The Protector & The Slayer
Chapter II
Should He Try Anything
AN: Hi everyone. Here is the second chapter, where a bit more is explained. WARNING: THERE IS CURSING, AND SOME HOMOPHOBIC LANGUAGE IN THIS CHAPTER. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
"So, let me get this straight…" Buffy said as she, Derek, and the Scooby Gang walked slowly through the cemetery. "You're from another dimension – one where we're all characters in a TV show," she recalled, raising her pitch at the sheer ridiculousness of the last part. Derek nodded. "Right… and, not only that, but you're also a demon hunter, who works for a secret organisation called the Angels' Alliance, and you put vamps and other bad guys in a demon jail?!" she carried on, pulling a face at how bizarre this all was. Derek paused.
"Yeah…" he muttered. "Oh, and I forgot to mention I'm from the future, too! Well, at least I presume I am, if you're fighting Angel, and - from what I saw - that was him. That happens in Season Two, which was 1998, I think, so I'm gonna presume that's what year it is now…" he theorised. Buffy was stunned silent.
"OK. Are you yanking my chain here? Are you really some sort of demon disguised as a human, pretending to be from the future for some strange reason, telling me that I'm just a fictional character because… you want to bring the Slayer down psychologically or something? Is that what you're up to?!" Buffy interrogated.
"What?!" Derek yelped, slightly offended that one of his teenage heroes growing up was this distrusting of him, even though he understood why she was all too well – you sometimes had to be when you dealt with the supernatural on a regular basis. "No! Hang on… wait! I can prove it! Well, maybe not the stuff about you being characters in a TV show, but the stuff about me being from the future. Take a look at this:" Derek requested, pulling his wallet out from his jeans pocket, and showing the Slayer his driving licence. She snatched it from his hands and scrutinised it carefully, to see…
"Date of birth - 2003…" she mumbled.
"How did you end up here?" Willow asked.
"I honestly don't know. It had just been an ordinary night for me; I'd been out on patrol, like you probably were, although I was in the middle of town, when all of a sudden this massive portal thingy appeared, and I got sucked in and found myself here, lying on the ground – a sitting duck for Angel to feast on if I hadn't reacted just in time," Derek explained.
"Ah – massive portal thingies. Boy we've seen some of those in our time," Xander added. Buffy handed Derek his licence back.
"Sorry… I got a bit antsy. I've been on… edge, lately, I guess is the best way to put it," she apologised.
"It's fine, don't worry. I know what you've been going through, anyway…" Derek offered a slightly warm smile at her.
"Oh, yeah. So, about that – I have a lot of questions," Buffy said. "How long has… this TV Show been going on?" she asked. "Like, did it start when I was chosen, or…?"
"No. Although they do show that in about… I'm guessing – three to four episodes' time…" Derek said.
"Oh. This is actually kinda creepy…" Buffy said.
"You think that's creepy? The organisation I work for, the Angels' Alliance, has cameras placed all over the city so they can see whenever vamps and demons are out," Derek stated.
"You're right. That is pretty creepy," Buffy said.
"Did you see her die?" Cordelia piped up, not really listening to the last part of the conversation.
"Both-" Derek began, then realising that his knowledge of Buffy's future was a massive double edged sword. "- both me and my… acquaintance, Alex saw it, yeah," he said, finding the easiest way to complete the sentence he could see possible without revealing too much.
"Cool," Cordy said.
"Cordelia!" Buffy snapped.
"What? I just think it's interesting to see what he knows," she defended her actions. "So, who do I end up with?" she asked curiously.
"You know I'm still here, right?" Xander queried, and Buffy giggled a little. Derek thought about how to answer.
"Actually, I'm sorry Cordelia, but I don't think I should really be telling you this stuff. It could damage you, psychologically, knowing what's gonna happen in the future.
"Oh my God, why?! It's not a guy that works in some lame job like IT, is it?!" she panicked.
"No. I just think it's better if I don't tell you this stuff. Sorry. You might hate me for it, but I hope you understand," Derek said. Buffy gulped, worried what he knew about her – but she agreed with him.
