Backstory & Episodes

Episode 4-Remembrance

Slayers Virtual Season 8
 
Episode 4 – Remembrance
 
Starring:
 
Matt Long as Alex Sanders
Lizzy Caplan as Eliza Sanders
Nanako Matsushima as Shina Taji
Jennifer Ehle as Jennifer Sanderson
And Johnny Depp as David, the Archangel
 
Written by Kelley Hawkins
Edited by Melody Nation
 
Disclaimer: The major characters in these episodes/stories are the creations of Joss Whedon and any and all entities who have a share in them such as Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, Warner Bros or Mutant Enemy Productions. The stories are written by fans and are not intended for profit or to infringe upon or undermine the established copyright of those mentioned above. The situations depicted in these stories (sexual or otherwise) are not intended to harm the reputations of those actors associated with the characters involved. The only things that are ©2004 are those characters that are the creation of the Slayers VS8 staff and the original plotlines of the stories.
 
Teaser
 
Buffy turned. In slow motion, she ran down the platform as Dawn stood back crying. Buffy swan dived off the end of the platform and into the portal. Dawn watched as she sobbed hard. Buffy fell into the portal and hung there motionless. Expressions of pain filled her face. The portal shrunk to nothingness and disappeared. The sun began to rise. Willow and Tara held each other up and walked forward. Behind them, Giles came forward too, and Xander held Anya in his arms. They all walked forward and stared at Buffy’s lifeless body. Suddenly, Willow broke down into tears in Tara’s arms. Xander and Anya looked sadly at Buffy. Anya lowered her head to Xander's shoulder. Giles started to cry as a deep grief washed over him. “His Slayer...his Buffy was gone...Dead!” He thought as a sudden anger filled him.
Spike had his hands over his face. He sobbed.
Dawn came slowly down the stairs, and held her bleeding cuts on her torso and spotted the others. Dawn recalled Buffy’s last words to her. “Dawn, the hardest thing in this world ... is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me.”
From above, Buffy witnessed this scene but held no tears in her own eyes. She made a sacrifice to save the world, her friends...Dawn once more. A feeling of overwhelming peace and happiness washed over her as she gazed down at her friends below. She was finally finished. Her life felt complete. She gazed above her and saw a bright light but her eyes did not turn away from the glare. She faced it with a genuine pride. She could feel her Mom’s presence and love surrounding her. She could also see Kendra and Jenny but not their physical bodies but their souls. Buffy felt welcomed. Buffy felt done! Buffy moved toward the warm light that engulfed her with a feeling of forever.
* * * * *
Inside a coffin underground, an orange mist swirled around the skull with much of the skin rotting off and the hair decaying. As the mist moved around the body, the eyeballs reappeared; the skin and hair repaired themselves. The corpse changed into Buffy. She stared up and looked around her, wide-eyed and she gasped. Fresh air. She needed fresh air. She realized that she was inside a coffin. Her coffin. She remembered saving the world and going “home.” She remembered how her friends grieved over her body. She looked around her. She panted, with an expression of extreme fear on her face.
Buffy pounded frantically on the sides, tried to scream but no sound came out. She looked around her. She was terrified. She continued to pound, and then banged on the inner lid just inches from her face. She began to rip away the cloth that covered the inside of the lid. She grunted with exertion as the cloth ripped. With Slayer strength, she banged her hands against the lid, and then punched it and her fist finally went through the wood. Dirt rained down on her as she pulled at the wood with all her strength. She finally widened the hole enough to crawl up through the coffin and then up to the ground above. Suddenly a hand burst out from below, then another hand, then Buffy's head and shoulders. She gasped for air, and pulled herself up onto the grass. She laid there panting for a moment trying to get her bearings. She looked around at the dark forest and then saw her own headstone. What did she do wrong? Why had she been expelled from her world of peace? Her own heaven? Buffy began to sob a heart-wrenching sob. Suddenly, Buffy awoke in her bed in her house in Cleveland and looked around her. She realized that she was really crying and wiped away the tears on her face. Buffy had not had that nightmare in almost three years. Why now? Buffy turned over and sobbed into her pillow. Her heart broke as she remembered where she was after she dived into the portal. The familiar feeling of being whole and complete came back to her. She sobbed some more and realized that she could never be complete or whole ever again.
Buffy sat up then and looked at the clock. Time to go train Shina again, she thought as she rose from her bed and began to dress. “Another night...another day.” Buffy whispered to herself. She yawned deeply as she began to put on her shoes.
 
