Part 3

The Kent's Brownstone
9:30 pm

Buffy settled onto the armchair facing the sofa where Lois and Clark sat. To her amusement, he'd spun and changed from the Superman costume to jeans and a t-shirt. "So where'd you get your superpowers?" she asked, wanting to prolong her own explanation as long as possible. These two were reporters. She had a feeling they were going to want everything.

Clark leveled a gaze at her, and she knew that he realized what she was trying to do. For a second she wasn't sure he'd answer, but then he spoke. "I'm not human Buffy. As a child, I was sent from my home planet of Krypton to Earth. For some reason, the yellow effects of the sun have an effect on my by body."

"Cool. So you fly and have enough strength to give a vamp a fun for his money. Anything else?"

"Super hearing, heat and x-ray vision," replied Clark with an off hand shrug.

"X-ray vision? Xander would lov...." Buffy broke off. "So other than me and Lois, who knows about your alter ego?"

"My adopted parents." Clark answered. "Okay Buffy, maybe you'd like to answer some of our questions now?"

"I guess." Buffy pushed her hair out of her face. "Shoot."

"Were those really vampires?"

Buffy nodded. "Uh huh. The bloodsucking undead. Nasty habit of killing others. Gross teeth. Like the idea of bringing hell to earth."

"But how...vampires are just myths, legends..." Lois seemed lost.

"Well, it goes like this. Earth didn't start off as paradise like so many people want to believe. Demons ruled the planet until way was made for humans and they were sent back to hell. Certain evils still remain."

"Like vampires?" asked Clark.

"Among others. Pretty much everything that you've told yourself didn't exist. It all does. At least that's what my Watcher told me."

"Who?" asked Lois.

"My Watcher. He's the person with the knowledge that helps and trains me."

"And you're the Slayer." Both he and Lois looked as if they were trying to process all the information.

"Yup."

"Which is what exactly?" asked Lois.

"The one girl..." Buffy broke off looking suddenly uncomfortable. "Um one thing. I don't exactly mind answering, but I need to know you won't repeat what I say."

"Buffy, we're reporters, this is our job."

"Yeah I know. But this stuff is 100% real in your face danger. Why haven't you tattled on Clark? Other than that you're married to him?"

"That's different. Clark has an identity to protect. People are always after Superman."

"And how do you think I'm viewed?"

"But.."

"We won't say anything Buffy," interrupted Clark, his voice quiet and serious, his gaze steady. "Now what is a Slayer?"

"Well, in every generation there is one girl in all the world with the strength an skill to fight vampires, demons and the forces of darkness. The Chosen One. The Vampire Slayer."

"And you're her," said Lois. "How do you know for sure?"

"Other than the fact that I've fought those things for almost 2 years, and I'm still here? I don't know how the people, the Watchers know, they just do. Plus I have these wiggy sensations for evil. That and the fact that every vampire tries to make a name for themselves by killing me. My life is so fun."

"And there's only one of these girls for the entire world?"

"Well, there's only supposed to be one. Technically, now there's two." At their silence she continued. "I've never been too big on playing by the book, and this prophecy came telling my death. Well, I drowned, but I came back. In the minute that I was gone, the next Slayer was called." Buffy shrugged, realizing somewhat sadly that Kendra's death had probably activated another girl.

"So why are you here? Why aren't you with the that Watcher you mentioned, Xander was it?" queried Lois. "Were those stories of family problems just stories?"

Buffy caught them off guard with a fit of giggles. They subsided quickly though, and her laughing eyes filled with tears.

"Hey, you don't have to say if you don't want to," said Clark at her side with a box of tissues in seconds.

Buffy shook her head and her eyes changed again, to a steely resolve reflected with pain. "No, no. Its all right. I've got to tell someone before I go absolutely wonky." She took a deep breath. "Xander's just a friend of mine. One of my best buds. My watcher is the librarian. Giles. He's cool for a stuffy Brit. If it wasn't for him, and the all the rest of them, I'd be dead right now. And all I did was hurt them. Willow, Giles, Kendra, my mom, Jenny, Angel...I had to leave. Too much pain, too many memories. So I hopped a bus."

"What happened?" asked Lois, steadily, almost afraid of all the pain reflected in her eyes. Had she lost them all?

"Lois," warned Clark.

"No, its okay." Buffy stared down at the coffee table, without really seeing it. It looked as if she was suddenly very far away. She was silent for a long while. The Kents thought she'd fallen asleep when she finally spoke.

