Chapter 9: Grandpa Knows

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

Everyone looked at everyone else. No one said anything. It was like a frozen tableau for a long moment, but John wasn't having it.

"Damn it, enough!" John said. "Beth attacked Buffy's best friend, making insane accusations. All of you look guilty, so clearly you all know something that I don't know. Start talking!" He waited a beat to see who would talk, and then said in a voice that was not used to being ignored. "Now!"

Giles told everyone to sit down. He looked at John. "This town is on a hellmouth. A door of sorts between this world and a hell dimension. There are several hellmouths around the world, but the one in Sunnydale is very strong and draws many supernatural creatures to it. The world is . . . ." He explained about Sunnydale and about Buffy being a vampire slayer.

"It's true, Dad," Kayce said. "I went with her on Wednesday patrolling. I saw her fight demons and vampires."

John stared at his veteran son a long moment and looked at his granddaughter, who looked very scared and anxious. He looked around the shop and began putting everything else into a different framework.

"So for the past five years, you have spent your time basically fighting a war," John stated.

Buffy nodded. "I guess you could say that," she said.

He looked at Giles. "You are like her commanding officer, and this is her support team," he said.

"That's one way of looking at it," Giles said.

"So when you died," he prodded, remembering her remarks in previous conversations.

"The first time, I was a sophomore," Buffy said. "I was fighting a Master vampire who bit me but didn't drain me completely. He threw me into a fountain, and I drowned. Xander gave me CPR, and he got me to a hospital where I got blood."

"The second time?" John asked. "Explain why Beth assaulted your best friend."

Buffy told him about Glory wanting to use Dawn's blood to open portals, and he looked at his youngest granddaughter, who was sitting next to him. She looked afraid of his reaction also, so he grabbed her hand as Buffy kept telling her horror story.

"So her blood opened the portal, and demons were coming out of it," Buffy said.

"There was a dragon!" Dawn added.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I knew our blood was the same. Giles sent me on a vison quest, and the First Slayer told me that death was my gift. I thought it meant that I was just a killer after all, but suddenly, I knew. I was supposed to jump in her place, so I did. The energy accepted my blood, and it closed the rift."

"She fell," Dawn said. "We buried her in May, and Willow resurrected her last month."

"Explain," John said, looking grim, staring at the redhead. Now the comments about magic and witchcraft took on new significance.

"They did a spell, Willow, Tara, Anya, and Xander," Buffy said.

"I told them it was a bad idea!" Anya exclaimed.

"We all agreed," Xander said. "We all wanted Buffy back."

"I thought she was in a hell dimension," Willow said. She looked at Buffy with tear filled eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What would be the point? I knew you didn't mean me any harm," Buffy said with a shrug.

"Well, the dumb fucks sure meant you harm when they did the spell without first digging the coffin up!" Beth said, glaring at the group of them. "You all have to be the most selfish, idiotic dumb mother fuckers I have ever met! You did a spell to bring her back to life and didn't even have enough sense to dig up her casket, so she woke up in her mother fucking casket. Then you left her to dig her way out of the casket!"

This time when Beth reached for Willow, Buffy grabbed her. However, Kayce surprised everyone by slugging Xander. "You should have thought of that," he said, glaring at him.

Xander rubbed his jaw while Buffy moved to shove her uncle hard. "Stop it! All of you!" she shouted. "You have no right to judge him. To judge any of them! How many times have you saved the world? You went to war. That's good. Xander slayed his best friend the first week he met me. He has had my back since he was fifteen. Fifteen, Uncle Kayce. Where you ready to go to war at that age? Aunt Beth, Willow turned down scholarships to Oxford, MIT, Harvard and just about every Ivy League college you could think of to stay in this hellhole to fight with me. She is the most selfless person I have ever known. She made this one mistake. One! I have made many. My mistakes get people killed, though. Do yours? No. She thought she was saving me, and who knows? Maybe this is fate. Maybe I was meant to come back and meet you all. Maybe I'm not done. I just know that none of you have a right to judge any of my friends who have fought next to me for the past five years. They have kept Dawn alive and took care of her all the months I have died. Willow and Tara were basically her parents all those months. So back the hell up! They are not perfect, and neither am I. Neither are any of you either, I'm sure. They may not be my blood, but they are my family just as much as you are. We have been to literal hell and back. They fight actual demons with me and never waver. How many of you have friends like that?"

