A reader from TTH, Greydon Creed, was so excited about the bear fight that he wrote an entire scene for me. It is probably better than what I wrote, but it revealed more of Buffy's strength than I wanted at this point in the story. However, I enjoyed his Kayce parts, and I included his parts with his permission. Thanks to Meredith for reading through this chapter and correcting all the times I spelled Kayce's name wrong!

Chapter 7: Buffy and a Bear

*****Where We Left Off******

One of the things Kayce Dutton had learned about in Navy SEAL training was tachypsychia, the perception of time slowing down. Under extreme stress or fear time seemed to slow down to a crawl. If someone experienced it during battle and used it correctly, they could perceive enemy actions and react faster than expected, like seeing where the next punch or kick was aimed at, or where they were aiming at with their guns. But the downside was that sometimes even if you saw where the attack was going you could not move fast enough to dodge or prevent it.

Kayce was ten yards away when he saw the black bear towering over his fallen nephew, a massive, clawed paw raised in the air and starting to come down. There was no way to get to them before the blow connected, and his pistol and rifle were locked up in his truck. That did not keep him from sprinting as fast as he could even if he could not stop it. Then a small blonde blur flew past him, getting to the bear before he could. The rest of the scene sped up, and he watched in disbelief. He cried out, hoping to deter his newly acquainted niece to stop her foolish act: "Buffy! Stop!" he called.

Buffy had only seen bears in a zoo, but here was one huge and angry as it swiped at the boy, who held up the ball as his only form of protection.

Kayce yelling her name didn't really register as she saw a human—a boy at that—about to be killed in a gruesome way. Since the bear was more than twice her size, and already on the attack, she did the only thing that made sense in the moment, she jumped on the back of the bear. Without hesitation, she put her arm around its massive neck. The fur wasn't something she was used to dealing with when battling, and she tried not to notice how soft and magnificent it was as she pulled hard.

If Kayce hadn't seen it with his own two eyes, he would not have believed it. Buffy reached the bear before he could pull her away. Then she jumped on the bear's back, somehow pulling it back.

His niece was five foot two and maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet, so how the hell had she knocked away a seven foot long 800-pound bear? Kayce dropped to one knee next to Tate's cousin, Jamison, and gave him a quick eyeball scan. There were claw marks on his left forearm that were bleeding heavily but not severely.

Just as he moved to grab Jamison out of the way, the bear collapsed on the ground.

"What happened?" he asked, looking at the still bear in surprise.

"I broke its neck," Buffy said forlornly. "It's such a beautiful animal, Kayce. I didn't want to hurt it."

Kayce couldn't resist pulling her in for a hug. "It's okay. If I had a gun on me, I would've shot it. The only way to stop a bear intent on an attack is with a gun," he said.

"She broke its neck," Jamison remarked, kicking the still bear. "I can't believe it! I'm going to go tell everyone!"

Before Kayce could stop him, he did exactly that, and soon all the kids were surrounding the bear and Buffy. There were various looks of awe and wonder, which made Buffy extremely uncomfortable.

When Monica and Felix made it to the bear, and heard the tale, they both looked as stunned as Kayce felt.

"You are very heroic, young lady," Felix said as he patted her on the shoulder.

"How did she do it?" Monica asked Kayce.

"I'm not sure," he replied honestly. "She jumped on the bear, and her arm went around its neck. Somehow, she snapped its neck."

"That's not possible," Monica insisted.

"I wouldn't have thought so either, but I saw it with my own two eyes," Kayce said.

His father drove up as they debated on what to do with the bear.

"Buffy killed it, so the meat and skin is hers," Felix announced.

"What's going on?" John asked as he made it to the group assembled by the tree line.

"Grandpa!" Tate exclaimed excitedly. "Buffy saved Jamison from a bear!"

"She did?" John asked, looking at his son for confirmation.

"She really did!" Kayce replied. "Look!"

A few kids moved out of the way, so he could see the dead bear.

"We were playing soccer, and Jamison went after a ball that made it into the woods. The bear surprised him," Kayce explained.

"Did you have a gun?" John asked, trying to understand. There was simply no way his granddaughter could have killed a bear without a weapon.

Kayce shook his head. "I can't really explain it, Dad, but she jumped on its back and, somehow, broke its neck," he said.

"That's not possible," John said, looking at Buffy, who was kneeling and petting the dead bear. At his words, she looked up at him as if she heard what he said. Her eyes held the sadness she obviously was feeling at the death of the bear.

