Chapter 23

Departure day, December, 2007…

"Got your bag?"

"Check."

"Cell phone?"

"Yup."

"Scythe?"

"In the case next to my bag, honey. I'm ready. You just have to drive me to the airport."

"It's been a long time since we spent a night apart," Sebastian said, wrapping his arms around his wife. "I'm going to miss you dreadfully."

"I know, me, too. I'll call you as soon as we get there, and before bed every night. Stupid Powers…" Buffy said again.

"Let me know if you need me, and I'll be there in an instant, alright? Your students won't get fat and lazy from missing one lesson."

"I know…I will. I promise. You're my rock, baby. I never want to face another battle without you."

They indulged in a make-out session until the clock stated they had to leave to make Buffy's flight on time.

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"At least we're leaving Sunnydale together." Willow said to Tara, at the airport. They were standing at the gate, waiting for Buffy to arrive.

"And I'm very relieved about that. It was horrible, thinking you might never wake up, and then having you disappear. Even with the Powers explaining it to me, I still hated not knowing where you were, if you were alright. No more disappearing, or I'm chaining you to the bed."

"What kind of kinky people have you been hanging around?" Willow said, surprised at her lover's vehemence. "Never mind, you lived with Kara and Spike for a while…"

Tara giggled. "They are…creative, aren't they?"

"Yeah…I feel sorry for the twins when they get old enough to know what's going on behind closed doors. Still not as bad as Xander and Anya, I'll bet…"

"No one has to wonder why those two keep popping out kids, that's for sure. Aren't they the cutest, by the way?"

"Definitely. I'm sorry I missed Zachary's birth. I really have some making up to do at Christmas. Oh, there's Buffy! Buffy!" Willow replied. She waved to the blonde, catching her eye.

"Hey, guys. I was afraid I might be too late. We got held up in traffic."

"Nope, just in time. We need to get boarded, though. Most everybody's on the plane already."

Willow and Tara moved on, allowing Buffy to say goodbye to Sebastian. They were just putting their luggage in the overhead bin when Buffy came down the aisle to join them. She had a seat behind the couple.

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Cleveland was cold! And there was snow! The three women stayed huddled in the warm airport, waiting for Wesley to pick them up. Buffy and Willow were both surprised to see the Watcher sporting a neatly trimmed full beard. He was wearing layers and boots appropriate to the weather.

"Welcome to Cleveland, ladies. Sorry about the weather. The car is right out front, so you only have to make a quick dash. Can I help with any of your luggage?"

"You can take my large suitcase, if that's okay," Willow replied. "That way, I can carry my books."

"Of course." Wesley lifted the case and started for the doors. He headed for the back of the large SUV and opened the back, stowing the suitcase inside, and then taking the girls' things as they passed them along.

The vehicle hadn't had long enough to cool off, so warm air blasted from the heater as they moved away from the curb towards the streets. Wesley played supernatural tour guide as he drove, telling them about the demons they had faced with Faith since moving here. His voice was still rough when mentioning her name. They finally pulled up to a large house in a nice part of town. A tall brunette came out the door to greet them.

"Hi, I'm Winifred, Wesley's wife. You can just call me Fred. Everybody does. Let's hurry on inside. I've got hot chocolate ready, and everything!" she enthusiastically stated.

Everything was carried inside in one trip. "The Council called while you were out, Wes. Simone won't be here until tomorrow. They're having bad weather in London."

"That's fine. It will give these three a chance to settle in before getting to work. Willow and Tara, your bedroom is upstairs, next to Simone's. Buffy, you'll be in my office. It has a pull-out sofa bed."

"It's more comfortable than it sounds, honest," Fred added. "I made sure we tested it before bringing it home from the store. The kitchen is this way. Help yourselves to anything while you're here. Oh, and I'm making enchiladas tonight. Is that okay for everybody?"

"Tara's a vegetarian, if that makes a difference," Willow replied.

"Don't change your plans on my account," Tara said. "I don't want to put you to any trouble."

"Pfft! Don't worry about it. I'll just leave the chicken out of part of the dish. Is cheese okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks."

"Sure!" A little cry was heard over a baby monitor. "Oh, that's Matthew. Excuse me."

"Wow, things have sure changed from Sunnydale, hey, Wes?" Buffy teased.