Everyone was silent a long moment.

"I need a drink," Beth said, getting up and heading to the car.

Kayce looked at Xander. "I'm sorry," he said.

Beth looked back at Willow from the door. "I'm not," she said, glaring as she opened it and stepped out.

"She would've made a really good vengeance demon," Anya remarked.

"No, you were right. We should've known the spell would've returned her soul to her body in the ground," Xander said. "We were extremely stupid." He gave Buffy a look of anguished regret. No amount of sorry could make up for what they did to her. Protesting her eventual leaving, however, was off the table. She didn't deserve that from him.

John stood up and went to Buffy. "You are extraordinary, granddaughter," he said, pulling her in for a hug.

Relieved, Buffy returned his hug, careful not to squeeze him too tightly.

"It's Black Friday. You are hurting the money," Anya announced. "Time to relocate to your own residence."

"Yes, I would appreciate it," Giles said before anyone could scold Anya for her rudeness.

"Sorry for Beth," Jamie said, opening his wallet and throwing a hundred-dollar bill on the counter.

Anya took it with a bright smile. "We appreciate your business!" she said.

John opened his wallet and took out several and handed them to Anya. "Kayce is going to pick out a gift for Monica. Maybe you can help him pick out something for his grandson, too," he said.

"My pleasure!" she said. "We should let Tate have the mummy hand. He'll get a real kick out of it!" She pointed it out to Kayce. It was in a glass case by itself.

"That thing is too dangerous," Giles said as he turned the sign back to open.

"What does it do?" Kayce asked.

"Oh, it can do anything a hand can do," Anya said, taking the hand out of the display. Once she touched it, the hand began walking on its fingers.

"How is it doing that?" Jamie asked.

"It's a cursed mummy hand," Anya said. "Magic."

"Why would anyone want it?" Kayce asked.

"It's a conversation piece or used in spells," she said. Then the hand walked fast and jumped on Jamie. "Unfortunately, though, it tends to be a bit homicidal."

It began choking him. Buffy had to come and yank it off. "Put that thing up!" she said, glaring. "You are not selling it to my uncle!"

"You thought my son should have it?" Kayce asked.

"If he is a young child, probably not," Anya said. "I have some spiders."

"Do they come back to life?" Kayce asked.

"Well, yes. That's what makes them fun for boys," she said.

"I'm not sure Monica would like that," he said.

"Magic spiders? Who wouldn't like that?" Anya asked him puzzled. She showed him the display.

Kayce grinned and rubbed his jaw as he contemplated his complicated wife. "How does it work?" he asked. They looked like plastic spiders. That seemed harmless enough.

She demonstrated the magic powder that reanimated the spiders. There were three black tarantulas in a glass cage. "Okay. I'll take it. We'll have to put it in a box, so I can get it through airport security."

"Just give me your address, and I'll have it shipped to your house," she said. "It'll be much easier than airport security."

"Great idea," Kayce said. "Now something for Monica."

"She recently was hurt, right?" Anya asked. He nodded, and she picked something up to show him. "Here's a crystal that speeds up healing and wards of negative emotions." It was purple and on a long black leather binding.

"So it's a necklace?" he asked.

"She should wear it when she sleeps at the very least," Anya said.

"Okay," he said. "Thanks."

John took it all in, but he said nothing. Buffy and Dawn were left wondering what he was thinking.

That night, Buffy took the family patrolling. Of course, Beth just held a bottle of liquor and stood in the back with Anya, who sported a crossbow.

"Don't worry, I rarely have to shoot anything. Buffy and Xander always get them before they get to me and Tara," she said.

Tara decided there were enough people and stayed back with Dawn, who was advised by Beth to not even try to come. Jamie was in the back with her, holding a stake and a sword as was Kayce.

Jamie wanted to come and see what his niece was really fighting. At the first graveyard, two vampires were walking, and John watched his granddaughter throw her wooden stake at one, and it dissolved. Then she engaged the other. It didn't take her long, however, to dispatch it.

"Those were vampires?" he asked.

"Yes," Buffy said.

"Fucking god," Beth said, taking a long drink.

