Been There, Done That, Too: Part 2
by John Dorsey
See First Part for disclaimers

Part Two

“Say that again.” Giles replied.

“I just told you everything.”

“You must realize... this is a bit much for me to believe.”

“Giles, I can hardly believe it myself, but it’s true,” Buffy said. “As I said before, I knew about the mugging in the alley and the gas station exploding, causing a fire that goes out of control... not to mention the bank robbery. Yesterday... I mean, today, when Willow and I come to the library, you eventually tell us more about the Rite of Fantiago. You tell us about the other mugging, the bank robbery, the gas station exploding, and how these are all after-affects of the rite.”

Giles turned on the TV and flipped on the news. “This just in...” the anchorman announced. “Besides the fire that is now raging out of control in downtown Sunnydale, there were two muggings early in the morning. One of these was foiled by an unidentified teenage girl, but the other has resulted in two deaths...”

After the report ended, another began about a bank robbery in which five people were killed. When it was over, Giles turned the TV off and looked at Buffy. “I think we better start believing you. I’d like to think there’s a spell in my books that could be used to counter the Rite of Fantiago, but there’s not enough time to go through them all.”

“I can save you some time. Tonight you call me and say that you haven’t found anything in your seventeenth century texts. So we can rule those out.”

“Yes,” Giles said, raising his eyebrows. “I guess so. If I find anything, I’ll let you know.”

“So the day repeated itself,” said Willow, “This reminds me of something.”

“What?” Giles asked.

“It reminds me of a story I had read somewhere. Wait! Now I remember! The story is in the Scrolls.”

“Scrolls?” Xander frowned.

“The Xena Scrolls.”

“Xena? Like as in the TV show?” asked Buffy.

“The show is based after the Scrolls. They tell of a number of adventures of a warrior princess named Xena sometime in the first or second century B.C., actually no one’s sure when. Or if Xena really existed at all. One of those stories of her involves the day repeating itself over and over again until she finds a way to stop all the evils that occur from taking place. I wonder if Buffy could be facing the same situation.”

“Well,” Buffy said, “the other mugging happened real close to the one that I foiled. So if today happens again tomorrow, I guess I can practice stopping it.” She smiled at them.

Xander, Willow, and Giles simply stared at her, having no idea what to say.

* * *

“Buffy, are you all right?”

Buffy raised her head and was slowly pulled to her feet. Her head throbbed a little.

“Buffy, we thought for a second you were dead. Have you been here all night?” Willow asked.

Buffy put her hand on her head. “It’s happening again. Everything is repeating.”

Xander looked at her closely. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Willow and I were on our way to school when we saw you. Good thing we happened to look in this alley as we were passing by.”

“I fell and hit my head. I...” Buffy said. Her eyes widened and she ran to the street.

“Help! My cat! She’s stuck in a tree.”

Buffy turned and looked. She saw a young girl with brunette hair standing underneath a tree. Buffy quickly ran towards her. All of a sudden, a black cat fell from the tree. Buffy dove and barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground. She had scraped her elbows on the sidewalk, but it had been worth it.

Xander and Willow caught up with her. “Buffy, that was awesome.” Willow said. “It’s like you knew it was going to happen.”

“I did know,” Buffy smiled as she handed the cat to the happy little girl.

“Say that again,” Xander replied.

“I also know something else,” Buffy added, then started to run. Xander and Willow ran after her.

A block away, Buffy turned into an alley. There were two young boys being held at knifepoint by a man in a black jacket. A quick thrust kick sent him crashing to the ground.

“I did it,” Buffy said as Xander and Willow caught up to her. “One mugging foiled,” she said to them, “one more to go.” She quickly ran down the street.

“Are you as confused as I am?” Xander asked Willow.

“More.”

“Let’s head after her.”

Buffy ran down two blocks to St. Peters Street. She turned into the alley and saw a man hiding in the shadows.

“I guess I’m here a little early,” she said, “but time management is very important to me.” A right hook sent the man crashing to the ground. A man and woman walked by the alley. Buffy recognized them as the two people who had been killed. As they passed, she also noticed a seven-year-old boy on a skateboard going in the opposite direction.

Xander and Willow caught up with her. “Who is that guy?” Xander asked, looking at the person out cold on the ground.

“A mugger.” Buffy answered.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out.

Buffy turned around to see another man jump out of the shadows and run down the alley. There had been two muggers, not one. Buffy was about to chase him, but then she saw Willow fall to her knees. She then collapsed into Xander’s arms.