"You wouldn't know the half of it," he joked back. "Please, have a seat at the table, and I'll pour the hot chocolate. Fred made biscuits, too. She always bakes too much when company comes by," he added fondly.

Fred came back into the kitchen with a sleepy-eyed toddler on her hip. "This is Mattie. He's one. This little man never wants to be left out of a party, do ya?"

"He's adorable," said Willow.

"You have a lovely home. It has a good aura," Tara added.

"Faith said that, too, only she called it a 'vibe'. Wes made sure to check for ghosts and evil spirits before we bought the house," Fred replied.

"A natural action before committing to an investment, dear. Excuse me, ladies. I'm going to move your luggage to the appropriate rooms."

"He's still not comfortable mentioning Faith," Fred confided, once he was out of earshot. "They'd developed a brother-sister thing, you know? It's hard."

The girls nodded in understanding. "That's part of why I wanted Tara to come with me," Willow said. "We want to give you guys the free time to deal with what just happened. I've already spoken with Simone, and she knows you won't be jumping in right away with her training."

"Thanks…I'm doing okay, but I think Wes blames himself some for Faith losing the fight. We had the service a couple days ago, before the storm hit. Angel and Cordy came out. It was nice. I'm proud of what we accomplished as a team here."

Buffy stayed silent, sipping her hot chocolate. There wasn't really anything nice she could say about Faith, from their experiences. Fred looked over at the clock.

"Goodness, it's 5 o'clock already? I better get started on those enchiladas." She placed Matthew in his bouncy swing.

"Would you like some help?" Tara offered.

"Sure, but only if you want to."

"Buffy, Willow, may I give you the tour?"

"Sure, Wes," Buffy replied. They followed the Watcher into the living room.

"My office is down here, and there's a bathroom next to it with a shower. The basement door is behind the stairs, here. The training room and laundry facilities are down there. If you'll follow me upstairs, I'll show you which rooms are whose." He pointed out two doors facing each other. "This is yours, Willow, and Simone will be in here. That's the bathroom. Matthew's bedroom is beyond that, then ours. Fred, or myself, is usually up with Matthew early in the morning, so don't worry about waking us up. Downstairs, there's also the dining room, and the back porch is screened in for use in the summer months."

"I'm guessing you have a full library in your office," Willow teased.

"Well, not quite, though it is stocked with the essential references. I built up quite a collection while in L.A. You mentioned bringing a box of books?"

"Yep, Guardian related stuff. Beatrice made me promise never to let them out of my sight, so I have to lug them wherever I go."

"Ugh. Give me a good ax, any day," Buffy quipped.

"Oh, speaking of axes, Buffy brought the Scythe!"

"Really? May I see it? It's truly a legendary find. The only reference I could ever find about it was that it is ancient," Wes said, scholarly excitement sparking in his eyes. Buffy rolled her eyes and went to take the weapon out of its case.

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"Spicy," Buffy croaked later, after a couple bites of enchilada.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Too many jalapenos?" Fred apologized. She hurried to bring Buffy a glass of milk. "Here, this will help. Water just spreads the fire around your mouth."

"I'm okay," Buffy said, after gulping down a third of the glass. "I can handle it now I know what to expect."

"Sorry, again…"

"Don't worry about it. Slayer healing means no permanent damage."

"So, Fred, what's your story? I have to admit I don't know much about you," Willow said.

"Oh, the usual," the brunette giggled. "I grew up in a small town in Texas, went to college in L.A. to study physics, got sucked into a dimensional portal from reading the wrong book, and spent 5 years in Pylea. It wasn't really pleasant, since they think of humans as cattle there. Anyway, I escaped the demons and lived in a cave for a long time…where I went a bit nuts…no one to talk to but myself, and trying to find the calculations to get home. Of course, I didn't know they were demons until Angel's crew came to save me – I just called them monsters…Anyway, they brought me back to L.A., and it took me a while to trust leaving my room, not to mention going outside…"

"We eventually got her out with the persuasion of ice cream and tacos," Wes said fondly.

"Right. So…eventually, I became a part of the team. It took Wesley a long time to ask me out, though…"

"Well, you were with Charles for a while…"

"Only because he made the first move before you did, silly. It was awkward for a while…" The girls nodded understandably. "But we're all good friends again. When the Council arranged for Faith's release, Wes was the first one to ease her back into society. Even picked her up from the prison," Fred said proudly.

