A/N: SO sorry it took so long to get this one up. Kinda busy fitting my whole social life into these last two weeks before school, cleaning my room, finishing homework, etc. etc. Basically, all the stuff I promised to do before summer's over. Which it almost is. (pouts) This sucks.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, I would be walking around with an 'I own Buffy!' t-shirt and getting mauled by fans.
Chapter Three - Walking and Talking
The forest was dark and forbidding, yet strangely serene for Buffy. Of course, the entire effect was lost because of the pace at which she had to maintain in order to keep up with the unusual group of four. They were fast, that was for sure, and not human – only something supernatural could keep up this quick a pace for this long. Indeed, they had traversed several miles into the dark woods, and Buffy had all but lost her sense of direction.
She tried to keep her panting to herself as she struggled to catch up with Serenity, who was trailing slightly behind the others and kept glancing over her shoulder to make sure Buffy was still there. Overall, the Slayer found this extremely disconcerting and was about to say something to the girl when she suddenly dropped back to her side. Serenity looked up at her, several indistinguishable emotions running across her face fleetingly before she gave a small smile.
"How old were you when you were called?" The ten-year old queried. Buffy hesitated, unsure if she should answer. After all, they hadn't even asked Buffy her name, and she only knew theirs by eavesdropping. A puzzled look crossed her features. Why was that?
Serenity misinterpreted the look as confusion caused by her question. "I mean, Slayers are called, right? They don't even know demons exist until they're called to slay them. Right?" She frowned and looked down at her shabby previously white sneakers, wringing her hands nervously. "I mean, that's what I've read. Or maybe I heard it from someone. Probably Devin. I'm so totally gonna kick his ass when we get there…" Serenity looked up to see Buffy staring down at her, an amused expression on her face.
Buffy smiled. She liked the girl. Serenity was obviously intelligent and willing to learn, and it seemed like she had a good heart. Plus, she was curious. It reminded Buffy of when she was in the Initiative, asking questions on the demon they were currently being sent out to fight. Only this time, she reflected, the receiving end will be happy to provide this girl with knowledge.
"Yeah, Slayers are called," Buffy clarified. A look of pleasant self-achievement spread of Serenity's features, and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I started slaying when I was fifteen. It's kinda freaky when you first find out, y'know?" She relived the memory of staking her first vampire, and shuddered at her lack of ability. "So…" she continued, eager to know about the group before her. "When did you figure out that we're not this world's only inhabitants?"
Serenity shrugged, her messy blond ponytail bouncing behind her. "Always known." She gestured with her chin ahead of them, where Luke and Katarina were arguing in low tones and Lita was simply staring resolutely ahead, thinking. "Lived with them my whole life." She flashed her pearly whites at the Slayer, who also smiled. "Couldn't imagine a better one. Or any other one, for that matter. I don't know what I'd do with myself if I couldn't go out nightly and kill stuff."
"Whoa, you patrol every night?" Buffy tried extremely hard not to sound incredulous, but her efforts were futile. She tried to think about bringing Dawn with her on every patrol, and then tried desperately to stop the thoughts pouring in about her sister getting her ass kicked by some fledgling.
"Yeah," Serenity looked at her quizzically, before nodding her head in understanding and rolling her eyes. "Oh, don't start with the whole 'you're-too-young-and-have-a-full-life-ahead-of-you-and-could-get-killed-any-moment-when-you're-in-that-kind-of-danger' speech. I've heard it, okay? And I really don't care what you say."
"No, it's not that," Buffy told her, once again amused by the little girl's spunk and was surprised she was only ten. "I totally get that. My mom would give it to me when I got into super-patrol mode. Or when the Apocalypse was coming. And that one time I asked if Wil and I could drive to L.A. to go shopping… Although that time I think it was for Willow."
"Wait. Your best friend's name is Willow? As in Willow Rosenberg, the badass Wicca who tried to end the world?" Serenity's eyes were huge as she anxiously anticipated the answer.
Dumbly, Buffy nodded her head. How was it that everyone heard about these things?
Serenity's smile was beaming. "That's awesome. No wonder Lita likes you so much." She faced forward again, now bouncing happily and humming, content with her new knowledge.
On the other hand, Buffy felt like she had just been slugged in the stomach. She finished the phrase in her head. Lita likes you so much because you're best friends with someone who tried to bring about an apocalypse. Suddenly, she didn't want to be near these strange… whatever-the-hells they were anymore. If they were some super cult out to end the world, she'd go home, get people researching, and kick them out of this dimension and let 'em end another one. As she opened her mouth to speak – she decided to make some lame reason up to escape instead of having to fight – the processional stopped on a dime. Only the Slayer's sharp reflexes stopped her from stepping on the back of Katarina's shoe.
Lita turned, smiled, and then gestured with a hand in front of her. "Welcome to our home."
Buffy peered around the two older teens to get a good look at what Lita was pointing at. Then her eyes furrowed together in confusion. "It's a hill."
A/N: Okies, the line thingys not working, so just pretend there is one. I promise, the next chapter will be up sooner - although not as soon as the others - and it will get more into depth on the whole kid fighter thing. And also, if it's not too much to ask, I'd like three more reviews before my next chapter... It kinda motivates me more, and I respond to every one!
Thanx, 2-crazed-ink-slingerz! It's good to know that someone enjoys these.