Act One
 
Buffy and Shina sat on the tombstone eating chocolate chip cookies. Buffy and Shina both wore their hair in a high ponytail. Shina realized very quickly that it stays out of her way better when her hair is up. Suddenly, Buffy stopped eating her cookie. She heard something behind her. She jumped down and ducked just as an ax swung at her neck. Shina looked on as Buffy quickly regained her composure and turned to punch the demon hard in the face. The demon instantly dropped the ax. “Time to kick.” Buffy yelled at Shina. Shina came forward and kicked the demon hard in the chest with a high swing of her foot. The demon fell crashed into the tombstone.
 
“You’re gonna pay for interrupting our cookie time.” Buffy quipped.
 
The demon looked at her with a confused look on his face.
 
“English not your first language, huh?” Buffy said, thinking that it would be nice to learn to speak demon.
 
The demon came at her with his ax and tried to chop at her arm. Buffy kicked him back once more and the demon landed five feet away on his back. Shina quickly dived on top of him and began to punch him with both fists, hard and fast. When her hands started sinking into its face, she realized that the demon was dead. She stood up promptly and looked at Buffy.
 
“How’d I do?” Shina asked.
 
Buffy pulled a wet wipe from her front pocket and handed it to Shina. “You went with your instincts and just pummeled its face. Good job! But pummeling can be kinda messy.”
 
“I’ll remember that next time and use my sword.”
 
Buffy and Shina began to walk toward the Slayer School. “You have your own sword?” Buffy asked.
 
“Yep, my uncle gave it to me for my birthday last year. Has my initials carved into the handle. I’ve always had a fascination for swords and daggers...I guess I know why now, huh?”
 
“Fascination? That’s funny; I’ve always had a fascination for the killing part of slayage. Never even stopped long enough to admire my weapons...well except for the scythe.”
 
Shina looked confused so Buffy continued. “The scythe is what saved us in Sunnydale. It’s a weapon created just for the Slayer. Actually, its power is what made you a Slayer.”
 
Shina looked at Buffy as she explained to her about the scythe. When Buffy finished she said, “You’ll see it tomorrow in class.”
 
“Great!” Shina answered with an enthusiastic grin.
 
“You newbies are way too excited about this Slayer gig. I was way too busy in high school trying to make time for my love life. I was a nightmare for Giles! But in my defense, no one gave me the opportunity to read the Slayer handbook. Giles said that it would be no good in my case. Still don’t know what “my case” meant!” Buffy said, taking a whining tone to her voice.
 
“There’s a handbook?”
 
Buffy laughed. “Yep, but we don’t train that way. You’ll find out tomorrow when school starts.”
 
Shina had a sudden look of fear of her face. “I can hardly wait.” Shina said almost in a monotone.
 
“Don’t worry! I never went to Slayer school either so consider yourself lucky. I had to go to high school right on top of a Hellmouth. Talk about teenage stress!”
 
Shina’s face still looked somewhat green but Buffy put her arm around her shoulders. “You are doing fine with the hard stuff so don’t worry about anything. Giles is an excellent teacher.”
 
Shina smiled wanly and then suddenly ran to the bushes and she tossed up the cookies she just ate. She looked up and gave Buffy a weak smile as she passed her another wet wipe.
 
* * * * *
 
David watched as Buffy and Shina walked toward the cemetery entrance and left the cemetery. He smiled evilly at the departing figures and he began to follow them toward the school. He kept to the shadows and kept looking behind him just to be sure, no one stalked him.
 
David recalled all the memories of his prior life before he became a vampire. Not the life he led as John, FBI agent and Jade’s fiancé but David, the priest. How ironic that a priest would be turned right after he took his own vows. The priest David believed in the grace of God. He held a great deal of faith for his God. However, he could never accept the evil part of that equation, with good there is evil. That is until he felt that evil from within his borrowed, vampire soul. He remembered the immediate need for blood to sustain his life but he also remembered the need to kill for that blood.
 
He also felt something deep inside the genuine Slayer that he could not grasp. Her sadness filled him each time they faced each other. The sorrowful sadness filled him with a pleasure that he could not describe. That sadness forced his desire to possess her and make her own of his own. But he wanted her to want him as a man first. He wanted her to give him the unconditional love she held for Angel and Spike. If she could once love, not one vampire, but two, she could find it within herself to love him. He would make damned sure of it!
 
* * * * *
 
It was past midnight when Buffy and Shina walked into the school building. Willow and Giles remained in the building to continue to unpack all of Giles books that he had sent over from England. A janitorial service cleaned the building the day before. Everything sparkled and gleamed. The building smelled clean. Well, at least in the physical cleanliness sense. The mystical cleanliness was yet to be determined. Even though Dawn and Willow claimed that the building was haunted, no one had witnessed anything since their séance.
 