"It was the least I could do, after failing her as a Watcher the first time. Coming to Cleveland was a fresh start for all of us, which ended all too shortly," the Watcher added.

"Wes, Fred – I was with Faith just after she died, to escort her to where she belonged. Her first concern was that you were both alright and that she accomplished her job. She was grateful for all you both did for her here. I hope it's a bit of comfort to know that she's in a happy place now. Faith died a hero, and we should honor that memory. There was nothing to be done differently," Willow said, her voice taking on the tint of wisdom from the Guardians.

"Thank you, Willow. I'll remember that," Wesley replied. He cleared his throat, saying next, "Dessert, anyone? We have peach pie."

The girls murmured their assent, and started helping Fred clear the table. After dessert, the group moved into the living room to start discussing the demonic logistics in Cleveland. Willow and Tara went to bed early, while Buffy called Sebastian.

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The next day…

Wes and Willow went to the airport to pick up Simone. Willow advised that it would probably be a bit overwhelming for the teen to be greeted by everyone at once. She was already going to be nervous coming to a new city, on her very first flight in an airplane. They went as far into the airport as allowed, and waited in clear sight for the girl to come through.

Willow spotted the teen first. "Simone! Over here!"

The girl's face lit up with relief at seeing a familiar person, and she hurried over to the pair. "Hi, Willow! I'm so glad you were right here. This airport is big, and bloody confusing. I was afraid I'd miss you guys altogether. Is this my new Watcher?"

"Wesley Wyndham-Price," he replied, extending his hand to shake Simone's. "Do you have more luggage to pick up at baggage claim?"

"Oh, yeah…a suitcase. My old Watcher is mailing the rest of my belongings, if that's alright. It's amazing how much you accumulate in 13 years! Is it still snowing?"

"I think we've got a bit of a break," Wes answered, as they walked. "The sun was starting to peek out when we parked."

"Brilliant! Let's hurry, eh? I'm starved!" Simone forged on ahead, excited to get out of the airport.

"I told you she was spunky," Willow said to the Watcher.

"Quite. I only hope I can keep up."

Once they were in the car and on the way back to the house, Simone bombarded the pair with lots of questions. Would she be going to school here, or be privately tutored? Is there a place to get good fish and chips? Was the city chock full of demons? Did any cute boys like on their street? Could she listen to any music she wanted? Would she have a curfew, considering that she would be Slaying at night? And on, and on, and on…

Willow was immensely entertained, watching Wesley try to answer a question at the same time Simone fired off two more, so that he never got to fully answering any of them. She'd never seen someone look so grateful to be home again.

Fred was there at the door to hold it open so Simone could bring her luggage through.

"Hi, I'm Fred, Wesley's wife and fellow researcher. Your room is all ready for you to check out, if you want to take your stuff straight upstairs."

"Thanks! That would be right nice, and then we can all get to know each other." The young Slayer followed Fred upstairs to her new bedroom. She took a brief glance around, set her luggage on the bed, and turned around to head back downstairs. Tara and Buffy were in the living room.

"Simone, why don't you have a seat? Willow will make the other introductions while Fred and I get lunch prepared," Wesley said, gesturing to a chair in the living room.

"Simone, this is Tara, my girlfriend and a fellow Wicca, and this is Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Willow stated, pointing to one blonde, then the other.

"Wicked! Get out of here! The Slayer came all this way to see me? God, it is such a treat and an honor, Buffy. Can I call you Buffy? I can't believe I'm meeting the Slayer!"

Buffy blushed at Simone's enthusiasm. "Uh, yeah, it's nice to meet you, too, Simone. You can call me Buffy. Anything else just makes me feel old."

"Okay, cool…and hullo, Tara. Do you have the same job Willow does?" Simone asked.

"No, I'm actually trained as a counselor, as well as in witchcraft. I'm just here for your first week or two while everyone's adjusting, at Willow's request."

"Oh, okay. Wow, a full team to teach me everything. Is this how it always goes for a new Slayer?"

