Ain't destiny's grand?: Chapter 4
by i_hate_mornings
Disclaimer: Nothings changed since ya last saw me

Chapter 4


‘I’m Buffy; The Vampire Slayer.’

‘I’m Wesley Wyndam Price. Ex-Watcher,’ was the last thing she expected to come out of the stuffy Englishman’s mouth.

'Huh?’

Buffy stared at Wesley in shock. He was a watcher? Well, she supposed, he did fit the stereotype perfectly. Boring, British, nerdy, knows about supernatural, it all added up to Watcher. I didn't know watchers could quit. Merrrick never told me that. I thought they were in it til the end. Watcher for life, yada yada. That sucks. Well for me anyway. Yay for them. Buffy felt put out. Slayers kept going til their death while watchers could just retire? Where was the fairness in that?

‘So you must be the current Slayer,’ Wesley nodded appraisingly, unaware of Buffy's thoughts. ‘You are a might smaller than I imagined you would be.’

‘Yeah, well, we all know that size doesn’t always matter,’ Willow put in, scowling at Wesley.

Buffy curiously noted Angel was still standing stock still, watching the scene in stony silence.

‘You must have been called after Kendra passed,’ Wesley mused. ‘Bad business that.’

‘Who’s Kendra?‘ Buffy asked him, more than a little confused. Bad business? What was that supposed to mean. Did something bad happen to Kendra?

‘Kendra was the Slayer before you. She died just over a year ago, that was when the power passed to you I presume.’

‘There’s a little problem with your theory there Wes,’ Buffy held up a hand tentatively.

‘Oh, yes? And what’s that?’ Wesley said smugly.

Buffy smiled, loving the fact she was about to wipe the smile off of his face. ‘I was called over three years ago. Not a year ago.’ she revelled in the stunned look that swept over the ex-Watchers face.

‘What…but… can’t be right,’ Wesley slumped back into his seat. How could that be possible? Kendra was the Slayer for almost two years. That would mean…’ Buffy could practically see the cogs turning in his mind as he thought it through. ‘Years of knowledge say only one Slayer at a time, The Chosen One,’ he said slowly, verbalising his thoughts. ‘If you were called three years ago, and Kendra was called two and a half years ago, there was some powerful magic done or-’ he broke of and looked uop at Buffy.

She could see understanding lighting his eyes and nodded slowly, confirming his suspicions. You died,’ he stated calmly.

‘What?’ The whole room was focused on Buffy and she shrank back under the force of their combine gazes.

‘I died,’ she confirmed and Fred gasped, Willow put a hand in her arm and Angel took a step closer to her. That’s when Buffy realised the entire Angel Investigations team was in the room and listening in with rabid fascination. Fred and Cordelia were standing off to the side of Angel, Gunn was leaning in the doorway, Connor was sitting on one of the other desks in the room and a bright green demon wearing tacky clothes was watching Buffy with sympathy written on its face.

‘You died?’ Gunn asked slowly and Buffy smiled grimly.

‘Yep. It was only for a minute,’ she explained before anyone got the wrong idea.

‘What happened?’ Connor asked, a blank mask quickly coming down over the curiosity etched on his face. Buffy knew that look. It was the I-want-to-know-but-I-don’t-want-people-to-know-I-want-to-know look.

Buffy sighed. ‘This isn’t really what we’re here for guy’s. Maybe we should research.’

‘Please tell us, Buffy,’ Willow said softly. ‘Maybe you’ll feel better after you’ve told someone.’

Buffy looked up at Angel and saw the many emotions cross his eyes. She drew strength from his comforting presence and steeled herself to relive the worst moment of her life in front of a bunch of strangers. Maybe it was for the best. She took a deep breath and began.

‘I was out on patrol one night. It was raining, breaking a seven month drought and I was in one of the graveyards in Cleveland. I staked a couple of newbies and was on my way home when I passed a friends hose and heard screaming,’ she paused as Wesley stood from his chair and walked over to a large file drawer. He opened it and pulled out a think book. Watcher’s diary, Buffy thought idly. How many times had she seen Merrick writing in his and teased him over it? She felt a pang in heart when she thought of her Watcher but she brushed it away and continued.

‘The house was being attacked by a small cadre of vampires. Seven, in total, I think. I managed to stake four of them before the remaining three surrounded me. They knew what I was by then. We fought and I managed to stake another before one hit me from behind. I blacked out.