Giles unpacked one of the last boxes as Buffy and Shina walked into the library. The library reminded her of the old library at Sunnydale High. Giles was surely in his element here.
 
“Hey Giles.” Buffy said as she waved in his direction.
 
“Buffy. Shina. I take it that the training went well?” Giles asked.
 
“Yes and we are less one demon thanks to Shina!”
 
“Excellent.”
 
“Where’s Willow?” Buffy asked.
 
“She is still setting up in the computer room.”
 
“Cool.” Buffy said.
 
Buffy and Shina walked toward the computer room. On their way there, Dawn walked from the Slayer quarters.
 
“What are you doing here this late?” Buffy asked. “And on a school night too!”
 
Dawn ignored Buffy and turned toward Shina. “Hey Shina, wanna see where you will be sleeping.”
 
Buffy glared at Dawn as Shina smiled and gladly followed her down the hall.
 
Buffy reached the computer room and heard several curse words rising from the red headed witch’s mouth. “Dammit.” Willow exclaimed.
 
“Problems, Will?” Buffy asked.
 
“Yeah, I...I can’t get this computer to recognize the network.”
 
“Maybe it’s the cable.” Buffy announced even though she had no idea what she was talking about.
 
“But it’s a wireless network!” Willow tossed back. Then she said, “I think I need to reinstall the drivers again. Something got phooey with the drivers. That has to be it!”
 
Buffy smiled at her friend. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”
 
Willow looked up from the computer screen. She could see the serious expression upon the Slayer’s face. “Certainly!” Willow said.
 
Buffy stalled a moment and then began to speak. “I need to find out more about the spell that you used to...to resurrect me from the ah...grave.”
 
Willow suddenly looked like a frightened deer. “I ah thought that Tara helped you with something like that after...I mean...you wanted to know why you were brought back different. Why Spike could hurt you?”
 
“Yes. I needed to know that then. Uh now I need to find out why I can’t seem to sleep without remembering...” Buffy trailed off.
 
“The coffin?” Willow asked a pained expression filled her face.
 
“Yeah. Why can’t I get past this? For a while, I thought I wanted to get on with things. I want to get on with my life after my death.” Buffy looked confused. “O-or whatever!” Buffy added, shrugging with indifference.
 
Willow sighed. She began to explain the spell to Buffy. Buffy heard most of this before including the part where the Buffybot and the motorcycle demons interrupted Willow’s spell.
 
“So the spell was interrupted by me?”
 
“U-uh yeah, the Buffybot.”
 
“It wasn’t meant for this spell to work, was it? You and the others didn’t think it worked. Right?”
 
Willow nodded her head up and down then quickly looked down at the desk.
 
Buffy nodded toward Willow with a blank expression on her face, turned around, and walked from the room.
 
Willow sat there staring after her with a feeling of helplessness washing over her.
 
Buffy left the school building and walked toward the SUV. She snatched the keys from the table without Giles seeing her. She unlocked the door and climbed in. She had to adjust the seat quite a bit so she could reach the pedals. She started the ignition, put the vehicle into drive, and headed toward Xander’s apartment.
 
As Buffy drove, she remembered the meeting with Angel after Willow brought her back. Buffy recalled how she had to be with Angel that night when he called her to meet him. She met him at a road stop halfway between Sunnydale and Los Angeles. She could not believe she made it there in one piece. She cried all the way there. As she pulled into the parking lot that night, Angel stood by his black, convertible watching her. His eyes filled with wonder when he saw her again. Buffy jumped from the car and ran into his waiting arms. He gathered her up and held her tightly. She remembered how he whispered to her. “Buffy, Buffy. I thought I would never see you again...hold you again.” Buffy pulled back from him a little and looked into his eyes. Without hesitating, she kissed him full on the lips. Once she tasted him, she could not get enough. His lips were cold as always but then immediately warmed by her lips. He tasted of mint toothpaste and smelled musky from his cologne. Angel pulled her even closer to him as he held on for dear life. Buffy backed away from the comfort of Angel’s arms and simply stared up at him with her wide eyes.
 
“Angel, I...” Buffy began. Angel placed a hand over her mouth and then led her to his car. She climbed into the passenger side. After jumping into the driver’s seat, Angel started the car and began to drive. Buffy reached over and grabbed his hand in her own.
 
The rest of the time they spent together during that time was very intense. There was no other way to describe it. She remembered Angel’s goodbye to her. He held her in his arms that night almost as if he would never hold her like that again. They both knew that in a way they were both saying goodbye that night so they could be free.
 
* * * * *
 
Xander answered his door after Buffy knocked three times. It was almost one o’clock in the morning. He seemed shocked to see her since they haven’t spoken to each other since she stormed out last week.
 