"Never before, actually," Wesley interjected. "Traditionally, it was always the Slayer, and her Watcher. They lived a very solitary life, focused on the mission of ridding the world of vampires and demons. The times started to change with Buffy being called. She was the first Slayer in a very long time to not have been identified at a very young age as a Potential, like you were. Faith was only discovered right before she was called, as well. The new Council recognizes that controlling every aspect of a Slayer's life is not possible anymore. It is in the world's best interest to give you as much of an advantage for success as possible. You'll learn more about that destiny from Willow."

"Right. Well, you're the boss, Watcher-man. I'm putty in your hands, clay to be molded. Can we eat, now?"

He nodded, and Simone grinned, hurrying past him into the dining room visible from where she sat. Fred was placing bowls of soup on the table, accompanied with sandwiches.

"Does she make anyone else feel very old?" Wes asked the girls quietly. They chuckled, and nodded.

"She's like Dawn at that age. My sister had an endless tank of energy. I'd watch how much sugar and caffeine you give this one," Buffy said.

The Watcher appeared to pale at the suggestion, and turned to head for the kitchen.

After lunch, Tara and Fred helped Simone unpack and make her room more like home. The teen had brought several framed pictures with her, organizing those first on her dresser and nightstand. She had dark auburn hair, long and straight. Her eyes were brilliant green, and sparkling with vitality. She was about the same height as Willow, making her a little taller than Buffy, and still slender in build. Obviously, at 16, her body hadn't stopped maturing, yet. Simone's style ran from preppy to punk – the difference between her school clothes and after hours wear obvious. She had lived in England with her foster Watcher and his American wife since she was 3, and most of her pictures were with them. She had one with what must have been her birth parents, when she was a baby. The picture was placed on the nightstand next to the bed.

"We can go shopping for decorations later in the week," Fred said, once everything had been put away.

"Thanks. I have boxes of stuff coming by airmail, but I didn't pack my bedding from home. If we could get that stuff in my style, that would be cool."

"Sure, sweetie. Oh! You haven't been introduced to Matthew, yet. He's our one-year-old son," Fred added. She pulled the teen down the hall to the boy's room. "He's taking a nap right now, but you can have a peek."

"He's cute," Simone whispered. "I'm not going to be in the way of family time, am I? All newness aside for me, I know this can't be easy, taking in a new Slayer kid right after yours, uh…went away."

"Simone, we really are glad to have you here, and we'd help you even if Faith was still here. She had a rough time in her early years, and she'd want us to give you a better start. You're not in the way, honey. We wouldn't have said yes to the assignment if we though we couldn't handle it."

"Okay. Thanks, Fred. That means a lot. I put on a good show, but moving to a new country is pretty freaky for me. I just don't want to screw this up. I've been dreaming about being a Slayer since I was 10." They moved back into the hall and towards the stairs.

"Just try your best, Simone. That's all any of us can ask of you."

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the training room testing Simone's skills. After dinner, Wes and Buffy took the girl out on a short patrol to the nearest cemetery. Buffy talked through instructions as she fought and staked a few fledglings. There weren't many, since the snow was keeping the vampires indoors where it was warm.

Wesley and Fred explained that Cleveland didn't draw the same kinds of demons that the Sunnydale Hellmouth had. Demons here were more interested in underground business deals, than all-out slaughter. Magic users were also more common, so Willow and Tara would be starting basic magical defensive training the next day. This was a Slayer that would need to know how to cast spells.

When it came to Slayer training, Simone paid rapt attention, taking notes in a journal. She asked intelligent, insightful questions, and Buffy was more than a little impressed with how prepared the girl already was to assume her Slayerly duties. If she had had this kind of education when she'd first been called, she never would have freaked out like she had in L.A….knowing not to tell her parents would have spared Buffy those few weeks in the mental ward. Simone's attitude towards being a Slayer mirrored Kendra's, in that she felt it was an honor and a gift to serve mankind in that way. Simone's advantage over Kendra was that she hadn't been sheltered away from the world and brainwashed with the old Council dogma. Her host family had been part of the progressive minority that was part of the Council for the best reasons. Her Watcher had known what to send to Quentin Travers in his reports every week, and what to actually teach his charge.

After sending the exhausted girl to bed, the adults gathered in Wesley's study to discuss their first impressions. They found they all agreed with Willow's original assessment that the Powers had chosen well. The remainder of the week would prove if the theory would truly hold up.