A/N: Kallisto - Derived from Greek καλλιστος (kallistos) meaning "most beautiful". In Greek mythology Kallisto was a nymph who was loved by Zeus. She was changed into a she-bear by Hera, and subsequently became the Great Bear constellation. This was also an ancient Greek personal name. Source for name: Rosalind and Nefret also mean beautiful. I just happen to like the name Elisabetta and Isabella.
CHAPTER TWELVE – The Proof is in the Pudding
Xander scowled as Buffy walked through the door of Revello Drive. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Buffy's lips compressed into a thin line and anger filled her eyes, "Well, I'm going to go with saving your asses from an ambush. And in case you've forgotten – this is my home. You're lucky I didn't kick your asses out. The only reason any of you are still here is because of the potentials. I wasn't about to kick out a bunch of children because you all were ungrateful asses."
Buffy turned to Duncan, "I've got a few more wounded for you guys. Most of their injuries are minor but they could use some patching up."
"No worries love Adam here is patching everyone up. Anya and some skinny blond kid went to get more supplies from the hospital. They should be back any minute."
"I'm glad you put Dr. Pierson to work. Adam, darling, how's Anya treating you?" Buffy said with laughter in her voice.
"Bella, please can't you leave me alone. The boy scout's snide remarks and lack of support are more than enough," Methos whined.
By this time Kennedy and the rest of the potentials had entered the house. Kennedy moved over to Willow and scowled up at Buffy but didn't say anything. She may have hated Buffy but she didn't want a repeat of what happened in the sewer tunnels. No, she liked all her parts in one piece and she wasn't stupid she knew Buffy had meant every word she'd said to her.
Methos quickly went to work checking over the newly arrived potentials. While he worked Anya and Andrew returned to the house with several large bags full of medical supplies.
"Excellent, Duncan can you help me set these young ladies broken bones. Bella, can you and Amanda patch up the rest of the girls."
Rupert Giles looked back and forth between the newcomers and his slayer. It was obvious to him that she knew these people very well. Yet he'd never heard of them – and the doctor kept referring to her as Bella. He took his glasses off and slowly began to clean the lenses using a handkerchief he took from the back pocket of his trousers. He wondered if he'd made a mistake. Listening to Willow and Xander – had he been right to do that. He pinched the bridge of his nose feeling the onset of a headache. How he wished he had a scotch and quite place to think things through. But it was not to be. Especially since Xander just couldn't seem to shut up.
"Who are all these people? Eh, Buff. How do we know they're not in league with the First? Your decision making hasn't really been stellar of late – has it?"
Everyone in the room stayed silent waiting to hear Buffy's response. Buffy's friends didn't say anything because they knew the honey blonde immortal slayer would want to handle this herself.
"Xander, you just don't know when to stop do you. I'm not sure where you got the idea that you ran my life but somewhere along the way you decided that I couldn't make decisions for myself. Well, I'm here to tell you I'm more than capable of making my own decisions."
"Oh really Buff. I don't see it. You don't have such a great track record with decision-making. You slept with Dead Boy. You ran away from home instead of facing your duty. Then when one vampire lover wasn't enough you slept with Spike. Does any of this ring a bell?"
Buffy's eyes turned cold. If Xander had been smart he would never have opened his mouth. Coldly, she said, "Close your mouth. Don't say another word because if you do I won't be responsible for my actions. I've listened for years to you people telling me how to run my life. And for the life of me I'm not sure why I did it."
Buffy walked closer to Xander, until only a few feet separated them. "I'm tired of being the Buffy Summers you want me to be. It's time you all learned I'm not that girl. I never was that girl. Everyone sit down and shut up. It's time I told you who I really am."
Buffy went to stand in front of the fireplace and Duncan who'd been quietly watching came to stand next to her. Not touching her but lending her his strength just by being near. She smiled up at him and then turned to the group facing her – some with hostile looks on their faces and others full of understanding.
"I was born 3,000 years ago in a small village in what is now Greece. The people I thought were my parents called me Kallisto. My mother told me it was because when she first held me in her arms she knew the very gods themselves had gifted her with the most beautiful thing on earth. I lived in the village until I was 15 years old. One morning I woke up – I felt different, stronger. I said nothing to my parents. When I returned home that evening there was a man in our house. He was my Watcher. That was the day I learned I was the slayer and my life changed. Two years later my watcher was dead and I had died my first death – I was immortal. I didn't realize I was no longer the slayer – that at my death a new slayer was called – I never wondered why no new watcher came. I just kept slaying demons. It was not long after I met my first immortal. He became my teacher and not long after that he was killed by a headhunter who I then killed receiving my first quickening. I left my village and traveled. I learned another slayer had been called – I no longer had a destiny to fulfill."
