stop, Xander. I can't deal with your anger right now," Buffy said in an exhausted voice. "I made my choice, but it was Kennedy who couldn't accept it. Her continued presence would have put Dawnie in danger, and you know it."
"But…"
"Leave it, kid. Slayer's right, which is why the Powers agreed to her request," Whistler drawled.
Xander was smart enough to keep his mouth shut, but he still looked upset.
Whistler clapped his hands together then rubbed them in gleeful delight. "So, Slayer…ready to pass the baton?"
"What? I already passed it on. Faith carries the Slayer line now," Buffy responded, confused, "Besides, I thought you were just going to…you know…turn her on? And did I just say that?"
O'Neill's group laughed at her faux pas, causing the Slayer to blush.
"It has to be a natural progression thing, to keep the scales in balance. As for Faith, she was stuck in the slammer for an indefinite amount of time. The Powers weren't too sure if she would break out when given the choice, so they reverted the line back to you after you…um…came back," Whistler explained.
The confused look cleared up on the Slayers face, only to be replaced by one of horror.
"Sorry, Slayer. This is gonna hurt a bit." A large, red crackling ball of energy appeared in his hand, which he threw at the blonde Slayer, hitting her high on her chest where her heart was located.
Screams and yells reverberated around the parking lot, as Buffy was hit then collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
As they all froze in shock, Whistler looked at O'Neill, saying, "I'd ask the Harris kid to take care of this, but with his current attitude, I don't know that he'd do a proper job this time, so you're up Colonel…CPR will work the best."
O'Neill looked at him in disbelief for a moment before he rushed to the young woman's side, bellowing for Sam to help as he dropped to his knees.
Tilting the young woman's head back, he began to breathe air into her lungs, breaking off to allow Sam to pump the woman's heart, her hands slipping in the blood that flowed from the wound. They continued this for several long minutes, until the young woman coughed, sucking air into her deprived lungs.
Xander held a sobbing Dawn in his arms, and sighed with relief as he saw his best friend overcome death once again. He looked to see how Giles was taking it all.
Seeing that his Slayer had revived, Giles sharply turned to Whistler. Grabbing him by the coat collar, he shook the man roughly, saying, "Hasn't Buffy suffered enough without the Powers That Be adding to it?!"
Whistler quickly lifted a hand to hold on to his fedora when Giles gave him a particularly rough shake.
"Sorry, Watcher. It had to be done this way. But Blondie's tough enough to handle it."
"Let's see how tough you are," Giles growled, just before he took his own turn at punching the man.
As Whistler found himself on the ground once more, he wondered if, with this group, he should consider it his permanent residence.
He looked cautiously at the older man and, seeing more pain in store for him, he scuttled back a few feet before attempting to stand. The moment Whistler gained his footing, he edged further away from the angry man.
Buffy recovered fairly quickly, attempting to get to her feet with the help of O'Neill, while Carter shakily wiped the blood from her hands onto a handkerchief O'Neill had given her. Buffy stumbled, leaning on the Colonel for a brief moment, muttering, "Where is he? Where is that little bastard? I'm gonna kill him."
Pushing away from O'Neill's body, she half-stalked, half-stumbled towards Whistler, decking him once she was within striking distance.
"You couldn't have just used magic, could you, Whistler?" Buffy snarled. "No…I had to die…again! Why am I the one who's always dying around here, huh?"
Whistler stood, rubbing his jaw. "Sorry, Slayer, that kind of magic always requires a price. The Powers weren't willing to take the chance that the scales would be tipped again. Like I said, it had to be a natural progression."
Dawn approached the two, tear tracks running down her face, and took her own turn at decking the man. Unfortunately, she wasn't used to having Slayer strength, and he flew ten feet before hitting ground.
"Stop killing my sister! I can't take it anymore!" she yelled at him.
"Gonna have to learn to control your strength, Dawnie, or there are going to be flying bodies everywhere. It doesn't do well for a quick kill," Buffy teased, swaying on her feet.
Grabbing her sister around the waist to support her, Dawn retorted, "Very funny. And stop doing that…you're not allowed to die on me, either…again. Got it?"
"Got it."
While the two sisters were comforting each other, Whistler had gotten back to his feet, muttering 'home, sweet home' as he carefully approaching the group again.
"Well, kids. That's all she wrote. I'm outta here."
"Not so fast, Whistler. There are still a couple things left."
"Hey now, you got your third Slayer, you get to have a family, and you've accepted your new destiny – that's all I'm here for."
"So, it's make your demands and go, is it? I don't think so," Buffy said firmly. "The Powers may think they've bribed me into continuing to be a good little tool, but the truth is, I could have kids any time I want without them. They're still just taking and taking, only this time it's my children. I've got a few demands of my own, so now it's time for them to start giving."
