Two-In-One: And, then there was Benny
by Gillian
She walked slowly down the sidewalk. She had come a long way since her days in Sunnydale. She wasn’t like her cousin’s friend Buffy, but she was a slayer in her own right. She had been tested, by fire and battle, and had proven herself time and time again. Willow was a strong witch and Ada’s cousin, but she was no match for Ada. Ada wasn’t sure what Willow would do now if she knew that Ada was a slayer now. Ada wasn’t sure she was ready for Willow to know. It was hard enough to hide from secrets from her parents but she never had been able to hide anything from her cousin.

“Buffy, why are we here again?”
“Because Giles said that there was a powerful slayer here. I am here to find out who she is. Giles is worried for her. He said something about her edging on darkness.”
“Well, I know how that is, you know. Crossed that line, flayed a man, and came back,” Willow answered.
“Yeah, well…”
“What’s wrong, B’? Scared another one like me is on the loose?”
“No, Faith, I am scared of what she might do.”
“What do you mean, Buffy?”
“She isn’t like the others, Will. She is stronger. Giles said the Coven is scared about her because of what she is. He said that the Seer knows she is more powerful. They think that she is like two slayers in one, and I want to know why.”
“Like two in one?” Xander asked.
“That is what he said, B? Two in one?”
“Whoa! And I thought that two slayers were bad. Imagine what this one can do.”
“That is what I don’t want to do, Xander. I want to make sure that she is playing for the right team. If she isn’t, then I want to stop her before anything starts. Right now, I just want to might this girl. Willow, I want you to do a locater spell. I want to find this girl before something bad happens,” Buffy stated.
“Um, okay, but I can’t just do a locater spell for a slayer. I’ll end up getting you, Faith, and Kennedy, not this two-in-one slayer.” Willow answered.
“Come on, Will, I know you can find her,” Kennedy stated, “There has to be something that you can do. There has got to be something in that brain of yours.”
“What do you need, Will? We’ll get it for you?” Xander stated.
“Damn, I wish I hadn’t let Dawnie take my books with her,” Will replied.
“Will, come on. I need you to do this. We all need you to do this. If this slayer is more powerful than me and Faith combined, then imagine what she could do to all the slayers around the world. If the First gets in her head before we find her, then she could become the First’s slayer, and we would all be in a world of crap,” Buffy explained.
“Thanks, no guilt trip there,” Willow responded.
“Sorry, but we don’t have the time for pleasantries. The First knows we know and he will stop at nothing. Neither will I. I want to find this girl before the First does.”
“Alright, I think that I can think of something that will help us find this slayer. But, we are going to need to find someplace to do this. I have a cousin that might be able to help us. She lives here in town, maybe she can help.”
“Call her, then call me. Xander and I are going to patrol. You and Kennedy see if you can get your cousin then let us hang for a while.”
“Got it. I like simple plans,” Kennedy responded.

“Found it, Ada Rosenberg.”
“Too bad she isn’t a Rosenberg. But you did get the first name right.”
“Thanks. I just figured because you are a Rosenberg that she would be too.”
“She is a cousin from my mother’s side. Her name is Ada, Ada Greene.”
“Greene? Doesn’t sound very Jewish to me?”
“It is, though. It was shortened to Greene from Greenburg when her grandparents came to the US during World War II. They were afraid of Nazis finding them here.”
“Ada Greene. Interesting,” Kennedy stated scanning the phone book again.
“I just wish my mom would answer her phone.”
“Greene, Greene, Greene, do you know how many Greenes there are in here? Dozens, and none of them named Ada or even an A. Greene.”
“What? Let me see that,” Willow stated taking the phone book from Kennedy while hanging up her phone at the same time, “Greene, Greene, Greene…here it is.”
“You found her, are you sure?” Kennedy asked Willow.
“I think so. Try this number. It is for an A. Benjamin Greene.”
“Wait, Ben Greene. You sure that’s her.”
