Long Way To Happy: Prologue
by rabbitx14
Summary:
Sunnydale has been destroyed and Buffy and the Scooby Gang have relocated Cleveland, Ohio where another Hellmouth is located. With the limited vampire action Buffy is able to build a normal life and thanks to the Powers of Be, Buffy is able to live the life she’d always dreamed of – with Angel. On the other side of the globe in the deserts of Egypt Military Special Ops mission led by Major Riley Finn ends in tragedy when the entire team aside from two sole survivors is wiped out due to an army of demons. Vampire Slayer Faith being among the casualties. Riley himself is comatose and awakens to discover his wife Sam perished. With an honorable discharge in place Riley is approached by the Watchers Council with a watchers job for the new slayer, Ashleigh Madison whose original watcher and parents are killed by another army of demons the day after she was called into service. Together, Riley and Ashleigh leave the great white north of Toronto, Ontario and venture to Cleveland, Ohio in search of the legendary Slayer. One army of demons is enough trouble though when two armies head to Cleveland with the common goal of destroying man kind.
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or anything else besides the Original Character of Ashleigh Madison.
Prologue
Egypt; May 23rd, 2005
The heat was unbearable. Just like any true massacre, bodies laid everywhere both human and demon alike. The victors in this battle however where the demons known as Palgora. Creatures that when threatened bone skewers come out of their hands as their primary defense. Operation head, Major Riley Finn had encountered the demon before although he had no idea the levels of destruction they could conjure. Military Detective Alex Pearson traveled through the carnage as did dozens of military officers in search of survivors. In the near hour search no survivors had been recovered; things were looking down for the military. Another half hour or so passed though under the burning sun it felt as if an eternity had passed them by when finally Alex discovered one of the two survivors to come out of the battle; Major Riley Finn. At first glance, Alex believed Major Finn dead however at second glance he realized there was slight breathing movements coming from his chest. For a proper inspection he leaned over Major Finn’s body and inspected for both a pulse and signs of breathing; sure enough he had both. Reaching into his back pocket, he removed a radio and held down the call button.
“We have a survivor located on sector eighteen; Major Riley Finn. Out conscious with a pulse of fifty seven beats per minute. He’s breathing but just barely. Thank you Private, over,” Alex threw the radio to the side and began to check Major Finn over for any possible injuries suffered during the fight. “You’ll be just fine, Finn. You’re in good hands.”
Washington, DC; May 24th, 2005
“Detective Pearson?” the voice of Dr. Nippon said breaking the silence of the dank hallways of Washington’s Walter Reed Army Medical Center. “We were able to stabilize Major Finn however he is in a coma and there is only a twenty five percent chance of him ever waking up. He did suffer numerous fractures including to the ribs, wrist and ankle. There was also a minor puncture wound to his lower left abdomen, luckily it never damaged any vital organs. It is a miracle he survived that battle. The only other survivor found at the scene was his wife, Samantha Finn. However she was a D.O.A. coming into the hospital. There was nothing we could do for her.”
“Thank you,” Detective Pearson’s voice was low and full of sorrow. “It’s a shame this had to happen. Major Finn was on his way to the top. I’m sure his family would appreciate an update on his condition. Thank you again, Doctor.”
Toronto, Ontario, Canada; July 22nd, 2005
Despite the blazing heat on the outside world of Toronto, nineteen-year-old Ashleigh Madison spent her time slicing up the ice of John Booth hockey arena near her residence where she lived with her parents. Over the past few days her mediocre abilities in athletics had grown nearly ten fold and with each passing day it continued to grow. With tryouts for York Universities Women’s Hockey Team just around the bend, Ashleigh was taking advantage of any ice time she could afford. Half way through her work-out a figure standing by the benches caught her eyes. It was a woman, about five foot three with deep Irish red hair and a very old school professional style to her outfit. Assuming it was simply another scout, which were common in arenas this time of year, Ashleigh continued on with her workout. Once completed she did one final sprint down the ice; her speed was undeniable. There was something abnormal about her new found abilities. Proud of herself, Ashleigh ripped the helmet to reveal long raven locks that fell to the middle of her back. This was a girl with a dark, painful past and her piercing blue eyes could give it away in an instant. She was slightly above the average height standing about five foot eight; although with the heavy equipment on her shape was unknown it was known she would have to be in serious shape to skate the way she did. In the corner of her eyes, Ashleigh noticed the figure move closer to her. Knowing the usual style behind a scout she quickly slid her way into her locker room in hopes whoever had been watching her would disappear by the time she was changed.