"That – that makes sense," she accepted. "In fact, let's make it a rule: no talk of what's going to happen to us in the future whilst Derek's here. Deal?" she proposed.
"Deal," Xander, Willow and Derek complied. Everyone turned to Cordelia.
"Ugh. Fine," she groaned, rolling her eyes.
"I tell you who might be able to explain all this: a certain bespectacled English librarian," Xander suggested.
"You read my mind," Buffy agreed. "He'll probably be at home by now, though. Maybe we should just wait until the morning to bother him," she then said. Derek froze, looking uncomfortable. "What?" Buffy asked upon noticing him.
"It's just…" Derek rubbed the back of his neck. "As much as I think this is cool, and I like the show, and if you threw in a couple of stormtroopers this would be a nerd's dream come true, my parents will be wondering where I am if they find me gone in the morning. And I don't have anywhere to sleep, either, since we're nowhere near my hometown in England," the Protector babbled. He stood still momentarily feeling awkward and guilty, thinking the Scooby Gang were judging him like he was begging them for a place to stay.
"You could stay at the Sunnydale Motel," Willow suggested.
"The question is: would you want to?" Buffy said.
"I don't have… well, I have money, but only British money – pounds. I doubt that they'll accept that, here," Derek claimed, starting to worry the rest would be thinking he was now begging them for money. He knew he needed to stop worrying about people judging him, because he, quite often, also knew it was silly and irrational. Luckily for him, however, Buffy thought of a plan.
"OK! How about this? I still have a spare bed from when Ampata - well, the ancient Inca mummy girl – stayed with us. If you're OK with it, why don't you sleep there? I mean, I don't really know you, so this might sound a bit strange, but I was thinking if you're this… Protector guy, then if Angel tries to do anything funny in my room at night, we might both be able to take him," she explained her idea. Derek thought again for a millisecond, then smiled politely at her.
"Really? Yes! Thank you. That's great, and really, really kind. If there's anything I can do to make up for it, then please just ask," he said excitedly. He couldn't believe it! He was going to be roommates with Buffy The Vampire Slayer, even if it was only until he found a way to get back to his world.
"All I need right now from you is to help me stop Angel – should he try anything, as I say," Buffy stated gravely.
"I will. I promise," Derek agreed.
"I'd better show you the way to my house, if you're gonna be here for a while, then," Buffy decided.
"O-OK. Sounds good," the Protector said. Buffy cocked her head to look at the rest of the Scoobies.
"Guys, thanks for coming with me tonight. I'll see you tomorrow at school, go home, OK? Be careful," she warned.
"We will. See ya, Buffy," Willow said.
"See you later. And you too… Derek…" Xander waved awkwardly, forgetting Derek's name momentarily.
"Bye…" Derek smiled uncomfortably again. Cordelia didn't say anything to neither Buffy or Derek. Instead, she just trounced off with her boyfriend Xander, and Willow into the distance.
"Come on, it's getting late. Let's go," Buffy said, beckoning Derek to follow her.
He responded with a simple, "Alright," and they headed out of the cemetery gates.
Crawford Mansion, Sunnydale
"Can you think of anything other than the feckin' Order of Taraka again, Spike?!" Angel snapped.
"Well, why don't you come up with a suggestion then, you bleeding pratt. You're the one so riled up about this guy, anyway. I don't care if he comes to me with the Slayer – in fact, if I was better, I'd like them to. I'd take them both…" Spike grinned cockily at the fantasy of blood and carnage that was currently flashing through his mind.
"You couldn't if you tried – and neither, by the way, could your Order of Taraka that you keep suggesting, if you remember. Buffy was able to take one of their guys out – albeit with my help, but, still. I know her," Angel recalled.
"But you don't know this boy – you aren't gonna be able to play your personal little mind games with him like you can with the Slayer. Let's face it: my idea is the best one we've got," Spike pointed out. Angel stared into space for a moment, his brain clearly ticking with ideas. He looked back around at Spike wearing an evil, malicious leer.
"What if I got to know him, though?" he said. Spike sighed and rolled his eyes.
