~*~
Thunk.
Buffy turned to her Watcher, grinning. “See, Jenny?” she said triumphantly. “I’ve totally mastered the knife thing.”
“I’d kind of hoped you had.” Jenny walked over to the target, carefully examining the knife. “Now we can start with crossbow!” she said with a bright smile, turning to the teen.
Buffy’s triumphant smile instantly disappeared. “Come on, Jenny, you told me I could go to the Bronze,” she whined, picking up a knife and balancing the handle on her finger. “Besides, I could kill an elephant with a crossbow.”
“Which, given that an elephant’s eye is as big as Wesley’s head, would be such a difficult feat,” Jenny retorted, smiling slightly.
Wesley poked his head out of the stacks, where he’d been buried in demon mythology. “I say, did someone say my name?” he inquired. “Because if you’re in need of any assistance, I’d be delighted to help.”
Buffy rolled her eyes at him. “Wesley, the only reason we’re here is because most kids on campus don’t even know the library exists,” she said bluntly. “We don’t need your help.”
He puffed himself up indignantly. “I’ll have you know that I’m a Council-trained expert on demons!”
“And I’m a Council-trained expert on killing them,” Buffy replied, rolling her eyes. “Go back to your books, Wesley.”
Luckily for her (or maybe him), he did, muttering about insolent teens. She really, really wished there was a different room they could practice in…but unfortunately, the library was the only place Jenny had found for them. It really kinda sucked, because they had to put up with Wesley’s whining every day. “You’re sure we can’t just practice in the computer lab?” Buffy asked, only half-jokingly.
“If you feel like replacing thousands of dollars of equipment, sure,” Jenny replied. “Now: crossbow.”
“Now: Bronze.” Buffy insisted. “Please, Jenny? A happy Slayer is a non-suicidal one,” she sang with a grin.
Jenny winced. “I really wish you wouldn’t talk that way.”
“Let me go to the Bronze and I won’t.” Buffy looked at her hopefully.
Jenny could tell that there was no way she was going to win this argument. “Fine,” she sighed, “Go. Have fun. But come to class tomorrow!” she yelled at Buffy retreating back.
“Will do, Miss Calendar!” Buffy called in a half-mocking voice as she left the library.
Jenny watched her go, sighing. Buffy was so young, so exuberant, that at times it was difficult to remember that she was the Slayer. Thinking that she was 17 and therefore had a maximum of eight more years left in her life made the computer teacher’s chest feel tight.
She was jolted out of her reverie by the phone ringing. “I’ve got it—aah!” Wesley yelped as he fell down the stairs, books tumbling with him.
Jenny rolled her eyes and picked up the phone. “Sunnydale High, Miss Calendar speaking...oh, hi, Rupert! What? And he just—okay. Yes, I’ll try to tell her. No, she just ran out a moment ago. Yes. Well, I can always try, can’t I? Why’d you let him—oh. That makes sense. then. Yes, I’ll talk to you soon. Rupert, if you want me to find her, I really have to go. Yes, I’ll call when I do. Okay, Rupert. Rupert! Drink some tea or something!...okay, bye.” Jenny hung up the phone. Her face was grim.
“Is there a problem? Something I can help with?” Wesley asked eagerly. He was covered in dust and his glasses were askew.
“No, Wesley. Now shut up. I’m going to find Buffy; we have a problem.” She grabbed her car keys and a cross and left the library. As she climbed into her car, she sent a brief prayer up to the heavens: Please don’t let me be too late.
A few minutes earlier...
“So, Rupes, remind me again why we’re in the States?”
“Business,” Giles replied vaguely. He was perusing a book he’d pulled out of his suitcase.
Spike rolled his eyes; trust Rupes to be more interested in books than in making their motel room even remotely more livable. “Well, ‘m goin’ out. I wanna kill something.”
“Don’t get hurt,” Giles advised him, not even looking up from his book.
“Right. ‘Cuz I always come back limping,” Spike said sarcastically. When Giles didn’t answer he snapped his fingers in front of the older man’s face. “’ey! Brit-boy! Wake up!”
“Hm?” Giles looked up, his face telling Spike that he hadn’t heard a word of what Spike had said.
“’m going out,” Spike replied in a slow, measured voice. “Bloody hell, Rupert, the least you could do is listen to me. Isn’t that what you Watchers are supposed to do?”
Giles pursed his lips. “Generally a Watcher’s Slayer isn’t half so disobedient,” he said primly, cleaning his glasses.
“Yeah, I know, I’m a bad boy, spank me,” Spike said impatiently. “Look, ‘f I have to stay in this fleabag motel much longer, I’m gonna piss myself from boredom. Talk to you later, yeah?”
“What? No! Spike, you need to know why we’re here first!”
“I can kill a few demons without a lesson, but thanks,” Spike said, shrugging into his leather duster. “You worry too much, you know that? Go get drunk or something.”
“Spike—“
“I’m going out. Honestly, when did you get this paranoid?” And with that, Spike opened the door and left.