Twenty minutes later, Ashleigh stuck her out of the locker room door and with a quick look around she determined that the woman had made her way out of the arena and away from her. With a sigh of relief Ashleigh grabbed her bag and with ease threw it over her shoulder, gathering her sticks as she passed.
“Miss Madison?” a voice echoed from behind Ashleigh, startling her.
“You just don’t go sneaking up on people like that,” Ashleigh spun around to come face to face with the owner of the voice. “What can I do for you?”
“You must come with me,” the woman insisted as she approached Ashleigh cautiously. “Your destiny awaits you. You must fight them.”
“My destiny?” Ashleigh asked, her voiced laced with confusion. “Fight? Who do I have to fight?”
“The vampires; the sun will fall and death shall follow. Only you can stop them.”
“Vampires?” Ashleigh laughed. “Do you really expect me to buy into this bullshit? I’m about to go into university and here you are trying to sell me this idea of vampires and how I am the one that can stop them like I’m some sort of high school student.”
“You are older then the others, yes, though I know you will exceed greatly as the Slayer.”
“The what now?”
“The vampire slayer,” the woman responded. “You are the chosen one to fight against the demons, the vampires and all other dark forces. Without you the world would fall into such peril. Death, destruction, peril. An army of demons recently killed an entire squad of Military soldiers in the deserts of Egypt leaving one sole survivor. You can stop them.”
Ashleigh looked at the woman in disbelief for a moment before she shook her head and walked out of the arena into the blistering heat towards her Dodge Ram. “Listen lady, I don’t know who you are or what you want but you seriously need to go get that head checked. There is no such thing as vampires. It’s all a big jazz Hollywood made up to scare us out of our money. Propaganda. Read into it, you may learn something.”
“Ashleigh you don’t understand! Your athletic ability… it has improved ten fold over the past few days and it continues to improve daily. Am I correct?”
Ashleigh stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face the woman again. “What does that have to do with any of this?”
“It is your slayer abilities coming out. Women are born with the ability to do better then the others in athletics as you are; as you have always been. However, your skills began to improve three days ago on July 20th. That’s the day Faith died.”
“Faith?”
“The previous slayer; when one slayer dies the next one is called up to assume her duties. Faith is dead and you’re next in line,” reality was beginning to sink into Ashleigh in a very harsh way. “I am Trista Anderson, your watcher. Prospect Cemetery tonight, come with me and I will prove to you a world unlike anything you could ever imagine.”
“The sun goes down in about ten minutes.”
“Then we better hurry.”
Prospect Cemetery
Ashleigh stood in front of the freshly dug grave with intensity and confusion dancing in her eyes. In her right hand was a tightly gripped wooden stake just incase Trista Anderson was true to her words. Ashleigh looked down at her watch; the sun had been down for nearly a half hour and still no sign of the supposed vampire. Suddenly, Ashleigh felt the ground beneath her shift. Her eyes widened as she looked down. She couldn’t believe her eyes; a man was climbing from the ground up. She shouted in alarm and jumped back. Her veins were now surging with fear and a new sense of adrenaline. It was like a rush going through her; it reminded her of the days when she was involved in heavy drug usage. The vampire was now standing inches away from her, snarling, looking for his first kill. Instincts kicked in and with a rather messy movement, she kicked the vampire in the side. With ease, the vampire grabbed her leg and threw her twenty feet back, sending her crashing into another tombstone. Coughing, she stood back up, ran towards the vampire and jumped onto its back. They wrestled like this for a couple minutes until Ashleigh was once again thrown by the vampire. This time is was into a crypt, temporarily sending Ashleigh out of action. The vampire stalked towards her with one thing in mind – dinner. As the vampire charged, Ashleigh grabbed a cross and held it up; the vampire walked right into it. With a snarl the vampire exploded into a dust cloud leaving Ashleigh standing there stunned by the events that had just taken place.
“Do you see what you can do now? Do you see what your powers mean?” Trista said emerging from the dark. “You are the slayer.”
“Where do I sign?”