“Xander? Can I come in?” Buffy asked.
 
“Of course, Buffy.” He sounded casual. Too casual. Buffy suddenly felt nervous.
 
“I am sorry I ran out on you like that last week. I’ve had a lot to think about.” Buffy began. “I am afraid, Xander.” She finished and she seemed unsure of herself.
 
“Afraid of what, Buffy? Me?” Xander asked, his voice taking a comic tone.
 
“Yes. No.” She said, quickly changing her mind. “I don’t know.”
 
“I know what you’re afraid of?” Xander said.
 
“You do?”
 
“Sure.” Xander said.
 
“Please tell me because I would like to know, too.” Buffy said, and let out the breath she was holding.
 
“I think you are afraid that our friendship may be in danger if we...” Xander paused and then continued. “Go any further here.”
 
Buffy nervously stuck her hands in her jeans pockets and turned away from him. She spoke to him with her back to him. “I can’t do this, Xander, not now.”
 
“Do what?” Xander asked suddenly frustrated. “What’s a few kisses among friends!”
 
Buffy turned toward him then. “I have been feeling needy lately.” Buffy paused. “Really needy lately and I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about us.”
 
“Wrong idea! You certainly did not have the wrong idea when you kissed me the other night.” Xander grumbled.
 
“Like I said, feeling needy here!” Buffy exclaimed.
 
“Yeah, and since I’m not of the undead variety I don’t qualify as a long term thing!” Xander said angrily. He knew as soon as the words came out of his mouth that he had overstepped his bounds.
 
Buffy glared at him and instead of stomping off and leaving him alone again, she ran toward him. She pointed a finger in his face. “That is not fair, Xander! I am surprised you haven’t run for the hills considering I am not a demon!”
 
Xander smiled. Then he began to laugh. Buffy looked at him a moment as if he had lost his mind but then she reluctantly returned his smile and began to laugh as well. Once they sobered, Xander touched Buffy’s shoulder.
 
“Can we not analyze what’s happening between us and just...let it happen?” Xander asked.
 
Buffy stared up at him and in a moment, she stepped into his arms. He held her like that for a long time.
 
“Our date night was supposed to me last Friday...” Buffy began. “Do you think we can try tomorrow night instead?” She felt more than heard Xander’s gasp as her head rested against his chest.
 
“Sure. Pick you up at 7?
 
“I’ll be ready!” Buffy said as she pulled away from him.
 
Act Two
 
Giles walked into the computer room and Willow greeted him with a triumphant squeal of delight. Willow saw him when he walked into the room.
 
“Giles, I did it!”
 
“Oh good Lord, Willow, what did you do now?” Giles said, sounding exasperated.
 
“I finally have this computer connected to our wireless network! Now, we have 25 computers set up for the students.”
 
“My life is now complete.” Giles told her with a little sarcasm in his tone.
 
Willow rolled her eyes at him and then her mood suddenly changed. “Giles?” Willow asked in a serious tone.
 
“Yes?”
 
“Buffy came to me and a-asked me about the spell I used when I-um...” Willow stalled. “...resurrected her.” This last part came out as a whisper.
 
“What did she want to know and furthermore, why did she want to know?” Giles asked.
 
“She hasn’t been sleeping well lately. Keeps remembering being trapped...in the coffin.” Willow said, remorse filling her voice.
 
Giles looked at Willow with a very serious expression on his face. “We had once talked about the consequences of a spell such as this. We have since found out that B-Buffy was in a Heaven type dimension rather than the suspected Hell dimension. Why did you not consider that possibility, Willow?”
 
“Now you ask me that question!” Willow exclaimed.
 
“Well, you certainly did not ask my opinion when you and the others decided to resurrect Buffy!” Giles shouted then quickly ran his hand through his hair in frustration. The look of hurt and shock on Willow’s face made him soften his tone toward her. “I was thousands of miles away when you all went through with it. Just as I informed you back then and I stress even more now, all spells have their consequences and now you must face up to them. Such as Buffy’s nightmares, h-her almost unfeeling attitude toward the people in her life that love her the most.”
 
“Enough!” Willow yelled. “Please, Giles don’t say this. Not now. Not after all we have been through. I-I will help Buffy through this. I will find a way to heal her forever.”
 
“Another spell perhaps!” Giles exclaimed.
Willow gasped. She didn’t say anything as she ran out of the computer room and then out the front door.
 
“Bloody hell!” Giles exclaimed and then ran after her.
 
* * * * *
 
By the time Willow made it back to her apartment, it was after 1:30 in the morning. She still fumed from her encounter with Giles. “Who in hell does he think he is?” Willow asked aloud to her empty living room.
 
