Buffy was so happy, as she looked out over the beautiful blue sky. Her mom sat beside her on the front porch and her cousin, Cecile, had her head in Buffy's lap. Her fingers ran through Cecile's long beautiful hair. "Mommy, do you think she is all right?"
Joyce kissed Buffy's head. "Yes, baby when you have been here longer you will learn how to watch over the ones we left behind. I checked on her this morning; she is happy and safe. Your father finally came for her; she is living with him in Spain. Dawnie was sad to leave everyone but happy to be with Hank and to get away from that horrible place. I'm just glad both of my girls are safe now." She hugged Buffy to her.
They all sat in silence just enjoying the peace and joy of being together. Buffy suddenly jerked up with a scream of pain and clutched her chest.
"Buffy, baby what is it?" Joyce's voice trembled.
"I don't know; it feels like I'm being torn apart. Mom, mommy, help me please." Buffy's arm reache for Joyce, little Cecile grabbed a hand. Joyce wrapped her arms around both girls as she held on tightly. A black vortex opened behind Buffy and pulled her inside. She screamed as it sucked her inside; the last sight she saw was her mother's and Cecile's faces. Screams tore from her throat as she sped faster and faster in the pitch-black darkness. Her eyes closed when she hit something solid.
Inside a coffin, on a small hill, Buffy's body recomposed. Her eyes flew open and when her lungs fully formed, she pulled air into them once again and screamed. She found herself inside a coffin. Someone tore her out of heaven and didn't even dig her up. Buffy shoved a fist through the lid and began to dig her way out. Who would do this? Are they waiting for me when I get out of here?
A single hand shot up from the grave, soon followed by a small body. It wiggled its way out of its confinement like a snake finally to flop on the ground, free from its tomb. Pulling up to her hands and knees, Buffy tried to look around but only saw blurred images. Her hand went up to wipe away the dirt but she stopped herself in time realizing it would only make it worse. Buffy shook her head as if that would somehow make this nightmare fade. Taking in a deep breath of clean air, she took a tentative step forward. Her legs trembled slightly then remembered what to do.
Putting her hands out and making sure nothing blocked her way, Buffy started walking towards her house. Not a single sound could be heard, in the still night. It seemed as if everything was frozen in time. She finally made it to her front door as her knees began to tremble. Clutching the knob, she turned it at the exact moment she heard voices.
"I don't understand why it didn't work. We did everything right, I know we did. Do you think the Urn of Osiris was a fake?" Willow's voice carried from the kitchen.
"It was not a fake. I'll have you know I got that off E-Bay from a very respectable V'Rosh demon. They are excellent tradesmen known for the authenticity of their merchandise," Anya replied. Buffy heard the outrage in her voice at Willow's comment.
"I'm sorry, of course it was real. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been you know snakes, crawling and the spitting. But, what went wrong? We were supposed to bring Buffy back then Dawn would come back and Giles to. It would be like it was before that is all I wanted to have everything like it was." Buffy heard Willow sniffle.
"Uh, Willow I thought we were doing this because Buffy was in some Hell dimension," Xander asked in confusion.
"Oh, that too, I just meant that once we rescued Buffy. Then everyone else would come back too."
Buffy had heard enough, she forced her tired legs to move into the kitchen where she clearly saw Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya gathered around the kitchen bar. "You bitch," Buffy growled.
"Buffy," Willow gasped, "you're alive. It worked." The redhead started to run towards her friend but stopped when she finally processed Buffy's words. "Buffy, what do you mean? We rescued you. You were in a hell dimension, the portal and Glory." Willow paled when she saw the anger and hate in her best friends eyes. Why isn't she thanking me? I mean the other's helped, yeah, but I was the one with the snake spitting.
"I can't believe you any, of you. I thought you knew me, really knew. You were supposed to be my friends." Buffy took a deep breath; her body trembled.
Tara noticed Buffy's hands. "Oh Buffy, I'm so sorry. Please, sit down let me look at your hands." Tara stepped forward to touch her but Buffy stepped back.
She leaned against the wall for support. "Don't touch me; you are just as bad if not worse Tara. After what Glory did to you, how could you let her do this? How could you help her? You, none of you even tried to find out where I really was or if I even needed rescuing."
"Buffy, calm down, we were only trying to help," Xander said.
"I will not calm down, damn you, damn you to hell. Get out, get out of my house." Her chin went out and her eyes became hard as ice.
"But, we, Tara and I live here now," Willow said.
"Not anymore you don't. Get what you need and come back for the rest but get out before I forget that I once loved all of you."
Willow sobbed and ran up the stairs. Xander turned on Buffy with a glare. "You had no right to talk to her like that. She was only trying to help. Willow loves you and she missed you. She, we thought you were in hell."
"Xander, I was a Slayer who died saving the world and my sister. Ask yourself where you think I would end up. Huh Xander, you know everything, always know what is right and wrong for everything and everyone. Where do YOU THINK I WAS?" She screamed at him.