Washington D.C.; July 23rd, 2005
The darkness of the dank hospital room was unsettling. The steady sound of a heart monitors along side the sounds from various other machines. It had been nearly two months since the devastating attacks from the Palgora demon army in Egypt and Major Riley Finn was still victim to a coma. Visions in his mind began to play in fast forward. Images of his first meeting with Buffy Summers in the UC Sunnydale campus bookstore to their passionate and intense relationship right into their bitter end; to his courtship and eventual marriage to Sam to their unique visit to Sunnydale; ending with scenes from the horrid battle with the Palgora. Everything went dark once more until images of a family unknown to him being attacked by a gathering of vampires in a small home. A young blonde girl no older then eighteen or nineteen was being held still by a pair of vampires. They were forcing this young girl to watch the carnage before her. Upon completion of the massacre, the head vampire walked over to the girl and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her slightly off the ground. Her intense blue eyes began to burn with fury and sorrow; using those emotions she gathered the strength and with a swift movement, kicked the vampire in the midsection sending him flying a couple feet back. This began a full on assault; one the girl was happy to take on. With relative difficult she brought down the vampires. Standing alone in the room she hit the floor and began to sob. In that instant Riley’s eyes shot open. He looked around him in total confusion not knowing where he was, how he got there or what the end result of the battle was. One of the many machines began to go off with a blistering noise, startling Riley. Within seconds, two nurses as well as Detective Alex Pearson entered the room.
“Major Finn,” Detective Pearson said softly as he approached the end of Riley’s bed. “Welcome back. I was beginning to worry about you. How are you feeling?”
Riley just stared at him for a moment with nothing but utter confusion in his eyes. “What happened? Where am I? Who are you?”
“I am Detective Alex Pearson of the United States Military. Currently you are in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.” Detective Pearson walked over to the seat next to Riley and sat down. “Do you remember anything in regards to the Palgora demons?”
“I remember tracking them in Egypt and that we were bombarded by them. I was rendered out conscious early on in the battle after being stabbed by a skewer. I don’t recall anything after that.”
“Two survivors were taken from the battle scene. Two out of nearly a hundred soldiers and military personal – that’s it. Your wife, Samantha was the other survivor. However, she arrived at the hospital her in D.C. and was pronounced a D.O.A. I’m so very sorry, Major Finn.”
“Dead!?!”
A Couple Hours Later
Major Riley Finn lay in the hospital bed no longer attached to the monitors staring off into space. His world had officially crashed down on him in the worst way possible. His wife of nearly four years was now dead as was his desire to continue his career as a member of the United States Military. He had one goal in mind – destroy the world of evil his own way. The General of the U.S. Military had paid him a visit earlier in the day where the General offered Riley an honorable discharge; an offer Riley took up without second thought. His thoughts were once again interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Riley glanced over towards the door. It was none other then Rupert Giles; former watcher to Riley’s first love, Buffy Summers.
“Giles,” said Riley sitting up. “What are you doing here?”
“It is great to see you again, Riley,” Giles said with a smile as he took a spot at the chair at Riley’s bedside. “Or would you prefer Major Finn?”
“Riley’s fine; what’s going on?”
“I doubt that you are aware of the fact that I am once again working for the watchers council,” Riley simply gave Giles a black stare. “Just as I suspected; the council has an understanding that you have recently decided to end your career with the U.S. Military, am I correct?”
“More or less.”
“I am sure, however, that you are aware of Faith’s death in the battle with the Palgora demons?”
“New slayer?”
“Correct.”
“Alright, what does this have to do with me?”
“The watchers council would like to offer you and Sam a job as the watchers for the new slayer. She goes by the name…” Giles paused seeing the sudden look of despair on the face of Riley. “Riley, what’s wrong?”
“Sam. She died as a result of her injuries suffered in battle with the Palgora demons.”
“Oh dear, I am so sorry. I had no idea.”
“It’s alright. Please, continue.”
“Um…alright,” Giles looked at Riley for a moment unsure if the business he was bringing forth was appropriate. Reluctantly, the council sent him on this business call and was required to do his job regardless of new situations. “The young girls name is Ashleigh Madison. She is currently in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was called up yesterday however, early this evening her watcher as well as family fell victim to a horrid attack from vampires.”
“The girl is she about eighteen or nineteen with blonde hair, blue eyes and stands about five foot eight with a curvy build?” Riley asked recalling the images in his head earlier that day.