‘I woke up in what can only be described as a lair. It reeked, was dirty and, I realised as I looked around, filled with vampires. They looked at me like I was lunch. It was the most scared I’ve ever been.’

Fred made a sound of sympathy and Willow wrapped her arms around Buffy’s shoulders. Buffy leaned against gratefully her. She wiped a hand over her face and looked around the room. Everyone watched her.

‘They parted and a vampire walked up to me. He was grinning and I knew he was the master vampire. He thanked me for coming and, me being me,‘ Buffy shrugged.

‘You had to say something smartassey back,’ Willow smiled and Buffy blushed.

‘I couldn’t help it. It just came out. It pissed him off majorly ‘cause he hit me, then ordered all the vamps to leave the room. A couple tried to stay but he threatened them and they left. One vamp remained.’

‘He started to tell me how it was such an honour to have me in his home and how he was looking forward to draining the life out of me. Killing as he had many slayers before me.’ Willow’s arms tightened around Buffy.

‘I tried to fight him but I failed. He bit me.’ Wesley gasped and Buffy hung her head. ‘I-I think he was going to turn me but I knew I couldn’t let him. Besides it being so completely wrong, my worst fear is becoming a vampire. I elbowed him in the stomach, surprising him and he let go of me. He’d taken too much though and I fell to the ground.’ Buffy paused, tears were filling her eyes as she remembered the next part.

‘There was a puddle where I landed and I couldn’t hold myself up. I drowned. I would have been gone if Merrick hadn’t showed up then. He pulled me out and performed CPR. When I was able to move, we got out of there.’

‘Who is Merrick?’ Wesley asked softly.

‘Merrick was my Watcher, ‘ Buffy replied, eyes downcast, tears streaming down her face as she remembered the kind, old face of her deceased Watcher.

‘Was?’ Angel spoke for the first time.

‘The vampire, Lothos, killed him a couple of days later. I watched it happen. I couldn’t save him. I staked the son a bitch later though.’

‘And your new watcher is?’ Wesley asked.

‘I uh, kinda don’t have one.’

‘What was that?’

‘I don’t have one.’

‘Oh,‘ Wesley seemed stunned and Buffy kinda felt sorry for him. ‘Why don’t you have one?’

‘After Merrick… died, I was never assigned someone else. Now that you’ve told me about Kendra, I’d say the idiots at the Council thought I was dead and after Merrick died there was no reason for them to believe otherwise.’

Wesley nodded slowly and Buffy wasn’t sure if he was agreeing with her or nodding to something going through his mind. ‘I need to make a call.’

Everyone turned and left the room, leaving a tense Wesley frantically punching numbers into the keypad of the phone on the desk.

************************

‘Who’s he callin’,’ Gunn asked the room as they all settled into the lobby. Willow and Buffy took the coffee coloured sofa while Angel and Gunn sat on the other one across from it. The rest sat in the comfy armchairs.

‘Giles,’ Angel muttered distractedly.

‘Who’s Giles?’ Willow piped up.

Angel studied the red head before him. She seemed very smart, a lot like Fred and he could feel the power radiating off of her but he knew she wasn’t aware of it. He frowned as he looked at her. He knew he’d seen her somewhere before. ‘You are one of the people we rescued,’ he blurted out and everyone but Buffy, Gunn and Connor looked at Willow in surprise.

‘Yeah, so? What’s your point, man? Half of us knew that already,’ Gunn scoffed.

‘I just didn’t realise is all,’ Angel defended himself. ‘I didn’t think she knew about all this stuff.’

‘She didn’t, Buffy spoke up for Willow. ‘After we came back, Willow realised she couldn’t forget about the things that went bump in the night so she sought me out and asked if she could help.’

‘Buffy’s coming with me to Sunnydale,’ Willow announced and it almost floored Angel. He’d only just met her and he was losing her already? ‘I told Buffy about Sunnydale’s high mortality rate and she wants to help.’

Angel felt something akin to disappointment. Maybe he’d find a way to somehow visit Sunnydale every now and then. Even if it was just to assure himself she was okay. It was only a two hour drive; he could be there and back in a night.

‘Doesn’t,’ he began but was cut off as Wesley came out of the office. All eyes were trained on him.

