Bring Me to Life

Same disclaimers as always

Twenty-Four

Buffy stared at the smaller woman. "You'd better watch out. I don't appreciate it when someone tried to kill my friends."

Phyllis looked down in embarrassment. "I'm sorry." She had a quiet, mouse-like voice. "I…just…I thought…"

"You thought you were helping people." The brunette nodded. "Look, we're not gonna hurt you…not unless you try anything else. Kay?" Again the smaller woman nodded. "Anyway, do really want to pick a fight with a Slayer?"

Phyllis looked at her with a questioning look on her face. "What's a Slayer?"

"You know about witches and demons and you claim to be a seer, and you don't know what a Slayer is?"

Phyllis blushed. "I don't think I've ever heard of them."

"Giles loves this part." She grinned, and for a moment wondered why she was being so nice to the other girl. "In every generation a chosen one is born. She alone will yada yada yada…" Phyllis stared at her. "Oh!" Buffy blushed. "I eh…I guess I kinda got used to doing that. Sorry. Anyway, the Slayer is there to fight all the demons and stuff. We've got extra strength and healing."

"Oookay." Does Rosenberg have any normal friends? "You're a Slayer."

Buffy nodded. "We also get some 'prophetic dreams' and crap, so, I could kinda understand what you're going through, seeing the future and all."

"Did you ever stop your visions from happening?"

Buffy felt her whole face light up into a smile. "All the time!"

"I've never been able to stop mine."

The Slayer felt…something…as the smaller woman folded into herself. What's this? It didn't make sense. She wanted to go to the brunette and make her sadness go away. Weird.

"Don't worry, we stop evil prophesies from happening all the time."

Phyllis smiled. "I kinda like you." She leaned over and gave Buffy a quick kiss on the nose.

William groaned. "We can keep this from them forever, now can we?"

Angel sighed. "I know you want to tell them. So do I. But this is Willow's thing. It happened to her. It's hers to tell."

"It'll happen again you ponce! They'll be in danger. You think we should really keep them all out of the loop?"

"No, I don't. But Willow chose not to tell them. We'll respect her wishes."

"For how long? Until…it…comes back and we have no choice?!" William flung his beer into the trash. "Personally, I don't see how we've kept it this long."

Angel sighed. "Neither do I."

"Tara! Wait up!" The witch stopped as the green haired girl caught up to her. "Hey!"

"Hey." Tara smiled at the older (?) girl.

"Uh…" She blushed. "I know this mush be awkward for you."

"What is it Dani?"

"I want to apologize."

"For what?"

Her eyes darted around nervously. "For helping to keep secrets from all you guys. I shouldn't, I mean, I've know all of them for…a long time. Dawn was my AUNT for crying out loud, and here I am DATING her!"

"It must be hard for you. Knowing all this."

Dani nodded. "I…I get tired, y'know." She sighed. "Living forever…I can't age or anything. The only way I can die is if I get my head cut off."

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

"How…How'd it happen? You don't have to tell me."

"It's okay." She sighed. "It was my twentieth birthday. Some friends and I went to this new seafood place in town. We got our meals and ate and all that. Then the waiter brought us this 'special' meat to try. We did. They all…they died…turned into…monsters…I…didn't." She held back a sob. Tara took her into a hug. "The restaurant was owned by a group of assasins. They'd fed us mermaid meat. It's supposed to make you immortal, though it'll normally just kill you. I was…I thought it then, lucky."

"Is there a cure?"

"I don't think so. I know that things'll never work out between me and Dawn. I wish they could though."

"We'll find a way."

"Hello." Phyllis looked up in surprise as Tara entered the room. "How are you?"

Phyllis shrunk under the woman's gaze. "Okay."

Tara sighed. "We believe you."

"Huh?"
"I think that you did have some vision. But you must have misinterpreted it or something. My Willow isn't a danger."

She turned to leave.

"Wait."

Tara stopped.

Phyllis took a deep breath. "I…I can show you…what I saw."

Tara immediately came to the brunette's side. "Show me."