“Yup, it is a game we played as kids. Plus, Benjamin is the favored son when Joseph was presumed dead. Benny is a nickname she’s used when she didn’t want to be found or known. Joseph was her brother.”
“What do mean “was’?”
“Joseph died young. Some sort of random killing according to the police, but Benny told me she saw it. I never understood what she meant by that. She told me that she saw the monster do it. I could have been wrong then, but I think that she meant in a literal sense. She told me that a monster killed Joseph and that she saw him die. She said it was brutal. I thought that she just saw it. I didn’t know…I didn’t know…I didn’t.”
“Baby, I am sorry. I am so sorry. You couldn’t have known, then. But, now you know and you can be there for her,” Kennedy replied while dialing the number that Willow had given her, “Here, it’s ringing.”
“Thanks,” Willow said taking the phone.
“Hello?”
“Yes, hello, can I speak to Benny, please?” Willow asked the voice on the phone.
“Can I ask who is calling?” the voice questioned.
“A family member from Sunnydale,” Will answered.
“Sunnydale? Huh? Hold on,” the voice said.
“This is Benny,” another voice answered, “What can I do for you?”
“Benny, or should I say Ada?”
“Depends on who is asking, I can be anyone you want me to be, sweetheart. If you prefer Ada, I’ll be Ada. So, what do you want?”
“I’d like to see you.”
“Look, whoever you are. I don’t know how you know my name or that I have relatives in Sunnydale, but this isn’t funny. So, if you don’t tell me something soon, I’m hanging up.”
“Benny, its Willow. I am your cousin.”
“Willow? Willow Rosenberg? Where are you?”
“Benny, I am here, and I need to speak to you.”
“About what?”
“It is about Joe. I believe you now. I have some one who might be able to help you. I need to talk to you, please, Benny,” Willow replied.
“What about Joe? What do believe me about Joe? Willow, what do you know?”
“I want to help you. Just meet me somewhere.”
“I don’t know what you mean. I’ll meet you though.”
“You remember Joe, remember that night, do you remember when you told me that it was a monster. I believe you that it was a monster.”
“Willow, you know nothing. They convicted the guy. You were there with me. Willow you remember the case. They got him,” Benny answered.
“Benny! Please. Look, Sunnydale is gone. I have many things to tell you.”
“Look, I gotta go. I have things to do. I have company. I’ve got the number you’ve called from on my ID. I’ll call you when I get a chance to, I’d like to see you as well. But, I have to go now…I am…umm…busy at the moment,” Benny replied before hanging up the phone.
Click! It was the only thing that Willow heard. She had no time to reply or even answer Benny. She closed her cell phone and turned to Kennedy.
“We need to find Buffy.”
“What did Benny say?”
“Nothing much of anything. She said something about company, she couldn’t talk, and she had my number on her caller ID,” Willow replied.
“Well, that seems rude. She couldn’t take time to talk to you.”


“Buffy, what are we looking for?” Xander asked.
“I don’t know. Signs of another slayer, I guess.”
“B, we’re in town. Shouldn’t we be looking in a cemetery or something for signs of a slayer?” Faith asked.
“You would think. But, I don’t think that she is like a normal slayer.”
“What constitutes a normal slayer, B?” Faith inquired.
“Who said a slayer is normal?” Xander questioned.
“Shut up, Xander!” Buffy and Faith yelled together.
“What did I say? What did I say?”
“Come on, let’s try up here. I am still trying to learn this place. I want to know if there are any places that I should know about, any places that I could find something, and any one I should get to know very well.”
“I’m with you on that one, B. But, we still don’t know why Giles said this place is going to be a hot spot.”
“Everything is a hot spot to Giles,” Xander stated.
“He’s right there, B. Let’s hit the cemetery, I need to get the edge off a bit. I need to dust something.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I could go for a good vamp killing, right about now. It has been too quiet lately. I think the First is up to something and I want to know what it is before something happens,” Buffy responded.
“I know. I am getting itchy for a good fight, you know,” Faith explained restlessly, “I want to hurt something…. Something bad, evil, of course.”