Willow walked into her small office and searched her library of old Wiccan literature. She pulled a book from the shelf and then sat down at her desk. She began to flip through a few pages of the book on Osiris. As she read more about the Egyptian God, the colder her room became. Suddenly, there was a knock on her front door. Willow knew who it was. Giles!
 
Willow ignored the knocking and kept reading. Willow put down the book and suddenly the lighting in the room turned dark and blue. Willow looked up, her eyes totally black. Dark blue clouds swirled around the ceiling. Lightning flashed. Then Willow put her head back and began chanting and asked Osiris to come forward. The room grew even colder and then a light appeared above her head. This light grew into the spirit of Osiris. The spirit appeared ghostly and the aura that filled the room was dark and almost evil.
 
Giles stood outside Willow’s apartment and noticed the bright lights inside. He tried the door handle and found it locked. He tried to kick the door in but the door did not budge.
 
* * * * *
 
Dawn slept while Willow contacted Osiris. Suddenly, she rose from her bed and walked into Buffy’s room. Buffy came home about an hour before and she slept soundly in her bed. Dawn bent over Buffy’s sleeping form to make sure she was still breathing. Dawn did this same thing ever since Willow brought her back from the dead. One time Buffy woke up to find Dawn standing over her. It was very embarrassing for Dawn but she continued to do it.
 
Suddenly, Buffy began to toss around on her bed and Dawn’s eyes widened in alarm. Then Buffy began to moan loudly in her sleep. Did she interrupt a sexual dream of some kind? Dawn wondered. Talk about being embarrassed if Buffy were to wake up now. Then Buffy started to talk in her sleep. “Dark. It’s so dark. Can’t breathe. Can’t move!”
 
Dawn gently pressed her hand on Buffy’s forehead and closed her eyes. Suddenly, her mind filled with the images of Buffy being in her coffin. She saw how dark it was in there. She could feel the closeness of the coffin knowing it was buried under six feet of earth. Dawn then switched to a scene in an open green field. There were daisies growing on the hillside and several trees nearby. Dawn led Buffy under a large oak tree and in her mind’s eye envisioned Buffy sitting down under the tree and simply staring at the beauty of the landscape.
 
Buffy instantly stopped tossing and moaning in her sleep. Dawn dropped her hand to her side and tiptoed back to her room.
 
* * * * *
 
Willow’s eyes were solid black as she looked at the apparition of Osiris.
 
“Witch, how dare you call me forth!”
 
“The Slayer whom I resurrected from her mystical death, how can I repair the damage she holds within her soul?”
 
“You, bold witch, should know all the answers! Why summon thou?”
 
“I command thee to answer!” Willow shouted.
 
“Her energy must be cleansed. The major purpose of the green energy!”
 
“Dawn?”
 
Suddenly, the apparition vanished. Willow looked down at the book and then back up at the ceiling. Her eyes were normal again.
 
At that moment, Giles succeeded in kicking in Willow’s door. He found her in her study.
 
“What have you done!” Giles asked his face masked into Ripper.
 
* * * * *
 
Dawn slept fitfully envisioning the confinements of a coffin.
 
Buffy slept peacefully envisioning the green fields with daisies.
 
* * * * *
 
“What concern of it is yours?” Willow shouted.
 
“I have every concern. What did you summon?”
 
“The spirit claimed to be Osiris but I knew it was not. I knew it was one of his demons sent by him, the same as last time.” Willow told Giles no emotion in her voice whatsoever.
 
“And?” Giles asked.
 
“Dawn is the key.” Willow answered.
 
* * * * *
 
David watched from Buffy’s window ledge as she slept. He witnessed Dawn coming into her room and comforting the young Slayer from a possible nightmare. As he watched Buffy, he felt an erection seize him.
 
He imagined softly touching her face as he began to make love to her and then violently entering her causing her a deep moan of pain mixed with pleasure. The sun would be up soon so David left his spot from the ledge outside Buffy’s window and retired to his mansion.
 
* * * * *
 
Giles gave Willow a confused look.
 
“Dawn can cleanse Buffy’s soul. According to all that I have researched, Buffy’s soul did not come back completely in tact. Ergo, she had no feelings, no emotions, wanted to screw Spike. Spike could hurt her because without her total soul she was not “totally” human.”
 
Giles winced at Willow’s chosen words but ignored her own complete lack of emotion about this delicate situation.
 
“Since Dawn can now harness her green energy into a Slayer’s power o-or a powerful Wicca, Dawn can cleanse Buffy’s soul.” Willow finished.
 
“How?” Giles asked.

”I’m not entirely sure yet but I think Dawn holds the answers.”
 