Buffy took a deep breath looking at the people in the room. They all stared back at her – some with disbelief and others with a new understanding of the woman before them.
"Over the centuries and then millennia I met many wonderful and terrible people. Even though I was no longer the slayer I still fought the darkness. I could not in good conscience turn my back on the evils of the world. I slowly learned that not all demons were evil and not all men were worth saving. I had several excellent teachers." Buffy smiled knowingly at Methos and Amanda. "And those teachers became friends and family. Then one night a little over seven years ago I came upon a young girl fighting for her life in a dark alley. Buffy Summers, The Slayer."
At this several voices broke out in consternation.
"Where is she? Where's the real slayer?"
Buffy sighed. "Faith is the slayer. The girl in the alley, Buffy, she desperately wanted out of her calling. She'd faced Lothos. She'd lost her watcher. I took her place. It wasn't until Kendra arrived in Sunnydale that I knew Buffy must be dead. The slayer line didn't pass through me and even though I died at the hands of the Master that death wouldn't result in calling a new slayer. Only Buffy's death could cause that and then when Kendra died Faith was called. I don't know how Buffy died or even where she was when she did. That is one of my greatest regrets. I only hope she wasn't alone and frightened and that in death she found some measure of peace."
Amanda, one of the potentials, cleared her throat and asked, "Is Kallisto your name?"
"It was – but I've had many names – Kallisto, Nefret, Rosalind, Elisabetta – the name I prefer is Isabella or Bella."
Finally, Giles could keep silent no longer. "You expect us to believe this…this preposterous story."
"Ah, there's the watcher I know. Can't ever accept anything on face value. I suppose I could tell you there are three other immortals in the room or that I've known Anya for almost 800 years or have Spike tell you I knew Dru before she was turned and Angelus before he had a soul. But somehow I think watcher mine you need a demonstration." All this was said with an almost sad look in her eye. This man, though so much younger than she, who she'd thought of as a father didn't trust her and even though she knew what he'd done to her, to Dawn it still broke her heart all over again.
She bent down and took a small dagger out of her boot. She took the dagger and lifting her shirt she plunged it into her stomach and gave it viscous twist.
Voices exploded at the horrific sight.
"Oh, dear lord!"
"Bloody hell woman!"
"Oh god, will she be all right."
Bella looked up at Duncan clasping her hands to her stomach as she slowly bled to death. "Catch me," she whispered. He did.
Giles jumped up and called out to the man he knew as Dr. Pierson, "Dammit man why aren't you helping her."
Methos glared at the man and growled out, "You wanted your demonstration. Now you're going to have to wait." Then more gently he said, for the frightened girls in the room, "Don't worry she'll only be gone a little while."
Duncan had slowly lowered Bella to the floor and gently moved a strand of hair out of her face. He knew she wasn't dead but seeing her stab herself and have the life drain from her body was still a horrible experience for him. He loved her and like any man in love he couldn't stand the women he loved to feel pain whether it was physical or emotional in nature.
Suddenly, Bella drew in a deep breath of air and sat up. "God, I hate dieing."
Duncan pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "Let's try to make it a long time until your next one then love. Watching you lie there so still, so silent. It was tearing my heart out." He then took her face in his hands and placed a long, slow kiss on her lips.
"Does that prove it to you Giles?" Bella said turning her cold gaze on her watcher.
Giles had the decency to look chagrined. "Yes, Buffy."
Bella stood up with Duncan's help. Dieing always took a lot out of her. She looked sadly around the place that up until yesterday had been her home. She knew now that she would never be coming back here. When their battle with the First was over she would leave Sunnydale to Faith. It was her turn to watch the hellmouth. Perhaps Faith would want to live here. She wouldn't allow any of the others to stay in her former home but Faith was welcome to it.
Thinking about the people currently living in her home made her blood boil. She'd really wanted to save this confrontation until after the First was defeated but she knew that if she didn't confront the Scoobies now she wouldn't be able to completely focus on the upcoming battle.
She turned to face Giles and Xander where they were kneeling beside Willow. "I'd like to speak to the three of you in dining room," she said with a calm voice but with steel in her gaze. "Spike, Adam, Duncan, Faith, Anya you're welcome to join us. The rest of you try to get some rest."
Kennedy couldn't keep her mouth shut at being excluded, "Oh, hell no you're not leaving me out – where Willow goes I go!"
Bella turned toward the arrogant potential moving so quickly she was almost a blur. Her fist connected with Kennedy's mouth and the girl flew into a wall sinking to the ground unconscious. "I told her in the sewer to shut up or she wouldn't like the consequences," she said as she strode from the room.