Nighthawk rubbed her arms anxiously. That evening wasn’t particularly cold and it wasn’t about the skimpy outfit Roy forced her to wear. It was about one thing only.
Rebecca’s alive.
There are so many questions she wanted to ask her that they all began to collide inside her brain. They had arranged to meet at a small diner near Rebecca’s apartment after Nighthawk’s shift. The closer to the time it got the more anxious she became. When it hit the meeting time Nighthawk jumped as she heard this crackling sound coming from next to her. She looked over and saw a portal hovering a few feet from where she was standing. To her surprise Rebecca stepped out followed by two tall guys. This caught Nighthawk off guard she never knew Rebecca could do that.
Rebecca approached Nighthawk and stopped.
“Wow,” Nighthawk managed to say, “that portal thing was just . . . wow.”
Rebecca smiled at the slayer.
“One of my new tricks,” she replied, “comes on.”
Both women headed inside the diner. Rebecca nodded to the man behind the counter. He nodded back and ushered the other customers out. Rebecca then turned and looked seriously at the bothers.
“Doors.” She said seriously
The brothers bowed gracefully and took up guard positions at each of the entrances. Nighthawk watched this performance with nervous confusion. Rebecca motioned her to the nearest booth and they sat down. For the first ten minutes there was an awkward silence neither of them knowing what to say to the other.
“I had, like, a who book of things I wanted to say to you if I ever saw you again.” Nighthawk said, “I think I filled it up completely.”
Rebecca looked down sadly. This was never going to be easy and with the accidental meeting attached it made it even harder.
“Where did you go? You just . . . disappeared. What happened? Were you kidnapped? Did you run away? Was the slaying getting to much?” Nighthawk continued
Rebecca wanted to reply but nothing came out. She felt like she wanted to say everything and nothing all at the same time. Nighthawk frowned she started to rub her hands anxiously.
“Was it me?” She asked anxiously, “Did I do something? I’m real sorry if I did. I swear I won’t do it again. Please don’t go away!”
Rebecca looked up. She saw the tears begin to well in Nighthawk’s eyes. Rebecca placed her hands on top of Nighthawks and looked deep into her eyes.
“Hey! It had nothing to do with you alright! There were other things happening back then. Big things I had no control of.”
“Then what the heck’s going on?” Nighthawk asked desperately
Rebecca leaned back. She rubbed her forehead in frustration.
“It’s . . . complicated.”
“What do you mean?”
At that moment Samuel walked up to the table.
“Divine One. Brother Gabriel just informed me that the blade is secure.”
Rebecca looked over to the brother almost relieved.
“Thanks tell him to make sure it stays that way.”
Again the monk bowed and returned to his guarding post. Nighthawk looked from one brother to the other curiously.
“Who are those guys?” she asked
“There my bodyguards.” Rebecca replied
“Why do you need bodyguards?”
Rebecca looked around in frustration. There was too much to explain in a short period of time. Nighthawk sensed the resistance and decided to change the topic.
“Everybody’s been looking for you.” She said softly, “I think Buffy and Angel have, like, been around the word three times. Gunn has been ringing every contact he had. Shona just got meaner. And Alex . . .”
This time it was Nighthawk’s turn to stop. She remembered the way Alex looked after he heard the news that Rebecca disappeared. She had never seen him like that before. Alex was always the strong one out of the two of them but he just crumbled instantly. After that he just sat in his room, looking a Rebecca’s photo, pining for the day that she would return.
“I didn’t want any of this,” Rebecca confided, “This whole thing is just too much. I mean, how am I supposed to stop the most powerful beings in this world? It’s insane I don’t care what the prophecy says.”
Nighthawk looked over to Rebecca with an anxious confusion. She was thing about asking what all that meant but felt that she was going to get shut down again. Rebecca looked down at the table. She began to fidget with one of the napkins.
“So how . . . How is Alex?” she asked nervously
“He’s not himself. He just stays in Angel’s hotel doing all that science stuff for him.” Nighthawk
“I guess he’s found someone else by now huh? Got married and had a couple of kids.”
Nighthawk frowned sadly at Rebecca.
“You don’t remember do you?”
“Remember what?”
“He made a promise to you,” Nighthawk explained, “you know what Alex is like with promises. He said he would wait for you and that’s what he’s doing.”
Rebecca looked up stunned. She knew about Alex’s habit of keeping promises but she never expected for him to wait this long.
“He still loves you Rebecca. And I know this is gonna sound selfish but I was looking forward to you being my sister.”
Rebecca bit her lip. This is all she could do to stop the tears from coming out. It only got worse when she noticed the hopeful look in Nighthawk’s eyes.
“But your back now aren’t you,” Nighthawk said excitedly, “I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I tell him! Hey, maybe we could have a surprise party or something. Yeah! We can invite everybody over and you could, like, jump out of a cake or something and yell ‘surprise’.”
Rebecca hated herself for what she had to do next but it was necessary.
“Nighthawk, listen to me, you can’t tell anybody I’m here. It’s very important that you don’t.” she said in an extremely forceful tone
Rebecca could almost hear Nighthawk’s heart break. That glint of happiness snuffed out before it had a chance to grow. For the longest time Nighthawk didn’t say anything. Rebecca wanted nothing more then to lay down the whole story but she didn’t know what would happen if she did and she didn’t want to risk Nighthawk going to Wolfram and Hart trying to find her.
“Maybe you don’t have to see everybody all at once,” Nighthawk replied deflated, “you could just start with the team. I know Shona would love to have you back and you have to meet the new girls. Except for Glenda she has this problem . . . Your still a slayer right?”