Giles removed his glasses and gave Riley a rather peculiar stare. “That’s correct. How did you-?”
“I had a dream… I guess… about a young girl being held down watching as a group of vampires attacked and killed her family. I had no idea that she was a slayer,” Riley sighed and got off the bed and walked around for a moment before turning to Giles. “Let me get this straight. She’s a new slayer whose watcher and family were killed the day after being called up and now she needs a new slayer and the council thinks I would be a good candidate for this job?”
“That’s correct,” Giles stood up and walked over beside Riley. “With your training and experience in fighting demons all these years we believe you will be able to connect with the slayer at a different level. She’s not the standard age for a slayer to be called up. As you know Buffy and most other slayers are called up around the age of fifteen or sixteen. Especially now that she’s grief ridden we are afraid she may wind up turning into another Faith without the proper guidance.”
“When’s the next flight out of Washington to Toronto? Get me on it. I have a slayer to find.”
Toronto, Ontario, Canada; July 24th, 2005
It was only two o’clock in the morning and already Ashleigh had managed to bring down nearly a dozen of vampires simply by walking down Queen Street. Vampires of Toronto seemed to attempt to blend in with the Gothic culture of the city which would be hard for anyone to decipher without the vampire radar sense that seems to be apart of the slayer abilities. Ashleigh was taking a well deserved breather in the west end of town as she sat on a tombstone at a Jewish cemetery. She was a total mess. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail with a couple stray strands accentuating her oblong face. Her usually well kept eyeliner was now running down her face thanks to the tears that keep finding her as images of the night before play in her mind like a broken record. Vampires destroyed her life and now she was going to do all she could to make sure they don’t repeat what they did to her on anyone else. She was the slayer – she had that chance few would ever get, true revenge. However, she was terrified. She had no knowledge of the world of slaying or demons or vampires accept for the fact that vampires are killed with wooden stakes, beheading, exposure to sunlight, holy water and that they have an intense hate for garlic. She was alone, truly alone. Her thoughts were shattered when she heard movement behind her. She gripped the stake in her hand and began to count in her head down from ten. Once she reached one she knew the object was close enough and leaped onto the tombstone feet first and did a high kick off the tombstone – a perfect connect. She leaped up and grinned – her advisory looked like a man, meaning one thing, a vampire. Without wasting another second she went in for the kill, however the vampire grabbed the stake and threw it to the side.
“Nice reflexes, Ashleigh. However, I am no vampire,” said the man coming out of the shadows. “My name is Riley Finn and I have been sent to you by the watcher’s council as your new watcher.”
Ashleigh’s eyes widened and jaw dropped. No longer was she alone – she had a new, very gorgeous watcher. “Hi…”
Riley smirked. “We have much work to do, Ashleigh. Much training is in order for you if you want to become the very best slayer you can be.”
“How do you intend to do that? Drills? I watch the news Riley Finn; you used to be a member of the U.S. Military.”
“Not at all, my dear; we are however going on a trip to Cleveland, Ohio.”
“Big evil there waiting to be slain?”
“Yes and no. Although there is evil on the hellmouth the real reason is a legend resides there and she is going to give you some pointers on what it takes to be the best of the best.”
“And she is?”
“Buffy Summers…”
“The legendary vampire slayer that Trista, my old watcher mentioned. She explained the whole ordeal about her dying back in 1997 and a new slayer being called up named Kendra then her death and Faith, who was apparently psycho or something. Then she kicked the bucket it some war in Egypt with these pal-something demons and there you have it. I’m next in line. What makes you think this Buffy will help us?”
“She’s an old friend of mine.”
Ashleigh smirked and moved closer to her new watcher. “You dated a slayer? I’m impressed. Looking to re-kindle a little romance while you’re there; oh wait, you can’t. Word is she married the ex-vampire now human Angel guy.”
“I’m not looking to re-kindle my relationship with her. In fact I am not looking for a relationship period. My wife just died.”
“Oh… sorry to hear that,” Ashleigh paused then turned in the direction of the exit. “If we’re shipping out, we should really get at it. I don’t want to be in this city any longer then I have to be. You lost your wife, I lost my family. You left the army to escape the pain now it’s my turn.”
Riley watched as the slayer walked ahead of him and sighed. “To Cleveland we go.”
That's all for now. I'd appreciate any comments, good or bad! Will update soon!
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