Posting a few chapters in a row today as I had a chance to get several hours alone with my computer this morning while the babbies slept. If I don't post as I do them, I get tempted to read and re-read until I hate it all and change it and then regret everything... DOH! So written and read and reread and posted before I could hate it.
A MASSIVE thank you to nrdhrd3 and kittyfajitas for their wonderful reviews - my first ever!
Now, on with the show...
Buffy threw her backpack on the motel bed, sighing in pleasure at the coolness of the air conditioner brushing over her heated face and body. Marching straight for the shower, she stood under the pummelling spray until the water started running cold.
Teeth, hair, all bathroom related activities done and completed and with a heartfelt moan, sank into the clean sheeted bed.
Before she could succumb to the siren call of sleep, she hauled the mobile phone off the side table and pressed 1 on the speed dial. There were only two numbers programmed.
"Buffy! How is everything? Are you okay? Where are you now?" Dawn excited squeal caused both a flinch and a smile from the weary slayer.
"Hey Dawnie, I'm fine, tired but okay. I'm in some dusty place in the middle of nowhere" she chuckled tiredly "and finally tucked up in bed, so I can't be long. How's everything there?"
Dawn filled her in on all the goings on in her life, as only a teenager could do. School was fine, she got some great bargains at the latest sale, one of the older Slayettes was pregnant, not a surprise according to a gossipy Dawn. A quick reprimand from Buffy got Dawn switching topics. When another yawn echoed down the line, Dawn stopped her fast flow of info and chuckled.
"Buffy, go sleep, you sound wrecked. Honestly, I'm fine, school finishes in a week, so then I'm on holidays so I'll just be hanging around here. It's not like Sunnydale Buff, nothing happens here other than normal everyday stuff"
"For a school of super strong hormonal teenage girls, right?" Both of them laughed.
"Seriously Buffy, you sound better?" Dawn's question was tentatively asked.
For the first few months after Buffy left, any reference to Buffy's health, mental or otherwise, was met with silence, tears or anger. Same as any reference to what Buffy had left behind, other than Dawn. Understandably, Dawn had been furious when she discovered Buffy had 'run away again' and had screamed and sulked for 2 days, until Andrew snuck into her room one night and filled her in on everything that had happened. Once she knew, her fury turned from Buffy to Giles and Willow. Willow had sported a palm sized bruise on her cheek for a day until she magicked it away.
Dawn and Buffy had spoken for 5 hours after that, and together, had shared everything, tears had flowed, recriminations and forgiveness tossed as easily at each other. Until finally, both of them felt a connection that had been missing since before Sunnydale died.
Now they spoke on the phones Buffy had bought at least once a week. No-one had this number except for Dawn and Faith, the only other pre-programmed number. Buffy refused to have anything to do with the Council or her exfriends. Not a word was mentioned. Buffy knew that both Willow and Giles had pressured the young Summers for her information on her sister, but Dawn had used that inbuilt expression of disdain that all teenagers seemed endowed with. After several sessions of "Oh My God, You Are So Stupid" looks and huffs from Dawn and then even more of screaming and teenage tantrums, both adults now kept a wide berth. Relying on the Compounds support systems to watch over the young woman.
Buffy clutched the phone tighter and smiled a tiny smile.
"Yeah Dawnie, I'm doing better. Faith had a lead that there was a sighting of some of the LA portal demons near here, so I'll have a good look around tomorrow. But' and another yawn cracked her jaw, 'I gotta go. Cleanup duties don't do themselves!" With a laugh each, they both rang off. Sleep claimed the Slayer mere minutes later.
Buffy smoothed over the dirt and stood back to assess the grave. Yep, looked good. No one would guess that 2 of the demons from the LA apocalypse were buried out in the backwoods. Buffy and Faith had decided that while they waited for news of this next upcoming 'storm' they would do what they did best, hunt evil, protect the innocent. So when reports started coming to the Slayers about escaped demon hoards roaming the country, they leapt into action.
The slayers now crisscrossed the country, following leads and doing 'cleanup' as Faith had called it. It also meant that they could keep an eye and ear out for anything that might pertain to their 'storm'.
Robin had remained in Cleveland with some of the other Slayettes that left the Councils control. These slayers, along with Faith, had spent time with Angel and his crew and had bonded closely with the dark haired slayer. They had sided with her and Robin over the actions of the Council and were now on their own, banding together as Buffy and the Scoobies had done in the past. They were now the base point for the two slayers, keeping the Hellmouth under control while sending out info as needed to the travelling women. Occasionally their paths crossed, but more often than not, it was the random calls that kept them in contact.
