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Author's Chapter Notes:
This is the last of the pre-written chapters. I'll try to get a new one up soon. I'm also working on two other WIPs.
Chapter 6

The next day, Buffy dialed the number Mrs. Blackwell had left her while she was on lunch break. She used the payphone at school that was farthest from human ears.

“Buffy? I’m so glad you called. I take it you read the book?”

“Yeah – listen, I’m at lunch, so I don’t have a lot of time, but I’d like to talk with you further, hear what you have to offer me? Um, I have cheerleading practice after school, but my mom is going to be at the gallery really late, so we can meet up once I get home.”

“That’s fine, dear. What time would you like me to drop by?”

“Umm…let’s say 5 o’clock. That gives me enough time to get home and shower.”

“Okay, Buffy. Feel free to think up as many questions as you like. I have nothing to hide from you. Take care.”

“Yeah. Bye, Mrs. Blackwell.” Buffy hung up the phone and ran to the cafeteria to join Willow and Xander for lunch.
~+~
Buffy rushed home as fast as her weary and sore body would take her. Her backpack dropped to the floor once she was inside, on her way to the shower. She had just enough time to ease her muscles a bit before needing to be dressed and downstairs for Mrs. Blackwell to arrive.

There had been a change in her body over the three months of summer. No longer was she toned from head to toe just from breathing. Oh, her weight hadn’t changed any, thanks to the typical 16-year-old metabolism, but she was softer now, and her pre-return-to-normal flexibility had been waning over the months of shopping and lying out by the pool. The pain from cheerleading training made Buffy Summers face a hard truth – she had to work for everything she was going to accomplish from now on. And it was humbling.

She finished rinsing her hair and stepped out onto the fluffy rug, reaching for the towel. Once she was no longer dripping and her hair had been combed through, Buffy fastened her robe and crossed into her room. What to wear? She didn’t plan on going anywhere tonight, so jeans and a t-shirt would probably do…and Mrs. Blackwell didn’t seem too stuffy. Buffy didn’t think she’d get clucked at disapprovingly for being comfortable in her own home. Dressed, she brushed her hair back into a ponytail, and went downstairs to find something to eat.

The doorbell rang at precisely 5 o’clock. Nervously rubbing her hands together, Buffy took a steadying breath, and opened the door.

“Hello, Buffy. How was your day?” Lillian asked. She stepped inside and walked to the living room Buffy had gestured towards. She wore a blouse and slacks this evening.

“The usual, for high school, and tiring. Slayer stamina would have really come in handy during cheerleading practice today.” She sat on the couch, a polite distance away from the Guardian.

Lillian chuckled. “I’m sure it would have. Well, you wanted to discuss what we do, so why don’t you ask your questions, and I’ll do my best to answer than for you?”

“Um…well, I looked through enough of Giles’ books to know that you have the names and dates right, but how can I know that the other parts weren’t made up? I don’t always agree with Council methods, related to me by my watcher, but they’ve never tried to screw me over.”

“I understand your skepticism, and I’m glad you are wary. A Slayer must always trust her instincts, her intuition, even when the answer seems strange or contrary to the rules. Your improvisational skill is one of the things we’ve always admired about you, Buffy. As for proof, well…may I?” she gestured to the large case she had set on the coffee table. Buffy nodded, standing up and backing away, just in case. Mrs. Blackwell flipped the latches on the case and removed a shiny red and silver ax that had Buffy’s eyes gleaming with interest. She held it out to the teen. “Take this and tell me how it feels.”

“Okay…” Buffy skeptically replied. She grasped the handle, and felt…belonging, power. “Is this magic?”

“Only indirectly. We forged that weapon for the Slayer millenniums ago. It is a part of her power and strength, and extension of her prowess. As the lust for power crept up in the Watcher’s ranks, we took back the Scythe, and hid it well. This weapon is a great ally to the Slayer, but it could also be used in the wrong hands to tamper with the legacy. It would have gone to you, when the time was right.”

“But I’m not a Slayer anymore…how can I still feel this…?”

“Sense of belonging? You may not have the power anymore, but you will always be a part of the legacy. Every Potential is one for a reason. Not every girl in the world has that, well, potential. You didn’t believe you were intentionally chosen, did you?”

Buffy blushed as she handed the ax back. “I…it just felt unfair, to suddenly be this freak. If you know so much about me, then you know that I got kicked out of my last school for doing my job, and that my parents put me in a mental hospital when I told them I’d slayed my first vampire. So yeah, I didn’t feel so much chosen, as cursed. Being brilliant like Willow makes you special, singing like an angel is special, winning the Super Bowl is special. Me…well, all slaying got me was trying to ruin my life, in all kinds of permanent ways. If that was the deliberate gift of some higher power, then they had one cruel sense of humor,” she ranted bitterly.

“I’m sorry for how you have suffered, Buffy. It was not intended to be that way. It was a blessing and a hindrance that you were not identified as a Potential before you were called. Now, I’m sure you have more questions…”

“Yeah…sorry for getting ranty. Um…what exactly are you wanting me to do by joining you?”

“Well, you would be a part of the group…assist Slayers when necessary, but mostly just catalogue their experiences…but for now, you can carry on with your life as normal. We will teach you what it truly means to be a Slayer, and you will guide Kendra. She is technically sufficient, but a Watcher has raised the girl. You know how they are about duty and following rules…” Lillian relayed.

The teen rolled her eyes knowingly. “Right…life is never fun for the Slayer. It’s all train, study, slay…”

“Exactly, so she lacks…flexibility. Your creativity is something that will serve her well. There isn’t much time to get her prepared, however, so I must ask for your decision before she arrives.”