"I would have bet money that it wasn't possible, yet she did it, Dad. I saw it with my own two eyes," Kayce said.

"John, I will be happy to skin the bear," Felix offered. "Teach Tate how it's done."

"All right," he said. "I doubt Buffy will want to do that." He was still trying to wrap his mind around what Kayce said.

"No, I don't," Buffy said as she got to her feet. "I feel bad for killing such a beautiful animal, but I didn't see how else to stop it from attacking."

"There isn't when a bear is in a killing frenzy," John said.

Buffy just wished the day would be over because killing the bear was causing her to have way too much attention. How was she going to explain this? Her uncle and grandfather were giving her the look.

She needed to call Giles. Then again, he'd probably be mad that she was having so much trouble hiding her light under a bushel.

*****The Ranch*****

Rip kept looking at Buffy all through dinner. He had heard what happened, and he was having a hard time with it. He couldn't help but recall what Beth had told him that she overheard.

"Saving the world is in the job description."

She seemed to have superior hearing, and she never got tired. Her fighting skills were equal, if not superior, to a trained Navy Seal, and she was stronger than she should be. Throwing a bale of hay was nothing compared to breaking the neck of a bear.

Who exactly was his daughter?

He was standing on the porch after saying goodnight to her when John followed him out.

"I know what you're thinking," John said.

"Yeah, because you're thinking the same exact thing," Rip said. "There's just no way she should have been able to do that. Breaking a man's neck is hard enough, but a bear? I just don't understand."

"She is incredibly gifted," John said. "I think we should just be proud that she's so amazing in so many ways."

Rip nodded, but he still felt a sense of disquiet.

Did she really live on the mouth of hell?

As for Buffy, she called Giles from her room on the cellphone her grandfather had recently bought her. She told him about the bear.

"A bear? Good Lord!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, it was so big and beautiful, Giles, but it was trying to kill a kid—my cousin's cousin," Buffy said. "I didn't know what else to do."

"Well, of course, you had to save the boy," he agreed. "Did anyone see you?"

"My Uncle Kayce," she said. "He gave me weird looks until I left, and now Grandpa and Rip are giving me the same looks. Of course, the kid was around nine or ten and told everyone what he saw. I don't know what to do."

"You can always come home," Giles said.

"These aren't strangers, Giles. This is my family," Buffy said. "I can't just leave because they're finally getting to know the real me."

"Yes, but it's not just them. It's people on that reservation you mentioned," Giles said.

"I know, Giles, but I don't think we should worry too much," she said. "The Indians don't trust most white people from what I gathered. My aunt, Kayce's wife, has made that really clear. At dinner she actually said that white people shouldn't own so much land."

"Really?" he said. "Family dynamics can be tricky."

"I told her she was a racist," Buffy shared.

"You didn't! That is not the way to endear oneself to a new family," he admonished.

"I know, but I couldn't help it. I could tell that her attitude is why Kayce has been so distant from the ranch," she shared. "He has a gift taming horses, and Grandpa wants him to be at Yellowstone. But he stays with his wife's family."

"Try not to cause any family fights while you're there," Giles advised.

"Oh, don't worry. Beth, my birth mother, is the rudest woman I've ever met," Buffy shared. "She makes Cordelia Chase seem like a pussy cat."

Giles was torn between laughing and wincing. "Well, try to be more circumspect if you can," he advised.

"I'll do my best," Buffy said.

"Have you called your friends yet?" he asked.

Buffy felt a stab of guilt. "No," she admitted.

"You have a phone now. I know they would love to hear from you," he said.

"You told them I was good, right?"

"It's not the same thing."

"Fine," she said in resignation. He said goodbye, and she stared at the phone. She missed her friends, but it was easy to forget about them as she stayed so busy on the ranch. However, she knew that Giles was right. They deserved better, so she called Willow.

"Hello," Willow said.

"Willow? It's me. Buffy," she told her.

"Buffy! Oh, I'm so glad you called! I miss you so much!" she exclaimed. "Xander does too."

"I'm sorry, Will," Buffy said.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Willow said. "Giles explained. We understand."

Buffy closed her eyes a moment, filled with gratitude. Willow was the best friend she had ever had, and she was glad that she didn't ruin their friendship.

*****The Next Day*****

When she made it to her dad's side outside, he was in deep discussion with Lee and Lloyd.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Someone keeps cutting the fences," Rip said.

"Not someone," Lloyd said. "We know exactly who."

"No, we don't," Lee said. "We have suspicions."