"It's your funeral if you make the Powers mad, Slayer, but go on."
"Can we stop talking about funerals and death, please?!" Dawn whined.
"Hush, Dawnie," Buffy chastised softly. Turning to Whistler, she pinned him with her gaze. "First off…money."
"The Powers can't do anything about that, sweets…it's not their place to do so," Whistler shook his head.
"I'm not expecting them to make it rain hundred dollar bills," Buffy retorted. "But there's these nice things called the Watcher's Council accounts. I know they were loaded, even if us Slayer's never saw a penny of it."
"Yeah, they were loaded. Raw deal you guys had…they were supposed to support you so you could concentrate on dealing with the bad guys, but they got power hungry."
"Figures. And I supposed it was too much for the Powers to intervene, eh?" Buffy looked angry.
"It's not…"
"…their place. I know, I know," she interrupted. "Well, I'm making it their place now. If we're to succeed in rebuilding both the Watcher's Council and Potentials, we're going to need funding. And, since I don't see any tweed-wearing British tight-asses coming out of the woodwork, the Powers will see to it that Giles is put in control of any accounts and assets that belonged to them." Breaking off, she turned her head in Giles' direction. "I don't have to say retroactive or anything like that again, do I Giles?"
Giles chuckled, shaking his head in the negative.
"But…" Whistler started.
"Shoes, Whistler, shoes…and I'll take Dawn with me."
"Fine. They'll do it."
"Good. Now…back to my children. They're gonna need a teacher…a good one."
"What did you have in mind, Slayer? I'm sure there's someone out there you can find, or your Watcher here."
"No…it's Giles, or no one. We may currently be having a bump in our road, but there's no one else I'd trust with my children."
"Buffy…" Giles whispered, looking flattered.
"So what's the problem, Slayer? He's here now, and it sounds like he'd be willing to do it."
"It's his age that's a problem."
"Hey!" Giles said affronted.
"Face it, Giles, you're no spring chicken," Buffy gave him a tired smirk, leaning heavily against her sister, "You're not decrepit either. But can you honestly say that you won't have trouble training young, spry teenagers in another 15 years or so?"
"You may have a point," Giles reluctantly said.
"So what do you want us to do about it, Slayer? It's not like I can just snap my fingers and make him 20 again," Whistler grumbled.
"You may not be able to, but I'm sure the Powers can do something…am I right?" Buffy arched her eyebrow at him in question.
The man reluctantly nodded.
"So, I'm thinking late twenties, early thirties…that would make him about the same age he is now, by the time my children are old enough to give him a challenge." Buffy did the calculation in her head. "That would mean that you need to de-age him by about eighteen or twenty years. Is that right, Giles?"
"Buffy…" Giles began hesitantly.
She gave him a stubborn look, making Giles reluctantly nod his head in confirmation.
"So, 20 years, Whistler."
"No."
"Do I have to mention shoes again?"
"They've already given you your way several times, Slayer."
"And they owe me a lot more than this."
"No."
"I've fought for them for the last 7 years, giving up my entire life because of being a Slayer. I've had to flip burgers for a living, just so I could make ends meet after my mother died, because they wouldn't intervene. I've been shot, stabbed, bitten, and beaten…and each time I've gone back for more. I've diedthree times for them. They…owe…me!!"
Buffy in a rage was not something to sneeze at, and the others backed away, O'Neill's group included. Her furious anger emanated off her, pulsing and crackling with energy.
"The only reward I ever received was taken away from me, and they let it happen! Tell them to look at every day of my life since I became a Slayer…TELL THEM!! Then ask them if they don't owe me."
Whistler cocked his head, then paled.
"You've just had another intervention, Slayer, but they'll only give you 15," he said shakily.
Buffy nodded sharply, still simmering with anger. "That is sufficient."
"Sorry, Watcher, this is really gonna hurt."
A bolt of lightening flashed down from the sky, hitting the bemused Watcher, and blasting everyone away from him.
Giles screamed in agony as the bolts continued to rain down from the sky, each one striking the British man who was now convulsing on the ground.
"What the hell is happening?!" O'Neill screamed out to his team.
"I don't know, sir, but it should be impossible!" Carter yelled back, looking up into the night sky between flashes. It shook her to see that there were no clouds in sight.
Daniel must have seen the same thing, since he yelled out, "Maybe this is your proof, Jack!"
"What?" Jack yelled, covering his eyes as another lightening bolt shot down from the sky.
"DanielJackson says this is your proof, O'Neill. If there are no clouds in the sky, how can there be lightening?" Teal'c said loudly.