Buffy, surprisingly, actually liked the solitude. Other than her brief stay in LA when she ran away as Anne, she had rarely been alone. And never without expectations weighing heavily on her. But now, the only expectations were get to the next town, deal in some pest control, and move on. Money was no longer a concern for either Slayer. One of the first things Giles had done when he got control of the Councils bank accounts was to pay everyone a large sum of money for wages owed. Buffy had moved the money to a demon controlled bank a few weeks after leaving, when presumably Giles, had put a block on her funds. Trying to get her crawling back she assumed. Well, Buffy was no longer the naive child. She contacted Faith, who called her contacts and within 4 hours, her account had been hacked open and transferred to a demon controlled bank that the Council would struggle greatly to even find.
As she started her jeep and headed back into town, the phone beside her blasted out "I WANNA BE SEDATED!" Everytime it rang, Buffy smiled.
Tucking the phone under her chin, she kept her eyes on the dirt road ahead.
"Faith"
"B, you rocking girl?"
"Yep, what's up?"
"You're not gunna believe this one. Celeste just had a report of one of our guys popping up in Montana. A place called Forsyth. Robin and a few of the girls have been charting all these dudes, and Buff? I don't reckon they all came from LA"
Buffy froze.
"Are you saying that there might be a portal somewhere?" Cold shivers ran down Buffy's spine.
"Yeah B. Everyone here thinks that this Forsyth place is the best place to start looking, so I'm heading there now. I am about 3 days drive. You still at Silver Water?" Buffy grunted her affirmative. "Okay so we should get there about the same time. See ya there B" and the call cut off.
Cracking her neck to and fro, Buffy plotted the destination into her phone's GPS as soon as it pinged through her messages. Shooting off a message to Dawn to let her know the latest location, Buffy returned to the motel, grabbed her stuff and was gone.
Okay, it was official. She was exhausted! She had reached Forsyth in just 2 days, opting to sleep in the jeep rather than stop off at any of the motels she passed. She had been tempted to stop at one motel to check out what was going on when she spotting a parking lot full of trucks, buses and a gorgeous black muscle car. But she knew that group and Faith and her had decided to stay away from that particular kind of motel hotel visitor. She didn't need that sort of stress. The few times that she had bumped into those men and women, it never ended well.
Driving up the main street, Buffy turned into the first motel that looked clean and welcoming. The married couple that ran the Restwel Motel seemed warm and welcoming, casually asking her what a single girl was doing so far north. Key in hand and directions down the street to the 24hr diner and she was parking in front of her door. Train tracks opposite the hotel and hills to the back, the location was ideal. The room was clean and presentable, the sheets freshly laundered and tea and coffee fixings snuggled away in the corner. Buffy, with the ease of long practice, dumped her kit on the bed, heading straight to the bathroom and whooped with delight! An actual bath!
20 mins later and the bathtub was full of bubbles and a happy Buffy. Bliss. Another text message to Dawn and then there was nothing to do but lay back and soak.
Faith showed up about an hour later when Buffy was just about to order at the Speedway Cafe and the women caught up as they ate.
Another report of a demon coming from this way. It did seem more and more likely that something was off around here.
But the problem with small country towns was that the demon population kept a very low profile and outsiders were not welcome if they started poking around. It took a call to Base to get some more info and that was why they were walking around the back wooded area at 6am. Not as deserted as she thought it would be, Buffy could still make out the small town's lights away on the horizon, but remote enough that her senses were tingling. A glance at Faith had her confirming it too.
"Yeah B, like it's all extra charged here, my hairs all up, annoying as fuck"
Sliding down into the shallow canyon, they followed the ozone smell, rubbing their arms at the tickling sensations. The canyon ended abruptly into a cliff wall, only about 8 feet high but it felt as though it should have gone on further. Faith turned to Buffy, one hand on her hip the other waving behind her.
"Buffy what the he.." A thunderous snap sounded behind Faith, the force throwing both girls into the air. Buffy flew backwards, Faith slamming into her as they both crashed into rocky ground. Ears throbbed and agony screamed in their heads. Buffy only had time to noticed blood pouring from Faith's ears and nose, before the darkness rushed up and swallowed her whole.
Pain was the first thing she noticed. It radiated all over her body, causing her breath to catch. But it settled a few moments later and Buffy twitched, confirming that there was no real damage. Opening her eyes, she saw Faith in a crumbled heap beside her, dried blood caking her face and throat. Shaking her shoulder gently, Buffy was reassured when the other slayer shuddered and coughed.
"God DAMN it, that hurt!" Faith rolled onto her back and breathed deeply, curses flowing smoothly.
After Faith had calmed, they hauled each other their feet and surveyed their new surroundings.
Because it certainly was. New that is. Instead of dusty Montana back woods with its greys and greens and hilly lands, they were standing on a plain of black sleet rubble, red tinged clouds and dirty grey sky. Mountains could be seen off in the distance, over black and blue hills, no plant life to be seen. Instead of 6am nearly dawn lit darkness, they were standing in muted shadowy day, as if it were midday with a thick thunderstorm. Musty wind tugged and pulled at their clothes, whipping their hair across faces.
"Guess we found that portal, huh Buff."
Hopefully starting to actually get exciting soon...
