Reaching past the snot-nosed girl, Angel easily opened the door and stepped into the crypt, the rest of the group pushing in behind him. The tomb was dark and the dust was thick on the floor, but Angel was able to make out soft light coming from a trapdoor that led to somewhere below. He held out a hand to stop Xander from rushing forward. “Stop, you fool! You don’t know what’s down there. Let me check it out first.”
For once in his life, Xander saw wisdom in the advice received from the vampire he hated above all others. He nodded his head in agreement, and stepped back to let Angel go first.
The dark vampire squatted down by the hatch. With his demon at the forefront, he quickly dipped his head down, taking in as much of the room below as he could, as quickly as possible. He let his demon slip away when he saw Whistler asleep in an old chair, feet propped up on a nearby bed. Feeling confident that he was in no danger, Angel straightened up and took a step forward, dropping to the floor of the chamber below, and raising a small cloud of dust when he landed.
Whistler was startled awake, and scanned the room with a surprised look on his face.
“Is that Buffy?” Angel asked, as he moved closer to the bed, and pointed to the small bundle buried under a ragged blanket.
The messenger nodded. “Yup, got it in one Sherlock.”
“Why is she still here? You’ve had all day. Why haven’t you brought her home?” The dark haired vampire shook his head in disbelief.
“She has a will of her own, you know, and she didn’t want to leave.” Shrugging, Whistler settled into his chair again. “She woke up for a bit and was willing to chat. Didn’t last long though, and then she rolled over, curled up, and went back to sleep.”
The rest of the search party was cautiously using the ladder to follow Angel to the lower floor. When they recognized the blonde figure curled up on the bed, they rushed past the brooding vampire in the middle of the room and swarmed the Slayer’s resting place. Willow sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the blanket down, trying to see more of Buffy than just the top of her head. “Buffy!” Shaking her friend’s shoulder, the redhead tried to wake the sleeping figure.
Buffy opened her eyes, hope gleaming in them until she recognized Willow. Turning to Whistler with indifference, she asked, “Why are they here?” Her voice was sleep roughened, but clear.
“They wanted to see you, but mostly they’re trying to figure out what’s going on.”
Dawn moved around the bed, until she was able to confront her sister. “Buffy, why didn’t you come home? What are you doing here?”
“I can’t do this.” Tears gathered in the Slayer’s eyes as she looked at her sister, before the blonde turned back to Whistler. “Make them leave, please. I don’t want any of them. They’re not who I’m waiting for.” With that, she pulled the blanket up over her ears, pretending that the people in the room were already gone. The manoeuvre had long been a Buffy Summers specialty – swimming in the Nile.
“Don’t behave like a child, Buffy.” Giles was polishing the dust from his glasses. “We need to know how to stop the First Evil, and the information is apparently linked to you. We realize that we were harsh with you earlier, but you’ve got to think of your calling now and put aside your wounded pride.”
There was a low murmur from under the blanket.
“Please speak up. We can’t hear you when you’re hiding like that.”
Agitated, Buffy pulled the blanket down to her waist and sat up in the middle of the bed. Some of the younger Potentials took a step back when they saw the look in the senior Slayer’s eyes.
“Why would you suddenly care what I think? What my plan is? All you need to know is that I’ve got things under control, and your help is not needed or wanted.”
“So, you know how to stop the First Evil?” Angel stepped up beside Whistler’s chair.
“I do,” she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to say anything more.
“So?”
Buffy turned to look at Willow’s curious expression.
“What does it matter? I’ve already said I don’t need any of you for this.” Buffy was growing frustrated with their refusal to leave her alone.
“We’re not leaving here without the info, B.” Faith moved closer to Angel, taking his arm and pressing her breasts against Buffy’s former lover. “I’m not getting the vibe that you’re real serious about this First Evil thing. Well, you may not be willing to do whatever it takes, but I’m a Slayer too, and I’m not going to back down until I’ve kicked the First’s ass.” She tossed a challenging smile at Buffy when Angel didn’t move away from her.
Buffy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Information won’t help you here. You can’t take care of this one, Faith.”
“Quit being such a glory-hound.” Xander stepped forward. “Faith is a Slayer, maybe even a better one than you. Of course she can stop the First. At least she’s still trying, and not hiding in the bed of the Undead Wonder.” The young carpenter couldn’t help looking at the body of the dark Slayer. She’d taken his virginity, and had refused his advances since then. Maybe she would give him another go now? His eyes darkened and he felt his cock stiffen at the thought. She’d been in prison for a long time...surely she needed help to scratch an itch or two by now?
The desire to reach out and hit Xander was almost overwhelming, but Buffy closed her eyes and clenched her fists, trying to work through her anger without exploding.
Changing the topic, Willow asked Buffy, “Why couldn’t I locate you here? I did spell after spell, and you never showed up.” The witch was wringing her hands, worried that her magic was somehow failing.
“Clem took over the crypt when Spike left, and he was the one that put the protection spells on it. He’s not much of a fighter, and it made him feel safer to know that he was invisible to any Big Bads that were out there.”
Anya had lingered at the back of the search party, and had silently observed Buffy’s interactions with the Scoobies. She was saddened when she noticed the look Xander was giving Faith. The ex-vengeance demon had really thought that she and the carpenter were on their way to repairing the damage done to their relationship when Xander had left her at the altar. Lowering her head, Anya started to wonder if a new start with her old fiancée would be worth the effort. When she looked up again, she noticed that this time Xander’s eyes were firmly fixed on Buffy. The little blonde Slayer would always be between them as well, an unwitting rival for Xander’s affection. Buffy had made it clear that she viewed the young man in a brotherly capacity only, but Xander was unwilling to let go of the unrealistic obsession he had carried since high school.