Giles stood there and looked down at Willow.
 
“Willow?” Giles began.
 
Willow held up a hand at him. “Not now, Watcher. I am very tired and want sleep!”
 
Giles puzzled over Willow’s continual lack of emotion once more but hastily took his leave.
 
Act Three
 
Buffy woke up as the sun kissed her face. She felt warmth where the sun had touched her. She smiled. Buffy knew that when she went back to bed she had all kinds of strange dreams but she could only remember one involving a green field with daisies on a hilltop. She smiled once more and made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth and shower.
 
Once Buffy completed her morning ritual, she picked up the phone and called Xander. He answered on the fourth ring.
 
“Good morning, sleepy head.” Buffy greeted.
 
“Good morning, yourself.” Xander said.
 
“Sleep well?” Buffy asked.
 
“The best once I finally fell asleep.” Xander admitted. “Kept thinking of a certain blond.”
 
Buffy giggled. She could not recall the last time she felt like giggling.
 
Dawn approached Buffy from behind and touched her on the back. Buffy felt a tingle there, turned around, and gave her a hug. Dawn recoiled in surprise but returned her hug.
 
“So, what are your plans today, fine lady?”
 
“I am going to buy a new dress for our date tonight after school and the come home and get ready.”
 
“For four hours?”
 
“Yep!”
 
Xander laughed huskily.
 
Dawn could not believe how truly giddy Buffy was today and she told her so after Buffy hung up with Xander.
 
“Well, I feel good today. I can’t explain it exactly.”
 
Dawn smiled to herself and walked toward the kitchen.
 
Giles stood at the big picture window in the breakfast area. Dawn walked up behind him and touched his shoulder. Giles felt a tingle there and turned around to face her.
 
“Dawn.” Giles greeted.
 
“So whatcha doing?”
 
Giles turned around to face her. “What did you do last night Dawn?”
 
“How did you...” Dawn began.
 
“I could feel the mystical energy when I came in last night.”
 
“I helped Buffy through one of her nightmares.” Dawn said.
 
“How?”
 
“I touched her and forced an image o-of a green field with daisies.”
 
“And?”
 
“I think she is going to be okay.”
 
“Amazing!” Giles shouted.
 
Dawn looked at him and smiled. Giles looked down at her and touched her cheek. “How did you know what she needed?”
 
“I felt something wake me from my sleep and I knew what I had to do.”
 
Giles continued to look at Dawn with amazement.
 
Dawn, however, failed to mention that she now had the dreams of coffins, darkness, and death.
 
* * * * *
 
After seeing Dawn off to school, Buffy arrived at the Slayer school. She felt suddenly nervous. So far, they had 24 students. She has yet to meet all of them. When she walked into the auditorium where Giles and Willow gathered all the students, she had a big surprise awaiting her. Rhona and Vi sat in the front of the auditorium facing the stage. She quickly moved toward them and she gave them both a hug.
 
“Giles wanted you to be surprised. Are you surprised?” Rhona said, laughing.
 
“Chalk me up as surprised...and honored.” Buffy replied.
 
“Where’s Faith?” Vi asked.
 
“She had some personal business to take care of. She should be back on Friday when she will start her first strenuous training class.”
 
“Cool!” Rhona said.
 
“I can’t wait to see Dawn’s face when she sees us.” Vi added.
 
“She will be ecstatic.” Buffy said.
 
Giles and Willow walked into the auditorium and Buffy turned to follow them to the stage. A podium with a microphone sat in front of the stage with three chairs to the back of it. Willow and Buffy sat down while Giles took the podium.
 
“Ladies, may I have your attention. Please, ladies, settle down.” Giles announced. After a few more seconds, the room settled down so Giles could continue. “Welcome to the Slayer School. Today begins our first day of school. As you know, we will continue with your regular academic studies and in addition, we will train you girls to fight the vampires and the demons. We currently reside on another Hellmouth. As some of you already know, we as a team have closed a Hellmouth in Sunnydale, CA. We now must face another.” Giles stopped for a moment. A few girls in the back of the congregated group began to giggle. “Is there something you girls would like to add?” Giles asked sternly.
 
One of the girls stood up. She was about 15 and she spoke. “We were discussing how hot your accent is.” She said.
 
Giles smiled and then laughed. “W-why thank you, I rather like it myself.”
 
Buffy and Willow rolled their eyes and then Buffy cleared her throat loudly. Giles looked back at her and he actually blushed. Giles continued.
 
“In every generation, a Slayer is born...”
 
It was Willow’s turn to giggle. Buffy bumped her with her elbow trying to stifle her own giggles.
 