"I saw your sister-in-law's brother on the south end of the property line. It's plain as day," Lloyd insisted.

"What's plain?" Buffy asked.

"The Indians are stealing our cattle," Lloyd said. "We had ten heads missing this morning."

"Something took their heads? What would do that?" Buffy asked, mentally wondering if there was a demon loose.

Rip smiled at his daughter while Lloyd looked confused by the question. Lee, of course, laughed. "No, nothing took their heads," Lee said. "Heads of cattle."

"Oh," Buffy said, flushing in embarrassment. "I've never heard that before."

"Of course not," Rip said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "It's a ranching term."

"Took their heads," Lloyd muttered. "You have a very violent mind."

"Well, she can kill a bear with her bare hands, so that's no surprise," Lee said, grinning at her. He thought his niece was the closest thing he'd ever met to a superhero and adored her. How Beth could have such a hardworking and amazing daughter was a shock, but Rip was half of her. Maybe it was his genes.

John and Jamie walked purposefully toward them. "Lee, Jamie and I have to take a meeting with the governor because those Paradise Valley developers are trying to move forward," he said.

"Okay," Lee said.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"There's always someone—whether developers or Indians—that are trying to force us to give up some of our land," John explained.

"Seriously? People can do that?" Buffy inquired.

"No. Not while there's breath in my body," John said grimly.

"Good luck," Lee said.

"Should I be worried?" Buffy asked.

"Your mother told me last night that she's being moved to the Montana office of her bank," Rip shared. "Her bank holds the financing of at least one of our problems—LL Energy."

"What are they trying to do?" Buffy wondered.

"Force us to give up our timber," Lee answered.

"Really? They can do that?" she asked.

"They try," Rip said, smiling.

"Yes, they do," John agreed.

"We have Beth going after the financial weakness of our enemies, and Jamie and Dad the political angle," Lee explained.

"That all sounds way too complicated to me," Buffy said, shaking her head.

"Me, too," Lloyd said. "Let's get back to ranching."

"Buffy, I thought we could work on your roping skills," Rip said.

"Cool," Buffy said, her eyes bright.

"I thought we'd show her how-to put up fencing and plug some holes," Lee said. "Let's see if we can finally wear her out!"

Rip nodded. "Let's do that first and then the roping after lunch," he suggested. He didn't think it was possible to push her to the end of her strength, so far, her energy seemed limitless.

"Sounds good," Buffy said, smiling.

There was always something to do on the ranch.

*****Reservation*****

Chief Thomas Rainwater hadn't been elected chief very long, but he already had people in place who were showing their loyalty to him.

Mo Plenty handed him a report.

"Another confirmation that the rumor about Buffy Summers is true," Chief Rainwater said.

"I talked to Kayce Dutton myself," Mo Plenty shared. "They were playing soccer with the kids when Monica's nephew Jamison went into the woods after the ball. A bear attacked him, and Kayce ran toward his screams. Buffy, though, outran him, and then she jumped on the back of the bear, pulling him away from the boy. Then she somehow broke the bear's neck."

"The boy is unhurt?" he asked.

"Only one swipe was done before Buffy pulled him back, so there were some stiches on his arm," Mo Plenty said.

"How did she do such a thing?" the chief wondered.

"I do not know," he answered. "Adrenaline?"

"Maybe," he said. "It seems unlikely. The girl may be unnaturally strong. John Dutton himself told that she was a trained fighter. What has your investigation uncovered about her?"

"Twice she was accused of murder, but no charges were filed," he said. "Most recently, a friend was murdered, and her friends injured by a gang while they were in the school library. Buffy was tricked into believing the fight was elsewhere and left them unprotected. When she was found standing over the body of her friend, the police jumped to incorrect conclusions. Her friends that were hurt eventually explained that Buffy was not even present during the fight."

"The girl has been through a lot, and she still fights to defend," Rainwater said. "It is most unusual."

"Yet she was upset at killing the bear. Felix offered to skin the bear for her. Do you think she could be the one Verda and the others dreamed about?" he asked.

"She does have long blonde hair," he said. "She has protected our people twice, but she is still a child. I cannot imagine it would be her."

"I guess if demons attack, we'll find out," Mo Plenty said.

"Let's hope those visions are about metaphorical demons and not real ones," he replied.

Chief Rainwater hoped she was not the one because that would make things very complicated with the Duttons. He also did not want to lose any of his people to violence.

He didn't want them to need a protector. Not while he was chief.

*****Chapter End*****

I am pushing a bit now closer to the pilot episode. Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, leave a comment.