“Of course. Something evil, that isn’t what you said…”
“Shut up, Xander,” Faith snarled, her eyes getting wide and angry, “You still want to see out of that eye of yours don’t you.”
“Careful, Faith, he is still my friend.”
“And one helluva a good lay, too,” Faith quipped.
“I am still here ladies,” Xander stated and was quickly met by two female hands from either side of him squarely in the chest.
“Wait,” Buffy said quietly, “You feel that.”
“Yeah, B, I do. Vamps. Let me at ‘em,” Faith answered.
“Vampires? How many? And where are they?” Xander questioned.
“Wait here, Xander. It looks like you’re going to be able to blow a little steam, Faith. It looks to be about six or seven of them over there.”
“Okay, I want the burly ugly one and you can have the dork eighties rocker punk,” Faith said, swaggering toward the vampire crowd.
“Which one is the burly one? And how come I always have to fight the dorks?” Buffy asked following Faith over to the vampires.
Both of them stopped short, when some one else joined the crowd.

“Now, guys, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The choice is yours,” Benny stated in the middle of the vampire group.
“Now, why should we do anything the easy way?” the big burly vamp asked.
“Because, I might just be nice tonight and tonight only. But, then again, I might not. Besides, tonight is just going to be quick and easy. I don’t feel like playing around. I have better things to do then dust vamps all night, got it. So I say again, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, which is it going to be?”
“Well, if you have plans, girly, then go. We’ll find another tasty morsel to drink up tonight. I’m not in the mood for games,” the leather-clad eighties punk stated, “And considering you’re food for us, I’d run.”
“I would, too,” the burly one added.
“So, you want me to run so you can chase me and have your little hunt, huh? Not tonight boys. Tonight, you die,” Benny answered drawing out a wooden stake.
“Great just what the place needs. Another slayer,” the rocker stated.

Faith and Buffy stared at each other. They knew that Willow had empowered all the potential slayers around the world to be slayers, but they had yet to find one that wasn’t with them in Sunnydale. Then, they both nodded at the same thought: “This might be Giles’ new slayer.” They could see it in each other’s eyes that they were both thinking the same thing and were both wondering if they should help out this slayer. Faith was itching for a kill and Buffy knew it. Buffy held up her hand and pointed to a nearby head stone. They both headed for it and crouched behind it.
“We should wait and see what she can do,” Buffy stated at a whisper.
“That’s crap, B, and you know it. If this is Giles’ slayer then all the more reason we should go out there and kick some ass.”
“We don’t even know if it is her any way,” Buffy replied.
“But, we know that she is a slayer and that she doesn’t seem to be too interested in helping out those vamps. So, I say that we get in there and help her out.”
“Let’s see if she actually is a slayer before we go bounding in there. We might upset her rhythm and then she might falter. Then, we will help.”
“Damn, I was hoping to dust a few tonight.”

The vampires circled around Benny. Benny raised her left hand to block and had the stake in her right, ready to attack the first one too dumb enough to assault her.
“So, what do we get if we play nice tonight?” the burly one asked.
“Maybe to live to see another night, if you’re lucky,” Benny responded.
“And, how will we know if we are lucky?” a newer, thinner vampire asked.
“If I don’t kill ya, then you’re lucky,” Benny answered, cocking an eyebrow.
“I don’t like those odds,” the rocker replied.
“I never said anything about liking any odds, did I? I just said that you might live to see another night.”
“Maybe I will anyway,” the burly stated, stepping forward towards her.
He took a swing with his massive hands, only to have her step out of the way and counter strike him in his big and burly gut. The burly vamp doubled over in pain and fell to the ground.
Another school jock looking vampire took his turn with the new slayer only to be hip thrown to the ground and dusted quickly, as he tried to grab her from behind.
