A Retired Slayer

SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA

After Xander had gone to get the group some pizza with Cordelia, I sat with Willow and Oz my head resting on Willow's lap as the redhead runs her fingers through my hair. The witch doing her best to comfort me her best friend.

I'm a heartbroken grieving Slayer and I laid in silence, dried tears staining my cheeks as I think about everything that had happened to me. Me and my mom had barely been able to start fixing their relationship after their big blow out last spring when my mom found out the truth. And now it was too late. There would be no fixing their fragile relationship, my mom was gone. There was nothing but a hole in my heart now one that I would never be able to fill. Honestly I felt like I was dying right now.

"Brianna." Willow whispers pushing the hair out of my face softly as she draws the my attention "Giles's here."

Helping me sit up Willow keeps an arm wrapped around me as we lean back on the couch. Wiping the tears from my face the witch then turns to look over at Giles who had walked in with Xander.

Xander offers me a small smile as he places the pizza down on the table before moving to sit on the other side of me. While Willow kept an arm wrapped around my shoulders, Xander takes my hand squeezing it supportively.

Giles sighs as he sits down opposite me, he didn't know what to do for the me, I had lost so much and he had no idea how on earth I was holding it together. Inhaling tightly the watcher takes his glasses off cleaning them with the end of his shirt, trying to figure out how to tell them what the lawyer had told him.

Xander looks towards Giles offering the elder man a small smile "Hey G-Man, so what's the what?"

Giles couldn't help but let out an amused breath at Xander's abuse of the English language. He had to admit that while he may barely understand what the teenager said half the time, he had grown to appreciate it.

Willow looks at him with her big eyes smiling brightly as her normal nervous babble begins flying out of her mouth "Yeah Giles, what did you and the lawyer talk about? 'Cause you have been gone a long time and we were getting worried. I mean what can take that long to talk about but then again we have not been in this situation before so maybe it was only a short time for what you were talking about, well unless you were talking about tea 'cause then what can you say about tea that would take so long but you are British so maybe.."

Willow's babble is finally cut short by me as I sit up and places my other hand on Willow's arm "Will, take a breath ok" I whisper causing everyone to freeze slightly having not heard the my voice in what felt like months when it fact it had only been hours.

Willow takes a deep breath calming down, then looks back towards Giles, "Sorry," she whispers to the watcher.

I turn to face my watcher, leaning forward I rest my elbows on my knees before clearing my throat as my hands shake nervously, I had a bad feeling about this, I just knew I wasn't going to like this "Well, what did the lawyer say? Umm...why was it so important that you've been gone all day."

Giles smiles as he looks at me, this was the first time he had heard me speak since I had called him after I had found Joyce.

Inhaling tightly he places his glasses back on and looks at the three friends, dreading their reactions to what he was about to tell them but there was nothing he could do. Things were about to drastically change for all of them and he didn't have the power to stop it.

"Well, we went through the will, the house and gallery are to be sold and the money will be put in a trust for you, that you will be able to access when you turn 18. However, the most important subject was where custody of you goes too. It seems as though Joyce, left custody of you to your Aunt Jenna in Mystic Falls"

My eyes widen slightly at that, while it made sense that my mom wouldn't be jumping to leave me with my father...I hadn't seen Jenna in years, honestly, I could barely remember her. The main thing I did know was that Jenna had great hair and liked tequila.

Running a hand through my messy hair I couldn't only shrug "Figures, my mom did not trust my dad and he clearly could not care less about me, Aunt Jenna from what I remember is one of the few people my mom trusted with her life..."

At even the mere mention of my mother my voice cracks and I take a shaky breath unable to find my voice as I begin shaking. Willow's eyes widen as she spots me begin shaking and quickly puts an arm around me to keep me calm.

As Willow comforts me Giles groans having to force himself to continue "Brianna, Joyce made all the plans for her funeral before the surgery so you don't need to worry about any of that. What you need to worry about now is preparing to leave for Mystic Falls, as you have to be there within the next two weeks." Giles at this point was very close to crying himself for me, as now not only had I lost her mother but I now have to move away from my home and leave all my friends behind.

Willow and Xander both sit there stunned to silence, which was rare for the normally chatty pair. I couldn't leave, this was my home they were my family.

However, despite their desire for me to stay and to help me through this themselves, deep down they both knew that I needed to get away from Sunnydale, I had lost too much here and needed to go somewhere where I could maybe start to heal, which is something I couldn't do here.

"What about the Hellmouth?" My small timid voice asks, the three turn to look at me who had realised something that both Xander and Willow hadn't yet.

It was the question of who would protect the Hellmouth, it was demon central they wouldn't be able to handle it without me the Slayer.

Giles, however, offers me a small smile, not wanting me to have to think about this right now, my position as The Slayer should be the last thing on my mind "Well after the meeting I contacted the council, they have agreed to send the new slayer to protect the Hellmouth. Brianna, they are releasing you from active duty for as long as you need and have promised not to contact you for help unless it is an end of the world problem. They also say that if you do continue to slay wherever you go, you may call them if you need any assistance with research but unless you request it, they will not interfere with your life any longer."

I couldn't help but let out a shocked gasp, I had to admit I had not been expecting that. I was not a big fan of the Council but of all things I would've expected from them, this was nowhere on the list.

For the first time ever they were giving her an actual choice, I would no longer have to take orders from some stuffy English men in suits. She could be in charge of herself now; it was the first time since finding her mother that she had felt anything other than pain.

I felt hope.