"What should we do sir? Should we try to get to Mr. Giles?" Carter shouted.
"No! Don't interfere, Jack! It's possible that it's being caused by the Powers they're all talking about!" Daniel quickly yelled out.
Jack just scowled – if this was divine intervention, there was no way in hell he would put himself, or his team, in the middle of it.
"Sit tight and keep your heads down!" Jack commanded in a loud voice.
They hunkered down unhappily, and waited for the light show to end.
It seemed to go on forever, but in actuality, only lasted less than a couple of minutes. As the glow of the last bolt faded away, everyone carefully stood. With a burst of adrenaline, Buffy rushed over to her Watcher, dropping to her knees to help lift him to a sitting position.
"Bloody hell! Remind me never to do that again," Giles rasped, throat raw from screaming for so long. He lifted a hand to adjust his glasses, but stopped, staring at the appendage which was now unblemished, bare of any age spots.
He looked up at his Slayer, an awed expression on his handsome face.
"Buffy?"
"Geez, Giles. Who knew you were such a hottie when you were younger," Buffy teased, giving a soft smile to her now 33-year old Watcher.
Her watcher blushed, and squirmed uncomfortably. Buffy rolled her eyes and helped him to his feet, where he swayed unsteadily for a moment before regaining his balance.
Dawn giggled. "Buffy, you do realize that, since your birthday comes before his, Giles now meets all the criteria for your husband that the Powers agreed to."
Buffy looked startled for a moment, then blanched. Turning to Giles, she said, "Giles, you may be a hottie now, but we are so not dating…got it?"
"I concur. It would be too…odd."
The Sunnydaler's laughed while O'Neill's group looked both amused and awed.
Still pale around the edges, Whistler quietly said, "I think that's all you're going to get from them this time around, Slayer."
"That's all we need at the moment, Whistler," Buffy said, just as softly. "But I think you need to remind them that us Slayers may have extraordinary physical strength, but we're still only human…and very, very young. We can only give so much before we break. Tell them to send us a reward now and then, so we feel appreciated."
"You got it, sweets. By the way…don't be surprised if you find out you have a few extra…skills now. You are going to be working in a different situation than you're used to." Whistler smiled, then tipped his hat at her. "Good luck, Slayer...s."
Giving Dawn a wink, he strode off into the shadows.
Before the man disappeared completely, he called back, "And Blondie…it's time you started using that noodle of yours. You don't get a 1430 on SATs using the dumb blonde act. You're gonna need to start exercising your brain cells if you want to succeed in your new destiny. And that's not a suggestion, it's a warning."
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The two groups stood awkwardly in front of each other, not knowing who should do what next.
There were so many questions that O'Neill's group wanted to ask, and so many of them that Buffy's group wouldn't want to answer.
The silent stand-off was broken by a ringing cell-phone. Everyone pulled theirs out, then all but O'Neill put theirs back when they realized the call wasn't for them.
"O'Neill," the man barked out, unconsciously taking the rigid stance common to military personnel.
"Yes, Sir. Yes…Sir." A look of surprise had come over his face, and he glanced at Buffy, who was, once again, leaning heavily against her sister.
"Understood." O'Neill hung up, then returned the phone to his pocket.
Taking in the curious looks all around him, he drew a breath.
"I've been asked to escort you to Cheyenne Mountain, Ms. Summers. My superior would like to discuss your new…employment in our program. Apparently, Whistler's made his rounds."
Buffy gave him a tired grin, "I'd get used to it, Col. O'Neill."
O'Neill raised his eyebrows, "Get used to what, Ms. Summers?"
"The Powers That Be pulling the rug out from under your well-ordered life. Welcome to my life."
O'Neill scowled while everyone laughed. Even Teal'c's face relaxed into…for him…an amused expression.
Buffy looked at his three companions, saying, "That includes you too, by the way."
Daniel laughed as he said, "If it ruffles Jack's feathers, I'm game."
"Hear, hear," Sam agreed.
"You guys have just doomed yourselves, you know," Buffy shook her head in amusement.
"All right, already. That's enough. Let's move people," Jack gestured his group to get a move on. "Ms. Summers? Shall we go?"
"In a minute, Colonel O'Neill," Buffy replied. Giving her sister a hug, she turned to her mentor with a serious look. "I'm not sure what time I'll be back, Giles, but I think we all need to have a…talk when I return. If it's too late, then tomorrow. OK?"
Giles nodded, almost sure he knew what it was going to be about…and he dreaded it.
"I'm ready, Col. O'Neill," Buffy said, then gave him a tired, but cheeky, grin, "Take me to your leader."
"Funny, Summers. Veeeeeery funny."
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