Giles stared at the now-closed door, completely flummoxed, as he listened to the DeSoto drive away. They cannot be allowed to meet. That would spell absolute disaster. Luckily, there was a possibility that he wouldn’t meet her tonight...Giles hurriedly phoned Miss Calendar.
When he hung up his worry had increased tenfold. From what he’d heard of the girl, she’d kill first and ask questions later. If Jenny didn’t reach her Slayer in time, tonight could be absolutely catastrophic.
Giles didn’t waste any more time. Grabbing his keys, he ran outside and drove off.
~*~
Geez. Why was it that whenever something interesting was going on in her life, there were always a million vamps to kill, but the second she actually wanted to go patrolling all the vampires in Sunnydale were mysteriously AWOL?
“If I don’t find something to hit soon…” Buffy muttered, peering around what seemed like the thousandth mausoleum that night.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Slayer.”
She sighed in relief. Thank you, whichever God makes bad guys pop out of nowhere, she thought, turning around. “You know, if I had a penny for every time someone said that sentence, I could totally retire,” she quipped, grabbing a stake.
The vampire sneered. “Too bad I’m gonna kill you, you won’t get a chance to collect.”
“Whatever.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Can we just start fighting already? Because, you know, I don’t come to cemeteries for the social scene—and hey, what are you doing running away like that?” she yelled after the vamp. For some reason, he’d all of a sudden started running away during her little speech. “Get back here!” She yelled after him. Unfortunately, he was already out of sight—she’d been too surprised to follow him.
“Stupid evil,” she muttered, pocketing her stake and turning around. “You’d think they could stick around long enough for a—oh, crap.”
Standing in front of her were three very large, very ugly, very red demons.
“Okay,” she said slowly, backing away. “Maybe I should’ve stopped by home and gotten my axe.”
The demons did nothing but growl as they advanced towards her; apparently they weren’t the talky types.
“Do you think maybe you could, you know, wait here till I get back with an axe and chop your head off?” Buffy asked hopefully. “Because that would be really—ow!” she cried out as the nearest demon swung at her face. The force of his blow knocked her to the ground, but she leapt to her feet almost immediately. “Screw weapons,” she snapped, “You are so going down. I think that’ll leave a bruise!”
And with that last petulant remark, she leapt at them.
Unfortunately for her, three was two too many for her to beat when she was weaponless. They were so huge that no matter how many times she hit them or kicked them, they just bounced back, ready for more. Buffy had a limit even in her adrenalin-charged state, and she was starting to realize that she’d reached it.
Dangit! I wanted easy-to-kill demons…oh, God. I’m losing, she thought desperately. Two of them were cornering her up against a crypt. No matter how hard I fight they’re going to beat me! Her fist flew out; one of them caught it and bent her wrist back cruelly. Not enough to break it, but enough to force Buffy to do something she almost never did.
“AAAAUUUUGH!!!!!”
After that, several things happened all at once. She was knocked aside—by what, she wasn’t sure. Spots swam before her eyes and she struggled to stand, expecting at any moment to be killed by one of those demons. But when she turned around, she saw a sight that almost made her pass out.
One of the demons was making its way towards her, but two of them were decidedly occupied by a lean man who was hefting what appeared to be an axe with ease. The sharp metal swung through the air, making an odd whistling noise, as he hacked into one of the demons.
For a second all Buffy could do was stare. Who the heck was he and why was he helping her out? But when the demon aimed a whack at her, Slayer instincts took over, and the fight was on again.
Knowing that an armed ally was watching her back (or at least hoping that he was) made the fight go much more smoothly. Having only one demon to worry about, Buffy swiftly dispatched it, wincing at the crunch of bone that resulted from her driving her stake through the thing’s head. I am so never going to forget my knife again… she thought, doing her best to wipe her stake off on the grass.
Suddenly she froze. Her mysterious helper was still working on one demon—that wasn’t the problem. What had shocked her was that this guy, whoever he was, was making her Slayer senses go crazy.
No, make that whatever. Because this guy was definitely not human. She scrambled to her feet. The tingles on the back of her neck weren’t vampire, or not what she was used to, anyway, but she could never be too careful…she watched closely for a hint of fang as he swiped his axe at the demon.
Then it happened. He grabbed the demon’s arm, swung it, and threw the demon ten feet away. His axe followed, swishing through the air and embedding itself in the demon’s heart.
And just like that, Buffy knew. All the air left her lungs, and all she could do was let out a squeak.
Spike turned to the girl. He’d heard her scream and had come to help her, thankful that he was going to get some action tonight. He was actually rather surprised that she hadn’t run off; they usually did when he rescued—
Suddenly he froze, acutely aware of the way his neck was tingling like mad. His eyes widened, finally taking in the bloodied stake that she was clutching familiarly.
“Bloody—“ he began.
“Holy—“ the girl said.
“hell.”
“shit.
~*~
A/N: So…I’m really not sure about this story. Feedback? I know the whole they’re-both-Slayers thing has been done before, but hopefully I have some original ideas =D
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!