"I'd figured on having a normal life when I moved with Mom after the divorce. Slaying had gotten me kicked out of school; I'd lost friends, and not just to death. I wanted to get back on track at my new school. Cheerleading again, maybe. Was I off. The powers that be weren't ready for my retirement just yet. I went to get my books for my classes, and Giles gave me a vampire book." She wasn't really talking to them anymore, she was just thinking out loud. "Then the damn body was found in the locker room. Two holes, no blood. I confronted Giles about it, telling him I'd quit the business and that he should fight the vampires. Wasn't going to happen; cuz the town wasn't your normal little quiet suburb. The Spanish settlers called the town the Boca del Inferno."

"The Mouth of Hell," translated Clark.

"Yup. The town had been built over a hellmouth, meaning any nasty creature of darkness was drawn to it like Disneyland. I was fine with my decision until a couple of people I'd met got into trouble. Willow, Xander and Jesse. That night was the first time I failed them, when Jesse died. It was also the first time I met Angel."

Her fingers unconciously twisted a ring on her left ring finger, as she described her first meeting with Angel, and that first challenge she'd faced in her new home. She told them everything...finding out what Angel was, dying, Angel turning...everything that happened over the last 2 years. Giles, Willow, Xander, even Cordelia and Oz. Her tale spun out, her quick insights building up the whole gang. The whole while, her voice remained soft and detached.

"I finally told my mom that night. She didn't freak. She didn't know enough TO freak. All she knew that a girl had died, another was in the hospital and that I was the suspect. She wanted me to explain, but I couldn't, I didn't have time. I know she didn't really mean it when she kicked me out. But it still hurt. At the time, I didn't care. I HAD to go. The world needed saving again, and I was its only hero now.

"I went to get the sword Kendra had brought, and Snyder found me. Expelled me for the second time. I was past caring at that point. I had a job to do, and that's all I could focus on." Tears had begun to stream down her cheeks, yet she continued, unseeing as her tale was retold. "I knew one of us was going to die that morning. Xander surprised me by showing up. Good thing too. I didn't want to have to worry about getting Giles out of there; I just wanted to focus on Angelus. So he got Giles out as I faced the demon that wore my boyfriend's face. He opened the portal before I could stop him."

The tears were falling harder now, and she'd wrapped her arms around her knees as they came to her chin, but her voice never wavered. "We fought for what seemed forever, though it wasn't more than 5 or ten minutes. I finally got the upper hand though, and was about to end it, when it happened. I could feel the change in the air, see it in his eyes. Angel was back. He didn't remember anything." Buffy's eyes closed as she remembered, recreating how his embrace had felt after so long with words. "It had been so long, and so hard for me to fight the demon who wore Angel's face. Angel was my strength, my joy. The one freaky thing in my freaky world that made sense to me. Being in his arms, it was like a homecoming. I was complete whenever he was near.

"He wasn't even worried about why I was standing over him with a sword. He was more concerned about a cut on my arm his body had inflicted minutes ago. As he held me, the portal suddenly appeared and grew. For a split second, I considered forgetting about the world, and just letting it grow. Yet I couldn't do it, no matter how much I wanted to. I think he felt me tense, and I told him to close his eyes. He trusted me enough to do that. I told him I loved him. Then I kissed him and killed him. My name was the last word off his lips before the portal swallowed him. The confusion, grief an betrayal in his eyes...it hurt. I decided then that I had to leave. I'd just sacrificed the one thing in my world that meant more to me than anything to save the world. I wouldn't be able to stay around there and survive without going crazy. So I snuck home and got some stuff. I left a note for my mom and told her to go to Giles. Then I left."

No one spoke. Clark was somber, and angry at a world that could do all that to such a young girl. She'd been through more than he'd thought when Lois had introduced them, or when they'd started the questions earlier. But it explained a lot. The haunted look in her eyes, the weariness, the increased wariness. She'd seen and done so much in less than 3 years, more than many people faced in a life time. He felt cheated for her. She should be at her house, dating, talkin with friends. Worried about school. Not whether or not she'd face a demon one night and be killed.

He looked down at Lois. Her cheeks were tear stained. Her, who tried hard to never cry, the stubborn reporter. Calmly, he placed an arm around her shoulder and gently rubbed it. Bleary eyes looked up at him in a smile. If he had ever lost her...they'd come so close to it, but they always came back. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before moving over to Buffy. The teenager still hadn't moved, and her thin body was shaking. Her perched on the arm rest beside her, and put an arm around her shoulders. He was only midly surprised as she turned into his arm, holding on for dear life as she cried even harder.