“No...” Xander cried. His face was shaking with grief. “Oh, my god. She’s dead, Buffy. She’s dead.”

“It’ll be okay, Xander,” Buffy said, kneeling beside him. “I promise it’ll be okay.” It better be, she kept telling herself. It better be...

Buffy suddenly couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

* * *

“Buffy, are you all right?” . Buffy raised her head and was slowly pulled to her feet. Her head throbbed a little.

“Buffy, we thought for a second you were dead. Have you been here all night?” Willow asked.

Buffy turned her head towards Willow. “Willow!” She put her arms around her and hugged her as tight as she could. “Thank god! Willow!”

Xander raised his eyebrows. “Sure, give her all the thanks. I was the one who spotted you. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Willow and I were on our way to school when we saw you. Good thing we happened to look in this alley as we were passing by.”

“Come on, let’s go,” Buffy said. She ran to the street.

“Help! My cat! She’s stuck in a tree.”

Buffy turned and looked. She saw a young girl with brunette hair standing underneath a tree. Buffy pointed at the tree and said casually. “Okay, the cat in that tree is going to fall out and die.” All of a sudden, a black cat fell from the tree and hit the ground. The girl cried as she bent over the cat. It was dead.

“Oh, no...” Willow winced. “How did you know that? Why didn’t you try to save it?”

“Let’s just say... been there, done that. Now, a block away two young kids are about to get mugged.” She ran off in that direction. Willow and Xander followed.

“Has she lost her mind?” Willow asked.

“I think so.”

Buffy stopped in front of the alley where a man in a black jacket was holding a knife in front of two young kids. “There’s the first mugging,” she pointed for Willow and Xander to see. “Been there, done that, too. I need to figure out the best way to stop the next mugging... which is this way.” She ran off again.

When she came towards the alley on St. Peters Street, she stopped and let Willow and Xander catch up to her. “Buffy, what is going on?” Xander asked. “Why didn’t you help the cat and those two kids?”

“I’ve been there, done that. I told you. Now... there are two muggers in that alley. I’ve got a score to settle. Stay here.” She smiled at them quickly before turning into the alley. Buffy ran down two blocks to St. Peters Street. She turned in the alley and saw a man hiding in the shadows. He drew a knife.

“I guess I’m here a little early,” she smiled, “but time management is very important to me.” Suddenly, Xander ran towards her. “Buffy!” He suddenly tripped and crashed right into her. Dazed, she looked up as the other man stepped of the shadows. They both drew guns and took aim.

“Oops,” Xander whispered and gave Buffy a small smile.

A gunshot was the last thing she heard.

* * *

“Buffy, are you all right?”

Buffy raised her head and was slowly pulled to her feet. Her head throbbed a little.

“Buffy, we thought for a second you were dead. Have you been here all night?” Willow asked.

Buffy put her hand on her head. She glared at Xander, remembering the very painful death she had suffered.

Xander looked at her closely. “Are you okay?”

Buffy reared her fist back and clobbered Xander with all the strength her slayer abilities provided. He plummeted on his back. Willow ran over to Xander. Her voice was shaking. “You... you broke his neck. He’s dead... Oh, my god, he’s dead!” Tears were streaming down her face.

Buffy sat down on the alley floor. “Oops...” she smiled. She had never realized she could hit someone that hard. Buffy looked at her hand. “Darn. I broke a nail.”

It was going to be a very long today.

* * *

“Buffy, are you all right?”

Buffy raised her head and was slowly pulled to her feet. Her head throbbed a little.

“I’m fine!” she yelled. “I’m fine! I’m fine! I’m fine! Just leave me alone so I can think!”

Xander and Willow let go of her and took a step back. Buffy leaned back against the alley wall, then began to pace, her hands grasping her forehead in frustration.

“Okay, it’s clear what I have to do. I have to save the cat, stop one mugging, stop another mugging, stop the bank robbery, stop the Texaco station from blowing up, and then stop the last part of the Rite of Fantiago from being cast so I can save the world! But until Giles figures out who this person is who’s performing the rite and where this person is located, there’s no point in trying to save anybody because the day is just going to keep repeating anyway!”

Buffy turned and looked at the two of them.

“All right, let’s go see Giles... after I call my mom... again.”

Buffy walked off, and Xander and Willow quietly followed her, neither saying a word.

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