Title: Suspicious Slayer

Author: Maeve Bran

Rating: M

Summary: Buffy and Willow take the Slayer finding trip back to the States.

Disclaimer: I own neither series, I'm just having some unprofitable fun.

Spoilers: Set post "Chosen" for BtVS and post-movie for "Suspicous River".

"Hey Buffy, did you read this?" Willow asked at breakfast.

"No. Why would I be interested in 'Hotel Receptionist Nearly Killed'?" Buffy replied.

"Because according to this, Leila Murray was beaten, gang raped and had her throat slashed before she managed to escape from a remote house in the woods and cross a river to get to safety," Willow said, thoughtfully.

"So..." Buffy encouraged her to continue.

"So, maybe she is a Slayer. From the sound of it, Ms. Murray should have been dead long before she crossed that frigid river. I'm thinking maybe some Slayer healing started and she was able to make it to safety. Sounds like your brand of strong."

"Could be. Maybe we should check it out," Buffy gave in. "Where is she?"

"It says she's in a little town called Suspicious River. I looked it up on the map, and it's a couple hundred miles away. We should make it there by this afternoon."

They made good time and were in Suspicious River by two in the afternoon. They found a cheap motel, then checked in and settled in. When they went to investigate, they found out that Ms. Murray had worked at that very hotel. The current receptionist, Millie, was more than willing to talk to them.

She eagerly told Buffy and Willow about how Leila had prostituted herself to the customers and then gotten duped into going away with one of them. Leila had then been gang raped, and one of the gang had cut her throat and left the room. Then one of the other men came in to help her escape the house. Finally, she had raced through the woods to the river.

"That's where I found her," Millie said solemnly, "in the river, and helped her to shore. I've never seen anything like it. She should have died, with losing all that blood and with her throat slit that much. But she was standing there telling me not to look at the other bank because there was nothing there. Leila is the strongest woman I've ever met."

"Do you know where we can find her?" Willow asked. Millie looked like she wanted to interrupt, but Willow quickly continued. "We represent a school for strong girls and would love to offer her a position, if she wants it."

"Well, in that case," Millie said as she wrote an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Buffy. "Here. I think she's home from the hospital now."

"Thank you," Willow said as she followed Buffy from the lobby. It looked like they may have found the most courageous of new Slayers.

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