* * * * *
 
Dawn walked beside Liz as they walked toward their homeroom class. Liz told Dawn that Alex wanted them to meet him after school for a milkshake at Lou’s, the ice cream shop near their campus. Dawn smiled thinking of Alex drinking a milkshake. She thought him the strawberry type.
 
“So, are you gonna meet us?” Liz asked.
 
“Yeah, sure. It will be fun. I will call Buffy to tell her where I’ll be.” Dawn told Liz as she whipped out her cell phone. Buffy did not answer so she left her a message hoping that Buffy would actually check her voicemail this time.
 
As they neared the classroom, they both noticed a couple of guys by the lockers hassling a smaller boy. One of them rammed him into the lockers. Simultaneously, Dawn and Liz swung into action, Dawn with words and Liz with Slayer moves.
 
“Freno!” Dawn yelled which in Latin meant freeze.
 
Liz moved toward the taller boy and grabbed him by the shirt collar. She lifted him easily off the floor. The boy was lifeless in her hands. Liz looked at Dawn with a shocked expression on her face.
 
“Did you do something to him with the strange language, there?” Liz asked Dawn.
 
“Recedo.” Dawn exclaimed.
 
The boys could suddenly move again. Liz looked back at Dawn.
 
“Witch?” Liz asked as she grabbed the other boy by the collar effortlessly lifting him from the floor.
 
“Yes. Slayer?” Dawn asked.
 
“I’m not sure but maybe you can explain it to me later.” Liz said as she put both boys down and turned them around to face her. “Is there a problem here?” Liz asked.
 
They quickly muttered an empathic “No” and then as Liz let go of them they quickly ran down the hall. Liz turned toward the smaller boy and asked him if he was okay. He said, “What are you?”
 
Liz replied. “I’m just a girl with a whole new outlook on life.”
 
He grabbed his books and quickly ran away.
 
“Get used to that.” Dawn said. “Buffy didn’t have many friends because everyone was always afraid of her.”
 
“Hey, Dawn? What the hell is a Slayer?”
 
* * * * *
 
Dawn and Liz told Alex they wouldn’t be able to meet him after school and Dawn led Liz to the Slayer school.
 
“Is Buffy gonna be surprised. My only friend is a Slayer!”
 
Liz looked over at Dawn as they walked. “Okay, let me get this straight, this scythe thingy made me an all powerful superhero?”
 
“Yep.”
 
“I am supposed to fight vampires and demons. VAMPIRES?” Liz exclaimed.
 
“Yep.” Dawn replied calmly.
 
Liz considered this for a moment. “I thought it was kinda cool that one day I could kick my brother’s ass. He just thought I started eating more Wheaties or something.”
 
Dawn smiled and immediately thought that Liz and Faith would get along quite well together. That is what attracted Dawn to Liz. She reminded her of a younger version of the dark-haired Slayer.
 
“So this school we are going to is meant only for Slayers?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“So how many are there in the world now?”
 
“According to Giles, tens of thousands.”
 
“And for many generations before now there was only one chosen one?”
 
“Yep.” Dawn said.
 
“How the hell did she fight all by herself?” Liz asked.
 
Dawn smiled. “Well, all the ones before Buffy fought alone and then there was Xander and Willow. They affectionately became known as the Scooby Gang.”
 
Liz laughed. “Scooby Gang, eh? I’ve always wanted to be a part of a gang.”
 
It was Dawn’s turn to laugh as she walked up the steps of the school.
 
Buffy finished up her speech to the group of 24 girls just as Dawn walked in with Liz.
 
“Oh, Buffy! You aren’t gonna believe this!”
 
Act Four
 
Buffy sat listening to Dawn and Liz recall what happened to both of them at school. After they finished, Buffy walked toward Liz. She reached for Liz and gently hugged her. Willow walked in at that time and seemed shocked at Buffy’s display of affection toward the young girl. Where had that come from?
 
Dawn quickly moved toward Willow. “I need to talk to you.”
 
“Yeah, sure.” Willow said. “So is that your friend I saw the other day?”
 
“Yes and you won’t believe this but she is a Slayer!” Dawn exclaimed.
 
Willow widened her eyes in shock. “The other one we found, huh?”
 
“Yep!” Dawn said.
 
“So what’s with Buffy? She seems very affectionate lately with the girls. Has she switched sides and never told me?”
 
Dawn looked suddenly embarrassed. “That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
 
Willow grabbed Dawn’s hand, led her from the room, and ducked into a large conference room next door. She closed the door behind her.
 
“Well?” Willow asked.
 
“Last night I felt some kinda calling. Something told me to check on Buffy. I usually check on Buffy at least twice a week while she is sleeping, you know since she died and all but last night, it was different.”
 