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" he questioned. Angel shrugged, about to say that he'd find a way, but fortunately, Drusilla gave him a clue.
"The boy has been… hurt before," she uttered, rolling around on the nearby bed, holding Miss Edith close to her chest. "By… another boy… he was in love… and it ended horribly for him…" she continued, chuckling afterwards.
"… Are you trying to say he's a poofter?" Spike giggled.
"Hey, Spike! Are you forgetting that you and I once-" Angel started, getting cut off by the bleach blonde.
"Uh-uh-uh-uh-" Spike said, wagging his finger. He didn't like to talk about the incident Angel was referring to, no matter how blissful he remembered it had been. Angel laughed, and moved towards Drusilla.
"Thanks, Dru. That's really helpful…" he said, reaching his hand out and stroking her hair. Spike had to suppress a jealous hiss.
"Why, what are you gonna do? Pretend to be his boyfriend or summat?" Spike mocked, failing to realise that he wasn't too far from the truth.
"Close – but not quite…" Angel responded.
It was a windy night tonight. The leaves of the trees were blowing violently as the loud hoots of owls could be heard even whilst strolling along the sidewalk. Derek and Buffy hadn't been talking too much, although Buffy had asked a couple of things about the world he came from – what it was like in the future, and what his parents were like, amongst other things. This was partly just to make sure that Derek was who he said he was, but his answers had convinced her enough that he wasn't someone that was out to get the Slayer. There was a concern that had been nagging at Derek, but he'd been too well-mannered as of now to interrupt the questions Buffy had been asking earlier. Now, however, just as the two approached the Summers' residence and the conversation they'd had died down, he decided it would be the perfect time to voice it to her.
"Oh sh*t!" he feigned shock, as if he'd just thought of what he was about to ask. "Sorry. But what are we gonna tell your mom?" Buffy paused dead in her tracks as they arrived at her front door.
"We'll tell her… we'll tell her…" she said, unable to think of an explanation that she'd be comfortable with. "OK. I have no idea what we're gonna tell her. Think you'd be alright with hiding in my wardrobe whenever she comes in?" Buffy wondered, a warm smile growing on her face, as if she was asking 'please…' to him.
"Ah, sure. I've had to do the same thing with a vampire in my old house," Derek confessed. "Although he had to hide under my bed…" he noted. Buffy's smile turned to a look of suspicion with narrowed eyes. "Oh, no, it's not like that!" he denied, putting his hands up. "He's a good vampire, now. And I couldn't put him in our demon jail as I was on the run, because – never mind…" Derek rambled, not wanting to delve into those painful memories.
"Sorry…" Buffy apologised for her hostility. "I'm just not too trusting of any vampires right now, even if they are so-called 'good' ones…" she continued.
Derek offered a comforting half-smile of his own. "Hey… don't worry. It's totally understandable, from what I know you're going through-"
"Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed as she opened the door up to find her daughter, standing talking to a man she did not recognise. "Where do you think you've been at this time, young lady?! And… who's this?!" she asked, gesturing her head at Derek.
"Mom! It's… nothing…" Buffy said, failing yet again to find an excuse.
"Oh no! It is not nothing, young lady. You are in very big trouble this time," Joyce warned.
"Mom, please, you don't understand…" Buffy begged. This would be so much easier if her mom knew she was the Slayer, believed her that first time she'd told her – everything would.
"Actually, I do understand. I was your age once, too, you know," Joyce said. She sighed. "Look, I know you and Angel broke up, and he's been harassing you recently, but… that's not an acceptable justification to go out galivanting the town in the middle of the night with a new boyfriend!" she ranted.
Derek started shaking his head rapidly, trying to prevent a misunderstanding. "Oh, Mrs. Summers, we're not-"
"Yes!" Buffy shrieked, putting her arm around Derek. "I'm so sorry, mom. I just… I couldn't take being alone anymore after Angel, and I had to find somebody… ya know?" she said, thankful that her mom had actually, in scolding her, given her an explanation. "But, I promise, Derek here has been good to me," she said, patting his back and praying that she believed her. Joyce folded her arms.
