April stayed quiet most of the way home, thinking about the monster in the desert. She tried to control her shaking. Her mind raced. This is completely impossible, she thought with horror. I’m not cut out to battle evil, not like that thing.
Beside her one the seat was Spike. His wound had stopped bleeding, and he was stiffly staring out the window. To her right, Celia was leaning, unconscious against the window. In the front, everyone was being entirely too silent. April sighed and tipped her head back on the seat.
Xander gripped the wheel tightly. His heart was racing and sweat was beading on his upper lip. No one had spoken since he’d tore onto the highway. To cover the stillness, he turned on the radio. A high-pitched country song blared through the quiet of the car.
Spike closed his eyes. The music that Xander was listening to was grating at best, and damn exasperating at worst. Rain was running down the window in little streams. With his eyes shut, Spike couldn’t see the tiny rivers, but with his acute hearing he knew they were there.
Willow pulled her knees up to her chest in the passenger seat. She was tired. It was interesting how much saving lives took out of her. It had been so long, since before Buffy died. It was terribly exhausting to look out for the whole world when all she wanted was to curl up in bed and sleep for a hundred years.
The car continued to be quiet all the way back to Sunnydale, with only the radio disturbing the peacefulness. It was still dark out, but soon a faint line would begin to show just at the edge of the horizon. Spike needed to get back to the safety of his crypt before the sun rose, because that just wasn’t a pleasant experience.
For the first time all night, April thought of her mother. She look at her wristwatch, it was nearly three-thirty in the morning. Time flew when you were chasing after evil. Since she was asked to come home straight after her shift, at 1am, April knew her mother would be worried. After a moment of consideration she thought about what her mother would think of her being a slayer. That certainly wouldn’t go over very well.
Xander rounded the corner to main street and he slowed his speed. There was something in the road. It was hunched over and all black. Xander pulled the car to a stop and still the creature hadn’t moved. In all his experience, Xander had never seen anything like this.
As everyone stared curiously out the windshield, the beast raised its shaggy head. It resembled a wolf, with a long snout and little yellow eyes. It remained seated in the middle of the road, its piercing gaze upon them. April’s blood stopped flowing and her breath caught once again in her throat.
Then, without warning the creature charged straight for the car. Everyone hollered as the beast barreled full throttle toward the vehicle. Doors opened and the passengers bailed out just as the thing hit the car with a deafening smash.
Celia stirred on the ground where April had pushed her. The creature turned its head toward her. It began to advance slowly, on all four feet like a dog. Desperate to save her friend, April waved her arms around to get the thing’s attention.
The ploy worked and now it was April that faced imminent danger. As the beast came toward her, April began to slowly move backwards. Her knees knocked together and her hands shook. She began to cry, big hot tears that streamed down her face. She knew she was looking her death in the face, and it was not pretty.
“April!” She heard someone shout. Looking over the beast’s left shoulder April saw the flash of metal. A broad sword was flying through the air at her. Sucking in a huge breath, April reached out to grab the handle. She missed by a millimeter, cutting open her hand on the sharp blade.
Biting back the pain, April held the sword in front of her. She was clumsy and could barely hold it up. The creature was only ten feet from her when April heard a calm voice in her head. The voice gave her very precise instructions. Without thinking, April plunged forward and drove the sword into the creature’s neck.
It howled in anger and pain. April put all of her weight into the thrust, driving the blade to its hilt. The monster managed one swipe at her. Its claws caught her shoulder, making her winch in pain, but not release her grip on her weapon.
Then it fell to the ground and was still. Shortly after, April herself collapsed to the ground, a wave of nausea and exhaustion nearly overtaking her. She was still sobbing when the other three came to collect her.
Spike and Xander braced her arms as they pulled her to her feet. She leaned on them for support. It was the second time in mere hours that she had to be helped off the floor. She had a little laugh at her own expense. Willow had a tight arm around Celia, who looked frightened and bewildered by the recent events that had transpired.
“Does this mean I’m a slayer?” April asked Xander. He only smiled and glanced back at the dead monster lying in the middle of the road.
“I would have to say probably so,” he replied as they all sat down on the curb.
“So what now?” she asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s gonna be borin’,” Spike said reaching in his jacket pocket. He lit another cigarette and took a long drag. “Looks like we’re stuck with you.”
They all laughed a little. The other continued to chat while April thought. She recalled the voice in her head, telling her what she should do. It sounded familiar, but she simply couldn’t place it. Exhaling softly, she leaned back on her hands and listened to her new friends discuss their future together. It didn’t mind so much that she had to fight the forces of darkness, hell at least now she fit in.
Ethan was terribly disappointed, but not half so much so as his boss would be. Especially to hear about the new slayer. Reluctant to have another run-in with the new lady, Ethan decided it was best to face the music. He packed his stuff, climbed in the old beat-up Chevy and headed east.
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