The rest of the vampires just stared at each other, wondering who was ready for her next. They began to circle around her. She was on constant guard, slowly turning in the pace that they circled, wondering who was “dying” to try next. Buffy and Faith were just mystified by everything that was unveiling in front of them. It was as if this slayer knew who was going to attack her next and how they would do it, even before they did.
“She’s good.”
“Really good.”
“Yeah and she’s kinda cute,” Xander said, sneaking up behind Buffy and Faith.
“Xander,” they both silently chastised him.
“What? I can even see that.”
The rocker nodded at one the vamps. He too came at Benny. Benny stepped to the side, leaving her leg in place for the vampire to trip over, which he did. As he sprung back up, she turned to her weak side, and took and en guard position. He came roaring at her in a full run. He never had the time to see her arm swing out into position. He ran full tilt into her ridge hand arm bar and met the ground with his backside. She flipped over him and staked a red velvet and black leather clad vampire near him. Two down, a few more to go. The dirty vampire grabbed her from behind before she could move. This time a sixth sense couldn’t stop his preternatural speed and strength.
“I guess, little slayer, that they weren’t so lucky,” the eighties punk stated.
“You guessed right,” Benny answered.
“And you, slayer? Are you lucky, tonight?” he retorted.
“Depends on two things.”
“And those are?” the vampire inquired.
“Your definition of luck and whether or not you are still lucky tonight.”
“You see, that is where you are wrong, slayer. Do you want to know why? I’ll tell you. It is because I have you now and there is no one here to help you. You are alone. Every slayer is alone or didn’t you know that?” the vampire questioned.
“Yes, yes, I know. To each generation a slayer is born. One with the strength and the knowledge, who can alone defeat the demons of the world…blah, blah, blah. Didn’t you know? Rules are made to be broken. Especially stupid prophetic ones that are centuries old. Now, let me ask you a question. Do you really think that there is only one slayer in the world? And if there is, then why are so many vampires destroyed and not just a few?” Benny quipped back at the vampire.
“Because too many people know our secrets now, that’s why,” he stated as he head butted her. Benny sank to her knees and was almost down for the count.
“But, you, darling, are going to a precious prize for me for years to come. I will be the newest slayer killer. Too bad Angelis and Spike aren’t here to see it. They could appreciate the moment, better then these yuppies.”
The statement had Buffy’s blood boiling. She now felt the itch that Faith seemed to forever carry. She wanted vampires, and she wanted them dead, soon. Faith had to hold her back, knowing what was stewing in Buffy’s head.
“Not yet, B. Let’s see what she got.”
Benny wasn’t done. She skillfully got out of the vampire’s grasp. She stepped into his body and hammered the stake in his chest like an elbow smash. She smiled at the rocker and want-to-be leader of them.
“That’s three.”
“Like I always said, ‘Want something done right, do it mass proportions.’”
“How come I never like it when they try to be witty, Faith?”
“Because it usually means trouble for the slayer.”
“Right. That is what I thought.”
Benny just laughed. The rocker raised his arms out to his sides with his palms facing Benny. He shook his arms in a forward motion and curled his fingers into fists, while his index fingers were pointed at Benny.
“Get her!” the eighties punk rocker vampire yelled.
The three other vamps and the rocker swarmed in and jumped Benny. That was Buffy and Faith’s signal. They were over the head stone and into the fray, quickly, only to be thrown to the ground.
As Buffy and Faith started to stand, they noticed that the slayer was standing in the middle of screaming flame balls of vampires. Some shocking force sent these pyretic beings away from the slayer in four different directions. Buffy and Faith were shocked to see a white haired young woman standing before them with the face of the slayer they had just seen.
“I guess you weren’t as lucky as you thought you were after all,” Benny stated.
She glanced over at the other slayers in question. The aura that had surrounded her seemed to dissipate and fade and gradually her hair returned to its natural color.
“What were you trying to do? Get yourselves killed. Well, you picked a good way to do it in these parts, I guess. Now, why don’t you run home and play with your boy toys or something?” Benny stated rhetorically at them.
“Why, I ought to…” Faith started, before Buffy laid her hand on Faith’s arm.