"Well… I'll be the judge of that," she said. Then her expression softened. "But I'm at least glad you're happy," she confided. A playful, fake grin tore out across Buffy's face.
"Thank you, mom."
"Thanks, Mrs. Summers. I promise to take good care of your daughter," Derek said, playing along. He was surprised at how convincing he could be playing straight.
"You're both welcome. However –" Joyce's tone went back to serious again. "Don't you think that I'll forget about you sneaking out again Buffy. You are grounded. Now go to your room," she commanded. Buffy exhaled. This was so unfair – she must've been the only person in the universe that got into trouble for actually doing her job. She turned to face Derek.
"What should I do?!" he mouthed stealthily, as he knew there was no way Joyce was gonna let him in with her. Buffy said nothing, instead flicking her eyes upwards, in the direction of her window. Derek nodded subtly, getting the idea.
"See you at… school…" she said to him and barged past her mother.
"Well… It was nice to meet you... sorry, what was your name?" Joyce said.
"Derek. Derek Chylersworth," Derek responded casually.
"Derek!" Joyce held out her hand, and he took it, shaking it. She then went inside, and closed the wooden door, locking it behind her. Derek pretended to walk away from the house in case Buffy's mom was watching out of the living room window.
A few minutes later, when he thought the coast was clear, Derek ran back up to the house, where he could see Buffy staring out her window, looking out for him. Once she caught sight of his return, she gesticulated at him to come up. Derek nodded sternly. He didn't have the high jumping abilities that a Slayer did, so he had to use his surrounding environment to get up. He climbed onto a close by wheelie bin that Joyce had put out for the garbage collectors in the morning, having to steady himself briefly as he balanced on it. Then, he sprung onto the eave next to Buffy's window, causing a loud thud on impact.
"What was that?!" Derek heard Joyce shout.
"Nothing, mom! I… dropped a few schoolbooks on the floor," Buffy fibbed. Thankfully, Joyce somehow bought it. Buffy guessed she was probably so tired of dealing with her that she couldn't be bothered with it anymore and wanted to go to sleep. "Jeez, Derek. You're not really one for covert, are you?" Buffy teased as she helped pull him up through the window and into the room.
"Sorry. I've always been pretty clumsy…" he agreed, rubbing his neck. Buffy got out the spare bed that Ampata had used.
"It's not much, but hopefully it'll do," she said.
"It's alright, don't worry – thank you. Besides, it's better than nothing at all," Derek said.
"Good," Buffy stated. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, leaving Derek alone in the room for a bit. Derek hadn't brought a toothbrush with him – he hadn't really expected to have to pack as he hadn't expected to end up being sucked into a huge portal in the town square that sent him to another world – but he had at least brushed his teeth this morning, which was at least a bit better than not at all. When Buffy returned in pink pyjamas, pleased to see nothing was missing from her room as she'd left Derek in it, she simply wished, "Good night, Derek Chylersworth," to him, and crawled into bed.
"Good night, Buffy Summers," Derek concurred with her, in only his underwear, before he too got under a spare duvet cover that was white with patterns of red roses all over it. Buffy switched her light out, and the room went pitch black with the blanket of the night. As soon as Derek closed his eyes, the excitement that had absorbed him gradually started to calm down, and he was left with pure anxiety at what his parents would be thinking – he'd never been out and not returned this long. The problem was, with the portal closing, he didn't know how he was gonna get back – if he was gonna get back. But he tried not to think about it, even if he did feel a soul-crushing guilt that he'd made his parents worry, although it wasn't his fault. What he often told himself applied here – 'What's done is done, and there's nothing I can do about it now but go to sleep, and drown out my worries,' he thought as he drifted off that night. What neither he nor the Slayer knew was that, just outside the bedroom window, an ever-so-curious Angelus had arrived not seconds ago, and was sat perched on the eave, listening intently.
"Good night, Derek Chylersworth, indeed…" he whispered, letting out a wicked little chortle as he hopped off the eave and strolled off into the night.