They must of sat like that for at least half an hour before Buffy's sobs quieted and her breathing stilled to an even pace. Faintly, the heavy weight of her body clued Clark in that she had fallen asleep, and he looked to Lois, who had been quiet the entire time. "I think she's asleep."

"I don't blame her. Clark, she's only 17. How has she been able to handle all...that?" asked Lois as she followed her husband up the stairs as he carried Buffy to the guest room.

"She might only be 17 Lois, but I think she's a lot older than that, mentally. Too go through all that, and not lose your childhood...its amazing she's still able to go out an enjoy herself."

June 6, 1999
Kent Brownstone
7:30 am

Buffy moved slowly down the stairs, the shower she'd just taken not having a very waking effect. She'd woken up tired and exhausted from having cried herself to asleep. At the same time though, she felt somewhat better now that at least some one knew what she had gone through that morning.

Clark was sitting at the table in the kitchen when she walked in, sipping a mug of coffee, and reading the paper spread out in front of him. He looked up and smiled at her. "How are you feeling?"

Buffy shrugged as she got a mug and sat down, reaching for the coffe pot set on the table. "I'm still exhausted. I'm used to it though." She took a sip and scowled at the mug.

"Cold?"

"Uh huh." Buffy watched, amused, as Clark slid his glasses down his nose and focused on the mug, two rays of red aiming at the coffee. The cup warmed in her hands, and she grinned. "That must come in handy."

Clark grinned and shrugged.

"Thanks by the way. Not for the coffee, but for you guys listening to me last night. I think I needed to tell someone, anyone, before I exploded."

"Then I'm glad you trusted us enough to confide in us."

"Hey, didn't have much of a choice. You let me in on your secret. I figured I'd let you in on mine."

"Can I tell you something?" When Buffy nodded, he continued. "I have to admire you for everything you've done. You must have been raised well to have those morals."

"It wasn't my family Clark. My home life basically ubersucked. My mom isn't a very perceptive woman, it took her almost 3 years to find out what I was doing every night. Its either deeply ingrained in me, or its Giles. And Angel. But I'm the Slayer Clark. Its not a choice, its a destiny. You can escape being Superman. I'm always going to be the Slayer."

"For what its worth, you're a good one."

"Thanks Clark."

"You two ready?" Lois rushed into the kitchen, her suit jacket half on, half off, the top button of her blouse undone.

Clark grinned and got up, shaking his head. "Come on ladies, time for work."

Daily Planet Office
2:15 pm

"Buffy, maybe you should contact some one from home. I'm sure they're worried. Your mom and Giles especially."

"They know I survived."

"Buffy, they don't know if you're okay though. That you're safe."

"I know, its just, I think its better if they don't know where I am."

"Look, if thats all thats stopping you, Jimmy knows a lot about computers. Have him send a message to that Willow friend of yours to let her know. He could probably do it without having her trace it."

"You don't know Willow. But all right."

"Jimmy!"

Jimmy Olsen, apparently red faced, got up from his desk where he had been quietly watching the blonde girl that was staying with his best friends. "Yea Lois?"

"You remember Buffy right?"

Jimmy blushed and nodded. "Uh, yeah. Hi Buffy."

"Heya. Listen, Lois says your something of a computer genius?" When he nodded, she continued. "Do you think you could do me a favor and help me get in touch with some one? Without them being able to find out where the messages are from?"

"Um, sure...now?"

"Sounds good."

Part 4

Sunnydale, California
Sunnydale High School Library
9:15

"Oh my lord. Giles. Giles!" Willow yelled, her eyes never leaving the screen. Giles appeared in his office door, concern written across his face.

The others, Xander, Cordelia, and Oz, were camped out across the room, and all awoke at her yells. School had ended 5 days ago, and they congregated in the library everyday, in hopes of finding the errant Slayer. Joyce Summers had come to them the day that they'd last seen Buffy, a creased paper in her hands, and tears still apparent on her face, telling them that her daughter had left.

*****

May 26, 1999
Sunnydale High School Library
1:14 a.m.

"What the hell has been going on with my daughter for the past 2 years?"