“Yes and no.”
“What?”
“I kinda went through a change.”
“Kinda went through a change?” Whistler said from the counter, “That’s like saying that a bomb kinda explodes.”
Nighthawk looked over at the man. She didn’t hear him come in which cheeped her out. Whistler stood up and moved to the booth.
“Sorry I’m late with the check in didn’t know you were gonna be down at bakers.” He continued
“Did Alison get home alright?”
“Safe as houses. She did give me a list of thing she wants you to Tivo for her though.”
Whistler leans against the seat. He smirks, as he looks nighthawk up and down.
“So. Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your friend in the extremely revealing outfit?”
Subconsciously Nighthawk wrapped her arms around her midsection while crossing her legs.
“Whistler this is Penny Whitfield. Nighthawk this is Whistler. He’s my connection to the Powers That Be.”
“Does he stare at everyone like that?” Nighthawk asked
“Only the truly worthy sweetie,” Whistler replied, “Hey, did you say Whitfield? As in Whitfield Publications?”
Rebecca noted a sudden look of anxiousness from Nighthawk that wasn’t there before. Something was wrong.
“Lucky us Rebecca, sitting with a genuine rich girl bet you just have swimming pools of cash huh?”
“Yeah. Lot’s of money.” Nighthawk replied
This was definitely not sitting right Rebecca. Between her clothes and the mood swing there is definitely something she is not telling her.
“How are you doing Nighthawk?” Rebecca asked carefully
“Me? I’m fine. Keeping myself busy.”
“So why are you dressed like that?”
“This? This is just my work uniform.”
Rebecca looked at her seriously. Nighthawk already knew what she was going to ask next.
“I deliver pizza.” She continued
“Is it just me or am I suddenly getting hungry?” Whistler commented, “you don’t work with a plumber and a pool cleaner as well do you?”
Rebecca nudged Whistler in the stomach. The sudden stabbing pain his message to keep quiet. Nighthawk hugged herself nervously.
“Shona said you were in some kind of trouble. Are you?” Rebecca commented
“You spoke to her?” Nighthawk replied surprised.
“Don’t dodge the question Nighthawk are you in trouble?”
“No,” Nighthawk replied sharply, a little to sharply Rebecca noted, “everything’s fine.”
“Is that why you deliver pizzas in your underwear?”
“It’s just a job Rebecca,” Snapped Nighthawk defensively, “You remember jobs right? Being a slayer.”
“A slayer?” Whistler, “ho boy, have you been misinformed honey.”
Nighthawk stared at the strange, and slightly sleazy, man.
“You saying she’s not a slayer anymore?” she replied
“Sweetie you obviously don’t know greatness when you see it. We are basking in the presence of The Divine One. Prophesized champion to defeat the trinity.”
“What’s a Divine One?”
Whistler nudged Rebecca over. He sat down and looked excitedly at Nighthawk. Whistler laid down the entire story about the prophecy, the trinity, and the destruction of the Star of Asgeroth and Rebecca’s connection to all three. Nighthawk just sat there stunned absorbing as much of the information as she could. At the end of the tale she sat back exhausted.
“So you, like, some kind of god.” Nighthawk said in shock
“No, I’m still me. I just have a lot more to do.” Rebecca replied
“But those extra powers . . . you beating the senior partners. That’s just a lot.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
“I want to help.” Nighthawk said insistently.
“Sorry Nighthawk, the further away from this you are the safer it is.”
“But you got that guy helping and he’s creepy.”
“I was hoping for ruggedly hansom.” Whistler commented
“Not helping Whistler,” Rebecca remarked, “This is not like fighting vampires and demons Nighthawk. They probably know every move I’m gonna make before I d. I’m probably not going to survive this.”
A panicked look crossed Nighthawk’s face. She just got Rebecca back she didn’t want to loose her again.
“No I-I can’t let you do that.”
“It’s to late for no’s. I’m well past the point of no return.”
“I’ll tell everybody!” Nighthawk exclaimed, “I tell them were you live and what you’re doing.”
“Don’t say thing you don’t mean.”
Nighthawk sighed heavily. Rebecca knew perfectly well that she wouldn’t go behind her back on purpose.
“I just want to help.”
Rebecca frowned sadly. Running the options through her mind she came up with a solution.
“How about this. We make this meeting and you keep me up to date on how the groups going and I’ll tell you what I’ve been up to.”
Nighthawk looked up. She smiled slightly. It wasn’t exactly full time but at least she got to see her more.
“Alright, Deal, I’ll meet you after my shift next week.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Nighthawk nodded. She looked down at her watch.
“Oh Geez I gotta go. Some more of the girls are sick and Roy asked me to cover more shifts.”
Nighthawk stood up and gathered her things. Rebecca looked at Nighthawk suspiciously. There was a little twinge in her eye when she mentioned her boss’ name. Nighthawk waved excitedly then ran out of the diner.
“Cute kid,” Whistler noted, “definitely wouldn’t mind seeing more of her.”
Rebecca shot Whistler a look.
“Around here! She lightens the mood, god, I don’t think about that stuff all you know.”
Rebecca went back to staring at the door.
“I need you to do something for me Whistler.”
“Name it.”
“I want you to follow Nighthawk.”
“Afraid she’s gonna spill to the Slayer General?”
Rebecca shook her head slowly.
“No,” she replied seriously, “I’m worried about her. Something is seriously wrong and I have this feeling she hasn’t finished falling yet.”
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