“Do I just get a club badge? Is there a ritual, some kind of spell? Will it hurt?” Buffy fired off questions until Mrs. Blackwell held up her hand to indicate she should stop.

“There is a ritual, and no, it won’t hurt. You will be imbued with the powers of a Guardian. We age very slowly, but are just as susceptible to injury as any other human. If you join us, you will be schooled in magic, Slayer lore, our guidelines…”

Buffy interrupted. “Why me? Why not another potential, or a witch or a Watcher?”

“You have a unique perspective, Buffy, as the only Slayer who has come back from the dead by normal means. Evil will only get bolder as time goes on, and sitting back to watch will not serve the good of the world any longer. We need the freshness of youth in our ranks, someone in touch with the modern world. We are a small group of old women, dear, and old women, however long they try, do eventually fall out of touch. We need someone who can relate to the Slayer as only a Slayer can. So, you see, you are very special.”

“That’s quite a pitch…how did you know to interfere with my Slayerness? That had to be a really short window…” Buffy’s mind had been working over that since Lillian had confessed that they were the reason the power left her. Did they constantly watch her through a crystal ball, or something?

The Guardian chuckled. “That’s an interesting question. It’s best said, that ‘a little birdie’ told us.”

“Like, a seer, or something?”

“In a way…I can explain more to you once you make your decision. We operate even in secret from the Watchers, Buffy, so I must ask you to keep all of this confidential. It is how we have ensured our safety, you see.”

“I get it. I won’t spill the beans, unless you okay it.” She’d been pacing since she stood up, and now the ex-Slayer chewed her lip as she pondered whether she wanted the answer to her next question. Lillian waited patiently. Finally, she just came out with it. “You said before, that Giles and Angel were supposed to prevent my death? Use the prophecy as a warning?”

Lillian gave the girl a sympathetic look. It wasn’t easy to learn that the two people you most trusted to help you failed so miserably, especially as an innocent 16-year-old girl. “They were. The Powers That Be guided the souled vampire to you with directions to protect you. From what I know, he took an…odd approach to that mandate. They had hoped that in growing to care for you, he would naturally do all in his power to keep you safe and alive. Apparently, they put too much faith in his judgment.” She paused, wanting to approach this delicately. “Buffy, am I correct in thinking that you could love this creature?”

“I do! I…think…?”

Lillian nodded. “Then you should be aware of his curse, if the two of you still decide to pursue a romantic relationship. You see, gypsies, being…creative thinkers, designed this curse with a ‘get out of jail free card’, so to speak. There is a clause that allows Angel to become his un-souled self, Angelus, again. Have you read about his history?”

Buffy gulped as she nodded, eyes wide with the implication. “He was…horrible. Completely vile and evil and without mercy. You’re saying that Angel could become that again?”

“He could, if he has one moment of forgetting the guilt that the curse makes him dwell upon. One moment of pure happiness not tinged by his crimes. I don’t know why he has never sought to anchor his soul. His path has not been mine to watch, except where it mingles with yours. Perhaps he is unaware of the wording of the curse…or feels that he needs to actively resist the temptation to release the monster within…”

“Like an alcoholic staring at the bottle, then walking away?”

“I suppose we can look at it that way, yes. From the Powers perspective, he had a job to do, and failed. They will most likely assign him to another task, perhaps not even here. It is often the way of things.” She rose and approached the troubled girl, lifting her hand to caress Buffy’s cheek like a mother would. “Dear child, first infatuations always hit hard, and feel like the most intense thing in the world, but they are fleeting…merely there to introduce you to love. You will find a man who loves all of you someday, who is your equal. Do not worry if you do not find him while you are still growing. These things happen when they are meant to be.”

A tear coursed down Buffy’s cheek as she blinked. She was touched by the Guardian’s words, and also felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders that she hadn’t even known she’d been carrying. Lillian’s touch felt calming, soothing, and warm. Like hugs from your grandmother.

“Is that…a special Guardian thingy you just did?” she wondered.

The older woman smiled. “Yes and no. I was asked to join the Guardians for my uniqueness, too, you know,” she teased. “I know the future has looked bleak to you, despite your dreams, but you are not alone, Buffy. You never have been. Do you have any other questions?”

Buffy thought for a moment, then shook her head ‘no’. “I think I know all I need to make a decision right now. I’ll sleep on it and give you a call.”

“Alright, dear. I look forward to hearing from you.” Lillian walked over to the coffee table and picked up the weapon case.

“Oh! Wait a minute! Will I have to lie to my mom and sneak out of the house all the time again? ‘Cause I really don’t like doing that. She’s just starting to trust me again.”

“I don’t think so. I think you’ll be able to be home by curfew most of the time. Your physical presence is not required to watch over a Slayer,” Mrs. Blackwell answered enigmatically.

Buffy sighed in relief, focusing on the part about not having to defy her mother. “Okay, cool. Well, thanks for coming…really. You’ve given me lots to think about, either way.” She walked the Guardian to the door.

Mrs. Blackwell paused on the porch, then put her arm around Buffy for a brief hug. Yes…they were doing the right thing by taking a more proactive approach. The Messenger had been correct.

“Goodbye, Buffy. Sleep well, and don’t forget to lock up.”

“You’re really rocking this motherly vibe, aren’t you? Bye, Mrs. Blackwell. My mom should be home soon, so I’ll be fine.”

Lillian nodded, and turned to walk down the porch steps. Buffy closed the door, so she missed seeing the woman fade out of sight, disappearing to parts unknown.

“Crap. I still have homework!”






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