“Just tell us how to defeat the First Evil. Quit being a bitch about it.” The demanding voice came from someone at the back of the search party, and Buffy suspected it was Kennedy that had spoken. Another voice soon followed. “Faith will look after us...just tell her what she has to do.”
Buffy had finally had enough. “She’ll look after you?” the Slayer responded incredulously. “Tell me then, can she marry the love of my life? Is that how she’s going to look after you?” With that, the blonde lay down again, pulling the blanket up over her head and shutting her unwelcome visitors out. Maybe now they’ll leave me alone...or at least shut up.
There was a moment of complete silence in the crypt. Gathering his wits, Giles realized that he had dropped his glasses when he’d heard Buffy’s question, and bent down to retrieve the battered spectacles from the floor. His movement seemed to unlock the rest of the group, and the room suddenly erupted. Everyone was yelling, all denying what Buffy had just said.
Silent until now, Riley shouted, “Marrying someone can’t stop an apocalypse. It’s ridiculous!” He looked from face to face, finding support from many.
“GET OUT!”
Shocked, the group turned as one toward the bed. Though still hidden beneath the blankets, there was no question the command had come from Buffy.
Whistler had been enjoying the show, but now felt it had gone on long enough. He rose from his chair and started to herd the members of the search party toward the ladder leading to the upper level. “I think your time is up guys. Looks like the Slayer’s had enough for now.”
“But...who is she going to marry?” Xander took a step toward the bed.
“Yes, I’d also like to know who will be giving Buffy orgasms.”
“Anya!” was heard from all sides.
“What?” Anya looked around and shrugged. “I don’t get many orgasms anymore, so I have to live vicariously through others.”
The majority of the group in the crypt just shook their head at the completely inappropriate question. They were all used to the ex-demon’s lack of inhibition by now.
Whistler looked from the group gathered in the lower chamber, to the figure huddled on the bed, and then back again. The Scoobies were all waiting for an answer that the demon knew the Slayer wasn’t ready to give them yet. “Look folks, I think you’ve got all you’re going to get from the Slayer tonight. Why don’t you head back home, and I’ll give you a call when she’s willing to talk to you again.”
Not surprisingly, the response came from Buffy’s Watcher. “Let’s say for just a moment that I believe that Buffy is telling the truth. We are all residents of the Hellmouth here, and we know that stranger things have happened in this town. I don’t understand how a marriage will avert the coming apocalypse, and for now I don’t need to. What I do ask for is some reassurance that Buffy will indeed do her duty, should the opportunity arise.” With that, Giles turned his gaze once again to the figure on the bed, waiting for an answer.
“Hey, Slayer. I think that question was for you.” Sitting down once more, Whistler waited for the Scoobie Show to continue.
With a sigh, Buffy pulled the blanket down just enough to allow her to speak clearly to the group and make eye contact with her Watcher. “Are you really asking me Giles? I figured you’d consult with the group that’s been determined to run my life and make all my decisions in the past. You remember them, right? The people that threw me out because they didn’t like the choices I made?” Buffy shifted her gaze from her Watcher, to encompass Angel, Xander, Willow, and Dawn, as well as the Potentials and Faith.
Her point made, she waited patiently for her opinions to be discounted again.
This time, it was Angel that picked up the gauntlet. “You’re a child, Buffy. It’s only reasonable that those with more experience should be responsible for helping you in your role as the Chosen One. You should be grateful that you have people around you who are willing to guide you, instead of acting like a pouting brat whenever you’re forced to perform your duty properly and make correct choices.”
Pulling the blanket even further down and raising herself up on the bed once more, Buffy sent an enraged look at the elder vampire. “Right. So, in my twenties, I’m a child that needs guidance to do the right thing. What did that make me when I was sixteen and you slept with me? An infant? And what does that make you?” That finally made Angel look away, uncomfortable with her insinuation. “Until a few days ago, I single-handedly supported at least three people on a full-time basis. Regardless of age, I think that makes me an adult.”
“Three? How do you and Dawn count as three people?” A bewildered look spread across Xander’s face.
The blonde in the bed turned hard eyes toward the witch standing by the bed.
“What? Willow? She doesn’t count! You’re not responsible for her!” the dark-haired youth responded, leaping to the defence of the girl who had been his best friend since kindergarten.
“Not my responsibility...that much is certainly true. I think she should count though, when she’s living in our home rent-free and doesn’t contribute a dime for the food she eats. At least when she was with Tara, I could count on getting help with the housework and cooking.” Buffy was looking at her childhood friend, but Willow was staring at her shoes and refused to look at anyone.
“No wonder Buffy was always worrying about money, even though she was working so much. It also explains why she took so many shifts when she was clearly exhausted from slaying. Maybe you should get a job, Willow, and start paying Buffy back. It’s only fair, after all.” Anya’s response was quick and blunt.
“I didn’t...I...I’ll get a job. I will, as soon as people come back to town and there are jobs again. I didn’t realize...didn’t even think...but I’ll start paying rent, and I’ll look after Dawnie and the house and the bills for as long as you need.” The words rushed from Willow’s mouth before anyone could chastise Anya for speaking her mind again.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Betaed by Flight Of Fancy.