“No harm, no foul. We were going to help,” Buffy answered.
“Help. HELP. Help how? By getting yourselves killed.”
“No, not by dying. Though I can say, I think I’ve done that enough for now.”
“Who are you?” Benny questioned.
“I am Buffy Summers. And, this is Faith. We’re from Sunnydale, sort of.”
“Sunnydale, huh? It seems that Sunnydale is coming to town,” Benny replied.
“What?!?” Faith responded.
“What do you mean by that?” Buffy asked.
“Well, it seems that you two and my cousin are in town from the great little Californian town of Sunnydale,” Benny replied.
“Who is your cousin?” Buffy inquired.
“My cousin is Willow Rosenberg,” Benny answered.
“Willow is your cousin? And you are a slayer?” Buffy questioned.
“Yes and yeah. So, how do you know Willow?” Benny probed.
“We came here with her,” Faith answered.
“It is a long story. Needless to say, Willow is my best friend and has been since I moved to Sunnydale. You could say we’ve been through a lot together,” Buffy replied.
“Um, okay. If you’re her friend, then why are you here and why did she call me about an hour ago? Did she not tell you that I lived here?”
“Whoa, slow down. Not too many questions at once. To answer your questions, why don’t we find a better place to be right now, then I will answer any question you want me to answer. I’ll call Willow to meet us some where, any where you want. Does that work for you?” Buffy responded.
“To answer one of your questions, no, Willow didn’t tell us that you lived here. We had no idea you were here.”
“That sounds like a plan I can live with. Just one question though, is she still hung up on that crazy boy Xander?”
“Umm, no,” Faith answered, “Hey, Xander, you can come out now!”
Xander peeked around a headstone and grinned at the three slayers. He stood up and walked towards them. He stopped short of them when he recognized Benny with them.
“Ada…Ada Benji…it couldn’t be. I haven’t seen you in decades. What are you doing here?” Xander questioned.
“Hello, Xander. I see you haven’t changed that much. You dress better, now, I’ll have to say that though. I could ask you why you are here as well, but it seems that your friends here want to go somewherelse to discuss matters. It seems like a good idea now. I think my patrol is over for the evening.”
“Where do you suggest that we go?” Buffy inquired.
“I guess we could go to my apartment. It should be big enough for us all to sit and chat for awhile, depending on how many of you there are. I’ll call my roommate and let her know that company is coming over,” Benny replied pulling her cell and calling.
“Buffy, why don’t you call Willow and Kennedy and have us meet them somewhere and we could pick them up on the way to Benji’s place?”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
Buffy called Willow on her cell phone.
“Hey, Xander, is her name really Benji?” Faith asked.
“No, it’s a nickname that she got when she was younger. Her name is Ada.”
“Ah, I don’t think that I could call her Benji without thinking of the dog, you know,” Faith stated, “I don’t think that is a cool name for a slayer any way.”
Benny hung up her cell and put it her pocket before she responded to Faith’s comment, “That is why I don’t go by Benji.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you in anyway, trust me on that one,” Faith offered.
“I know. I haven’t gone by Benji since I was about eight and living in Sunnydale. It’s cool. I also don’t go by my giving name of Ada. Call me Benny. That is what I go by and what all my friends call me these days,” Benny said.
“Benny…Benny, that’s cool,” Faith replied, “I’m Faith.”

“Will, its Buffy,” the slayer stated into her cell.
“Hey, whassup? How did patrolling go?” Willow asked.
“Don’t worry about that now. I found someone who we should all sit down and talk with,” Buffy responded.
“Yeah, my cousin lives here in town and we should meet her,” Williow replied.
“Yeah, I know. We…um…kinda met.”
“You did?” Willow stated slightly dumbfounded before she continued on, “Buffy, what aren’t you telling me?”
“Just meet us at the cemetery. We’re going to your cousin’s place. I’ll tell you everything there.”
“Buffy?”
“Will, everything is peachy. Don’t worry. Just get yourself there, k?”