The Slayerettes looked up in surprise at the intrusion. They'd all cut their classes and had assembled in the library, in hopes that Buffy would suddenly appear and they worries would be at ease. If not that, at least a call that she was safe with Angel. So when Joyce Summers entered the swinging doors, a majorly peeved expression on her face, they all stiffened.

Giles was the first to regain his speech. "Ah, Mrs. Summers. Um, what are you talking about?"

"This!" Joyce waved a piece of paper in his face. "My daughter has run away, telling me to come here, that you would be able to explain."

"E-explain what? And she ran away? Did she say why?"

"I don't know!" Joyce seemed to deflate in front of them, sinking into the wooden chair that Oz pulled out for her. "She came home late last night, saying something about being a vampire slayer. When she wouldn't explain, we began to fight, and she moved to leave. I told her to never come back if she did..."

"You did what!" Willow's outburst startled them all. "How could you! You're her mother! Do you even have any idea what she probably went through last night...If she left because of you..."

"Shh, baby, shh. It'll be okay. Come on, lets go get you some air." Oz calmly pulled his girlfriend away from the table, pushing the wheelchair out of the library.

Joyce seemed even more visibly shaken. "Mr. Giles? What has been going on with my daughter? What did she mean when she said she was a vampire slayer?

"Um, ah, well, I'll explain. But first, you said she told you to come here?"

Joyce handed the paper that she had waved at him. "In her note. I found it on her bed this morning. The outfit she had on last night was laying on the floor and a lot of her clothes were missing."

"She survived then. Thank the Lord." Giles looked to Cordelia and Xander who were being strangely quiet. "Xander, Cordelia? Could you go get Oz and Willow? Tell them that Buffy is alive."

Joyce turned to look at Xander, surprise on her face as she saw his arm. She turned back to Giles, suddenly seeing the beaten look on his face and the splints that his fingers were in. She then remembered that Willow had been in the hospital the night before and that she'd been in a wheelchair. Looking around the library, she saw the remains of what looked like a crime scene. "What happened to you? And Willow and Xander? And why wouldn't she have survived? What is going on with my daughter Mr. Giles?"

"Ah, um, Mrs. Summers, you're daughter is in fact a Vampire Slayer. She wasn't lying when she told you this. It is nothing that she can change, or ignore," he said softly as he sat beside her, turning to face her. "In every generation there is a chosen one, the one with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, demons and forces of darkness..."

Joyce sent him an incredulous look. "You're surely not serious Mr. Giles."

"I'm afraid I am. This is a very serious matter. If Buffy hasn't told you before, it was in an effort to protect you. We have had some rough times these past few months, all starting back with Buffy's birthday." The teenagers reentered the room at that point, and Giles broke off. "Willow, get on the computer and look up flight records and such. Xander, Cordelia? Can you go check out the bus station. See if Buffy is there."

Joyce watched as her daughters friends nodded mutely, moving around the library with a practiced efficency. All seemed to be taking this seriously. What had she stumbled into?

****

"Willow? What is it?" Oz moved to his girlfriend's side, peering at the computer screen.

"Buffy, it's Buffy!" Her exclamation brought the gang rushing to behind her, all looking at the message that had popped up on the screen. Instantly Willow began a trace, even as she began to respond.

"Hey Wills."

"Buffy!? Where are you? Are you all right?"

"I'm doing all right. I'm not good, but that can't be helped. I guess my mom came by..."

"She was here. Why Buffy? Why did you just leave, without saying goodbye. I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad."

"I doubt that. Your spell worked Willow......it must have gotten delayed or something...Angel came back."

"Is he there? Are you with him?"

There was a long pause and Willow thought that she had disconnected.

"I sent him to hell Willow. There wasn't any choice. Acathla was opening, and he was the only one to close it..."

"Buffy..."

"No. I just wanted to tell ya that I was safe. That's it. I love you guys." With that, they got no more answer.

"Were you able to find out where she was?" asked Xander worriedly.

"Its still trying to figure out the path. Someone messed up the lines to try and stop a trace. Hopefully I'm better than them."

"Hope so kid." An accented voice cut into the group, making all heads swivel toward the stacks, where a badly dressed man with a felt hat rounded the shelves and stood at the banister, looking down on them.

"Who are you? And why are you here?" asked Giles, who had gone wary at the sight of the man.

"Name's Whistler. As to why I'm here, the kids got it rough." The man came down the stairs, watching the group. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, but no one exactly foresaw the gypsy clause. They always were pains. Eh, what's done is done, and I'm here to fix it."