“What time was it?” Willow asked, trying to remember when she tried to conjure Osiris.
 
“Around 2:30, I think.” Dawn replied.
 
“I was in the middle of talking with Osiris then, t-trying to find out why Buffy came back different. You know, emotionless and not quite human. He told me that your special green energy could cleanse Buffy’s soul which was damaged after my uh—resurrection spell.” Willow told Dawn as her voice cracked a little.
 
“All I did was touch her on the forehead when she obviously needed help from her dream and envisioned a green field with daisies.”
 
“That’s all?” Willow asked, surprise filling her voice.
 
“Yes. What could this mean?”
 
“W-Well with Buffy acting differently lately, I think you cleansed her soul like Osiris predicted you could.”
 
“Well he forgot to mention something important!” Dawn exclaimed.
 
“What’s that, Dawnie.” Willow asked concerned.

“After I left Buffy’s room and went back to sleep, I began to have the coffin nightmares and dreamed about a demon.”
 
Willow gasped and dropped her head. Not Dawnie, she thought. Not her Dawnie. There were tears in her eyes when she looked back up at Dawn.
 
“Willow, what is it?” Dawn asked as she gently touched her shoulder.
 
“Cleansing her soul may have damaged yours.” Willow whispered.
 
“No!” Dawn said. “That can’t be. The dreams are all I’ve had. I don’t feel any different today. I am the same ole Dawnie. I swear, Willow!”
 
Willow breathed a sigh of relief and then suddenly realized something. Without thinking, Willow raised her hand as to slap Dawn and Dawn reacted quickly and blocked the slap. Dawn looked a Willow with a shocked expression.
 
“What the hell...” Dawn paused. Willow reached out and hugged her and when she let go Dawn still held a confused expression upon her face.
 
“Dawnie, don’t you get it?”

”No!”
 
“Those were Slayer dreams you had last night. And now that instant block of my slap!”
 
Dawn gulped. “Slayer! Me? And a witch?”
 
“Looks so.” Willow said, smiling.
 
* * * * *
 
Buffy walked Liz to Giles’ office. Giles sat in his chair reading the newspaper as the two approached his desk. Giles looked up.
 
“Giles, meet our new Slayer.” Buffy said, pointing toward Liz.
 
“You’re Dawn’s friend, Liz, right? Extraordinary!” Giles exclaimed.
“Well, I was shocked to, Mr. Giles. Can I call you Mr. G?”
 
“Yeah, sure! Everyone always calls me whatever they please.”
 
“So, Mr. G, what did I do now?”
 
“Well for starters you can be enrolled in our Slayer school here and...”
 
“No way!” Liz exclaimed. “I am not coming here!”
 
Giles looked surprised and so did Buffy.
 
“Why not?” Giles asked.
 
“I don’t belong here! Listen, I can fight your vampires and your demons but I am not attending school in some army base!”
 
Giles looked at Buffy and was surprised to see her smiling, practically holding back a giggle.
 
“And just pray tell is so bloody funny, Buffy?” Giles asked.
 
“Got your work cut out for you again, don’t ya. A rebelling Slayer! Who’d a thought.”
 
* * * * *
 
Willow led Dawn from the conference room. Once outside they ran into to Rhona and Vi. Dawn squealed with delight.
 
“What are you guys doing here?” Dawn asked as she leaned in to hug each girl.
 
“Well, Mr. G thought we could use more training.” Rhona said.
 
“And we get to help train some of the girls also.” Vi added.
 
“Cool!” Dawn said. “I will come by the dorms in a minute. Gotta go see Giles real quick.” Dawn looked at Willow letting her know they could go now.
 
They walked toward Giles’ office to tell him the latest news when Willow and Dawn heard Buffy laughing along with Giles. Willow knocked once. Giles said to come in.
 
Willow opened the door. They found Buffy, Giles and Liz standing in there laughing.
 
As Willow started to tell Giles about Dawn, Giles’ phone rang.
 
“Pardon me.” Giles told the women in the room. “Yes, hello? Wesley!” Giles exclaimed. “Yes, I will send my top guy out to retrieve her. Yes, immediately!”
Giles replaced the receiver after Wesley disconnected the call.
 
Buffy, Willow and Dawn looked at him in confusion.
 
“That was Wesley. Angel found a new Slayer. She is in very bad shape, Buffy. Very bad shape!”
 
“How?” Buffy asked immediately worried for the girl whom she never met.
 
“Mental problems. She has already killed many.”
“Demons? Vampires?” Willow asked.
 
“No!” Giles whispered. “Humans.”
 
The End
 
Coming October 26th Special Halloween Episode...Episode 5-Be Haunting You