“Alright, I’ll get there,” Willow answered.

Buffy hung up the phone. She turned towards Benny, Faith and Xander.
“Well, what did Will say?” Xander questioned.
“She said that she would meet us at your place,” Buffy replied pointing at Benny.
“Good, we better get moving. I wouldn’t want to miss this,” Benny stated.
“By the way, why didn’t Willow tell us you lived here, if you don’t mind me asking?” Faith probed.
“It is a long story. One in which all of you need to hear,” Benny said matter-of-factly, “She knew I was here. She just didn’t know where and how to contact me. I’ve been a little…um…out there for a while. I’ve been kinda ‘going boldly where no one has gone before,’ you know.”
“Hey, a fellow trekie,” Xander replied.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Benny stated.
Benny led them out of the cemetary and towards town. She didn’t seem to be a person that waited for anyone or anything. Buffy was drawn to her in a way. She could see the same determination that she bore as a slayer. Benny was her own person and Buffy could relate to that. She wondered what might have driven Benny to be a loner besides being a slayer.
They walked in silence to the cemetery’s main gate. Buffy was watching the new slayer trying to determine what motivated Benny, where Benny got her strength, what kinda of new powers Benny possessed, and the Benny-Willow family resemblance. Faith just seemed to wonder if she was ever going to get her rocks off again by dusting vamps with little miss-slayer-of-the-year Benny. Xander just smiled. He had found an old friend and maybe a fellow geek in which he could turn to when things weren’t exactly going the way he’d hoped they would go.
They were met at the gate by Kennedy and Willow. Both of which seemed to be surprised that Buffy had met Benny first.
“Hey, Will, guess you won’t be needing that locator spell after all,” Xander said.
“Yeah and why is that?” Kennedy asked, “What did you find in there?”
“Her,” Faith answered simply.
Kennedy and Willow’s eyes directly turned towards Benny. Willow couldn’t believe it. Could Benny be a slayer? Willow shook her head, trying to get rid of the thought.
“Why, cousin? Does the thought upset you?” Benny asked.
“Umm…well…I just know what it entales and all. I was hoping for something else I guess, but what I couldn’t tell you,” Willow answered.
“Why? Can there not be destined children of the Sherman family?”
“That isn’t what I meant and you know it,” Will defended herself.
“Whoa, let’s slow down here. I thought we were going to go to your place to talk?” Kennedy responded.
“We are,” Benny answered Kennedy before turning to Willow, “Du weisst was ich gesagt hat. Du weisst dass stimmt ist. Blessed be, meine Wicca schweister.”
“Benny…ah…nevermind. Blessed be.”
“Umm…kinda jonesin’ for a new locale here, unless anyone here wants to go another round in there. Let’s go,” Faith added.
“Yes, let’s go. This way. We can take my Jeep. It should fit everyone.

As they rode, everyone could feel the tensions mounting between Willow and Benny, but no one knew why. Especially Willow, she couldn’t even fathom a guess to why Benny would be so upset with her from Willow not wanting her to be a slayer. Pride, she guessed, but was still unsure. Willow snuggled up to Kennedy in the backseat with Xander and Faith, while Buffy rode up front with Benny. Buffy seemed to be in her own world as they drove through town. Willow could see the questions flowing through Buffy’s head about Benny. She only wondered if some of them were the same as her own.
“Do you have any where to stay in town?” Benny asked as they pulled up in front of her townhouse apartment.
“Actually, we just arrived,” Buffy answered.
“No,” Willow added.
“You can stay here tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll see if I can’t find you a place. I can see that you all don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. Fine by me, I could use some time off every once and while,” Benny replied.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Buffy stated looking right at Benny.
“Come on in. I just need to see if my roommate is here. I couldn’t get her to answer on the drive over,” Benny stated before she went upstairs, “Make yourselves comfortable in the living room. I’ll be right back.”
“Roommate?” Xander pondered outloud looking at Willow, “I wonder…”




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