"Do you know where Buffy is?" asked Xander.

"That's not for me to tell. You'll figure it out. If you don't, well, the balance isn't exactly going to be even."

"So why are you here? To tell us what we already know? That we need to get Buffy back? Well, duh." Cordelia scoffed at the man, almost cringing at his horrible outfit.

"Princess, do us all a favor and shut up." Whistler fixed the group with a look. "You know now that Buffy was forced to send Angel to hell. Only thing is, the computer witch fixed him with a soul, so he can't spend too long down there. You're going to need to find a way to get him out."

"Why should we save him? All he did was ..." Xander cut off as Whistler approached him. Even though the man was a few good inches shorter, there was something about him that Xander really did not want to be messing with.

"I wouldn't be talking like that if I were you. You were the one who neglected to tell the kid that your friend was performing the spell. That was our attempt to try and fix things, but no, you had to go screw everything up and make my work load even heavier. Like I don't have enough to do trying to balance the world of good and evil. "Let me tell you this, if my boy isn't brought back, the kid isn't going to make it. Ever. And I'm not talking one life here. She'll die and move on, and he'll be stuck down there for eternity." Whistler looked at Giles. "I suggest you put aside whatever differences you have and help if you want your Slayer back."

And with that, he was gone, leaving the Scooby gang with their mouths open. Willow was the first to break the silence, nearly lunging for Xander before Oz and Cordelia held her back. "What did he mean, you never told her? You promised Xander. This is all your fault! All your fault!"

"Wills, I'm sorry, its just, I thought if she knew then she might make a mistake."

"That wasn't your decision Xander. Buffy would have handled the news." Cordelia looked at her boyfriend with contempt in her eyes.

"Cordelia is right. What you did was unforgivable, but we have more important things to deal with. We must find a way to get Angel back." Giles looked like he was barely holding the Ripper back. "No matter how much I want to yell at you right now for acting like the immature child I'd thought you'd grown out of, Buffy is more important. Willow, start looking for anything on getting a body out of hell. Cordelia, Oz, I should have some books with references to such a thing. Xander, stay out of my way."

Part 5

Metropolis
The Kent Brownstone
7 pm

"Guys, I'll be fine. I can take care of myself." Buffy crossed her arms across her chest as she stood in the living room. "I've been going out every night, but now that you find out I'm a slayer, you go parental. Why weren't you worried when I was going out before and you didn't know I could take care of myself?"

"That was before we knew what was out there," said Lois. "At least let Clark go with you. He needs to patrol the city anyway."

Buffy crossed her arms, "Fine, but the only reason I'm doing this is because I need to get some of this adreliane out of my system." She produced a length of wood, a stake, offered it to Clark. "I know this doesn't measure to your strengths, but just in case."

Streets of Metropolis
8:02 pm

"Do you like doing what you do?" came the quiet question, startling Clark. The two of them had been walking for most of the uneventful night, without speaking.

"I like helping people. I have the ability to do so."

"Doesn't it just get tiring after awhile though? Don't you just want to be able to live your normal life without having all that responsibilty?"

"It gets tiring at times, yes. But I didn't start my role until I moved here to Metropolis. I lived my life beforehand. I wasn't stripped of my childhood...This was a concious descision on my part."

Buffy sighed. "I envy you for that. I wasn't given a choice. One day, it was like, pop quiz. The next, rain of toads. I've tried to quit you know. The time I died. It doesn't work."

"Maybe its because of who you are Buffy. There's a part of you that won't allow you to just sit by and let other people be hurt."

"But maybe its that part of me because of what I am."

"Maybe you're who you are because of that part of it."

"You're awfully good at that you know. Lois is lucky to have you."

"We've been through a lot together. She's my..."

"World? Even when you're away from her, you constantly think of her, to the point that its almost hurts to be away?"

"Yes, how...Angel?"

"Do you believe in soulmates?"

Clark gave a smile that was hidden in the shadows of the night. "Definitely. Lois is mine."

"Angel is mine. Oh, Clark, I miss him so much, I feel like I'm dying everyday when I wake up and remember. He's even in my dreams, haunting me, blaming me..."

"I don't think he would blame you Buffy. He'd be proud of you I think." Clark pulled the now crying girl into his arms, gently stroking her hair.

They stood like that for a long moment before a scream pierced the night, and Buffy pulled away, suddenly very composed. "Someone is so getting wailed on."

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