At the next graveyard, Jamie screamed as a hand poked out of a grave by his foot.

"Oh, good," Xander remarked. "A fledgling. Who wants to get their cherry popped?"

"Excuse me?" John asked.

"He means, does anyone want to try and stake a vampire? Newly born vampires aren't as strong, so they're easier to slay," Buffy explained.

"I do," Kayce said. He handed his sword to Jamie.

John watched in morbid fascination as the vampire pulled itself from the grave. From Buffy's remark, Kayce assumed it would be easy to fight. However, it hit very hard.

"Thought you said it weak?" he asked.

"Weaker," she said. "They still are supernaturally strong. If Xander and Willow can stake one of these, I know you can."

He wasn't about to be humiliated, so he held the stake in his left hand while he moved into the snarling creature.

"Be careful, Kayce," John called.

Kayce was determined to win without being rescued by his niece, so he swung his fist hard, hitting the vampire and moved quickly to stake it before it could retaliate.

When it dissolved, John said, "Damn."

"You forgot to pull out your stake, but it was still great!" Buffy said, hugging him.

"That was fast, Kayce! Great job!" Xander said, high fiving him.

John was relieved his son was okay and followed them as they encountered hideous creatures that Xander called demons.

Spike appeared.

"I wondered when you'd show up," Buffy said as the two fought the demon pair.

John and his kids watched the couple fight. Xander pulled out a bag of chips and offered some.

"No, I don't want chips!" John said, looking at him like he was crazy.

"Why are you standing there? Go help!" Jamie said.

"They don't need our help. Demons are tough and most likely to maim and hurt us," Xander said.

"We'd just be in their way," Willow said, grabbing a chip. She wasn't carrying any noticeable weapon except for a stake.

"They fight together like two people who know each other very well," Kayce remarked.

"Oh, well, Spike used to try and kill her a lot," Willow said. "Then he got the chip and became obsessed with her. Now he loves her."

"He's a demon, Willow. It's obsession, not love," Xander said. "He's not Angel. He doesn't have a soul."

She shrugged, not willing to argue.

"Why does Spike fight his own kind?" Jamie asked.

"He loves fighting, killing, and violence," Xander said.

"It's his nature," Willow said.

"Lucky for us, he's on our side," Anya added as Spike killed the first one.

"Hurry it up, Slayer," Spike said, lighting a cigarette.

"Why aren't you helping her?" Kayce asked him.

"She doesn't need my help," Spike said as he took a puff.

Buffy proved that by using the sword she had to cut off its head.

"Finally," Xander said. "You were enjoying that too much."

"Yeah, well, I needed the exercise," she said with a shrug.

"Slayers like to fight," Willow explained to her family.

"You say that like you know more than one," John said.

"Oh, well, after Buffy died, Kendra was called," Willow explained. "She was Jamaican. Very sweet but very by the book. Spike's ex-girlfriend, Drusilla killed her our junior year. She didn't last a year. Then Faith was called. Faith loved fighting a lot. She loves being a slayer. She sided with our mayor, who ascended into this giant forty-foot snake on our graduation."

"He ate our principal," Xander added. "Not a loss. There was a solar eclipse that day, so the vampires attacked. Angel helped fight, but we still lost several classmates. We had to arm the entire senior class. I was key guy, leading the attack."

"Buffy's job was luring the snake mayor into the school that was had wired with explosives, so we could blow him up," Willow explained.

"So she really did destroy her school?" Jamie asked.

"Well, she had to," Willow said. "The mayor was going to eat us all."

John shook his head. Every story was horrific.

"Where was the other slayer?" Kayce asked.

"Oh, she had sided with the mayor and tried to kill Angel. Her and Buffy had a big fight before graduation. Buffy put her in a coma," Willow said. "When she got out of the coma, eight months later, she had some do-hicky that the mayor left that allowed her and Buffy to swap bodies for a day. She slept with her boyfriend and then went to Los Angeles and tried to kill Angel again. But somehow, Angel got through to her, and she turned herself in, pled guilty to the murder the mayor had her do."

"You think she will come here and help now?" Jamie asked. "That's a lot of bad blood."

"I don't," Willow said. "Angel and Buffy do. Buffy went and visited her in prison already."

"So she's dangerous?" Kayce asked.