He took his glasses off and rubbed a hand over his tried eyes. ’I called Giles, told him of Buffy’s situation.’

‘And?’ Fred sat up straighter.

‘He was as surprised as I was to discover Buffy was without Watcher. He is on his way over now to discuss this with her himself.’

Angel turned slightly as her hear whispering and saw Buffy and Willow conferring between themselves. Buffy looked up and noticed him watching and she shrugged lightly. She looked to Wesley and Angel watched her eagerly. He couldn’t seem to keep from staring at her. She was a ray of sunlight in his dark word and he wanted to keep it for as long as he could.

‘Willow and I are gonna go get some food,’ Buffy told Wesley, standing up and pulling on her coat. Willow did the same and they walked to the front door before anyone was able to say a word.

‘Uh, Miss Summers,’ Wesley cleared his throat. ’Where are you going?’

‘To get food,’ Buffy answered looking at Wesley like he was stupid. ’I’m hungry. Do you have a problem with that?’

‘N-No but Giles will be here soon,’ Wesley stammered under Buffy’s glare.

‘And we’ll be back before then,’ Buffy smiled brightly. ’Don’t worry so much Wes. You’ll get lines.’

Gun snickered at that and Buffy walked out the door, casting a last look over the room, meeting Angels gaze. Willow followed her out. The door closed softly behind them.


‘Well, Wes. They really told you.’ Gunn chuckled.

Wesley huffed and left the group, muttering under his breath. Angel caught the words, Slayer, and irresponsible as he walked away. He grinned. Those girl were going to be an interesting influence on the stuffy Watcher, he could tell.


******************

‘So, what do we think about Angel?’ Willow asked Buffy as they dug into a huge bowl of fries and some mocha’s. She shrugged. What did she think of him? He was hot, that was obvious and he liked her, that was a plus but he was a vampire. A Slayer and a vampire dating was against the laws of man. And demon come to think of it.

‘I don’t know,’ Buffy sighed and put down the French fry she was holding. ‘He si really hot and I kinda like him but he’s a vampire Will, where exactly could our relationship go?’

‘You won’t know until you try,’ Willow dipped a fry in sauce. ‘Carpe Diem.’

‘Fish of the day?’ Buffy wrinkled her nose, confused.

Willow laughed. ‘Not Carp, Carpe. Seize the day. I heard that somewhere before.’

‘Good advice, I suppose,’ Buffy frowned, mulling it over. ‘Maybe I will give it a go, I mean it’s pretty obvious he like me so maybe I will seize it.’

‘There you go,’ Willow said happily, approving of Buffy‘s decision. ‘It could turn out to be the best thing you‘ve ever done.’

‘We’ll see about that,’ Buffy grabbed Willows arm and turned it as much as she could without hurting Willow so she could read the time. ’Let’s go. Giles should be there by now.’

‘I wonder what Giles does,’ Willow mused as they left the café arm in arm.

‘Ooh, maybe he’ll be some really cool guy who I can set you up with.’ Buffy ni=udged Willow and she blushed.

‘Don’t you dare,’ she warned. ‘Besides, Giles doesn’t sound like a young person’s name.’

‘It could be a nickname or his last name. They call Charles Gunn so why not call this dude Giles?’

‘We’ll see when we get there won’t we?’

‘Yeah. I’ll race you to the cutie,’ Buffy let go of Willow and started running.

‘Not fair,’ Willow called out as she began to run and they burst though the hotel door a few minutes later, breathing hard and holding their sides.

‘I won,’ Buffy crowed happily and Willow scoffed.

‘Like that’s a surprise. You have enhanced everything. It’s called cheating.’

Buffy pretended to be outraged. ‘How dare you,’ she pointed at Willow in horror.

Before they could go any further a cough jarred them back to the present and they looked up to see a new face in amongst the AI team. Buffy snorted and looked at Willow. This was just had to be Giles. Unfortunately for Willow, he was neither cute nor young. He looked to be in his late fifties, thinning hair, glasses, slightly chubby but he seemed to have this aura around him that demanded instant respect and attention. He was definitely English.

He confirmed that when he spoke. ‘Miss Summers, if you would not mind, I shall like to have a few words with you,’ he said formally and Buffy looked at Willow and burst into laughter. This guy was going to be so much more fun than Wesley.





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