"She's almost as strong as Buffy with homicidal tendencies," Willow said.

"Well, maybe you should think about transferring to one of those Ivy League schools you got into," John said pointedly.

Willow thought about what she would do if Buffy actually left. Could she handle living here if Faith was the slayer?

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

Buffy was nervous. Her grandfather said very little about her slaying. He just seemed to watch and take it all in. He hugged her before bedtime and told her that he loved her.

Beth said, "You are the most insane, brave, kick-ass chick I have ever met. I am very glad to be your aunt."

"I'm sorry if I've given you nightmares," Buffy told her.

"I already had them," Beth replied, a haunted look in her eyes.

Buffy felt for her aunt, who seemed more than a little broken as she went up to her room.

Now it was morning, and they were going to leave by ten as their flight wasn't until two or three.

When Buffy joined them in the kitchen, Dawn was there with Kayce.

"Where's Grandpa?" Buffy asked.

"He's in the living room talking with Jamie," Kayce said.

"How does he seem?" Buffy asked.

"Okay," Kayce said.

"Is Beth awake?" Buffy asked.

"I'll go see," Kayce said, going upstairs to rouse her.

Buffy poured a cup of coffee and said good morning to Dawn.

"I don't want them to go," Dawn said, looking sad.

"We'll see them at Christmas," Buffy said.

A short time later, they all were in the kitchen, Beth included.

"So I haven't said much as it was a lot to take in," John said. "There's no doubt that I'm very proud of you, Buffy. I hate that this has been your life, and I am so glad that you are in our lives now. Jamie and I will do what we can to make sure that Faith, the other slayer, is released and sent here after we speak to her and make sure she will be a help and not a problem for Giles. We'll make sure that she has some type of ankle monitor on, so she has incentive to behave. Give her a few years of good behavior before it's removed."

"That's a good idea," Buffy said, nodding. Faith wouldn't like it, but she'd deal.

"As for Dawn, there is no way, she is staying another night on this hellmouth, Buffy," John said firmly. "I know you want her with you, and I know you are great at protecting her. However, one time your protection forced you to die for her. Then she was left without your protection. She needs to be away from this place."

"I don't want to leave, Buffy," Dawn said.

"That's just too damn bad," John said flatly. "It's happening. You are not a child, but you are also not an adult. You are fifteen and very mature. Buffy will see you at Christmas and will be living with us in Yellowstone by the summer. You'll be okay until she is ready to leave here."

"I have three weeks left in my semester. I can't just leave school!" Dawn protested.

"Sure, you can," John said. "There's this new thing called the internet. You can do anything nowadays. Jamie is staying until Monday, and he will go to the school with legal papers, forcing the school to let you do it online. You can fly in for the final exams, but you will leave the same day. You will arrive very early and leave before the sun goes down."

"Don't be ridiculous, Grandpa. She's survived the hellmouth for years," Buffy said.

"No, she hasn't!" John exclaimed, looking stern. "She was nearly sacrificed. You basically were. She has three more years until she's an adult. I had much rather she be on my ranch fighting with the Indians over land, riding horses, and gossiping about boys than worrying about whether or not is today the day she might die, or you might die!"

"Our mother died of a brain aneurysm," Buffy reminded him. "Death can be very random. Grandma lived all her life on a horse ranch and died when a horse fell on her. No one can predict when death comes. I will always be a slayer. The supernatural will always come after me."

"Well, on my ranch, there are two thousand acres of land where we can see them coming. Where my men and I can help protect you from anything that would hurt you!" he informed her. "There, I can hire a damn army to help you!"

"Jamie has changed my ticket to leave tomorrow and bought her one to go with me. Kayce and Beth are still leaving today," John said.

Buffy opened her mouth to argue, and John stood up, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy, don't fight me on this. You won't win. I love you, and I don't want to fight you," he said. "I'm the grandfather, and she's a minor. Legally, you have very little standing as your background is shaky. I will be ruthless to get my way on this. Dawn will be in Montana by tomorrow. Make your peace with it."

Buffy stared at her grandfather in surprise. How was she going to respond to this?

*****To Be Continued******

If you watch Yellowstone, I hope you feel this was in character. If you don't, John is not one to ever just react impulsively. That's Beth. Reviews are great. Thanks!