Xander paled as he sat down. His head shook from side to side as if he could wipe the answer out of his mind. "No, it can't be. Willow was sure. What about the portal and Glory? Buffy, we couldn't have taken you out of heaven. Could we?"
"That is the question of the hour isn't it Xander. How could you? Didn't you bury my body? I mean it wasn't as if it disappeared into the portal. So, ask yourself this, what is left when the body is gone." They gasped as one single unit and a huge sob came from behind Buffy.
She didn't bother to turn; she already knew Willow was behind her. "Now I believe it is time for you to all leave my house. Don't come back you aren't welcome. Willow, you and Tara can call and I'll be sure not to be home when you come for the rest of your things."
Anya jerked on Xander's sleeve. "I guess this isn't the best time to tell her the bank is about to take the house for all the missed payments? Aren't you proud of me Xander? I didn't say anything out loud." She beamed at he fiancée then frowned when he only looked over at Buffy with a look of concern on his face. Xander knew Buffy's heard every word Anya said.
She glared at Xander then turned to Willow. "So you live here now, huh? That must mean you paid all the bills right. You know mortgage, utilities, all of that stuff." Buffy turned to the redheaded witch who clung to her lover.
"Um, well, uh, you see, it was kinda like." Willow stumbled over her tongue not knowing how to explain. Her parents found out about Tara and her. They continued to pay her tuition but refused to give her any money towards a place to live. They figured once Willow grew tired of the hardship, she would forget about being 'gay.' Tara only received single-person housing with her scholarship.
"I don't care anymore, don't bother with an explanation," Buffy sighed, as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Willow took a step forward but stopped when she caught the look in Buffy's eyes. "Just leave all of you, leave my house and leave me alone."
"Buffy, please we can work this out. I know we can." Buffy turned to look at her and Willow had no other choice but to admit defeat. Her shoulders sagged and Tara put an arm around her as they walked out the door. Xander and Anya held hands when they walked past he slowed down but Anya pulled him out the front door.
Buffy lay down on the cold floor and for the first time since her return tears pricked her eyes. "Mommy," she whispered.
Half an hour later, she drug herself up the stairs and into the shower. As the hot steamy water pounded her body, she closed her eyes trying to recapture her last moments of peace and joy with her mom and Cecil. Turning off the shower, Buffy stumbled into bed and a very troubled sleep.
After receiving an urgent phone call, a man watched and re-watched the tape of a live feed from a small California town called Sunnydale. He opened a thick folder that he knew by heart but still found himself rereading it repeatedly. Finally making a decision, he placed a phone call. While he waited, he wondered if this was a good idea.
From what he read, she wasn't one to play by the rules, didn't do well with authority figures. She was a wild card. The temptation of all the untapped potential he saw in her not to mention the benefits of her being able to train others. He had at least to try and he already knew of her situation. Luckily, he hadn't pulled the surveillance. No, he needed just one more piece of information then he could figure out the best way to approach, Buffy Anne Summers. Somehow, he thought the usual methods could end with someone getting badly hurt or killed, namely him. Several hours later, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in."
"Your requested to see me, sir?" A young man in army fatigues with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes stepped into the office.
"Yes, come in Sgt. Finn. Sit down; I need to ask you some questions regarding your time with the Initiative in Sunnydale."
Riley paled under his tan as he sat down. "Sir, if you don't mind my asking how do you know about that? I thought all records destroyed at the sight or later shredded."
"Well Sgt. Finn, it seems that some shredders are slower than others. I need to ask you about Miss Summers. I believe you two were involved prior to your current marriage. What type of person is she?" He sat back in his chair waiting for the young man to answer.
Riley squirmed in his seat; he didn't want to talk about Buffy or his time in Sunnydale. "She is an exceptional person sir, very dedicated," Riley hedged.
"You don't have to worry, Sgt. Finn. We aren't looking to do experiments on her. I want to offer her a job here definitely as an agent hopefully as a trainer. Miss Summers could do a lot for her country."
"But she died, sir, over four month's ago."
"Sgt. Finn, surely you remember where she lived. Does anything really stay dead there? It appears; her friends did a spell and brought her back tonight."
"What! But how would you know that? The Initiative is no longer functioning in Sunnydale."
"All the equipment wasn't removed. We kept an eye on things, just in case. I have to admit, I am intrigued with your friend." The man, behind the desk, looked at Riley with eyes so dark they looked black. They seemed to look right into his mind. Riley found himself talking without meaning to, whether it was his training or the man. He ended up telling almost everything he knew about Buffy. Almost, he left out what he knew about Dawn and her history with Angel. He wouldn't or couldn't bring himself to talk about Buffy's two greatest loves. It wasn't much but he felt he had protected her somewhat.
"Thank you, Sgt. Finn. You have only confirmed what I had already concluded. You are dismissed soldier."
Riley stood giving a smart salute as he walked out of the office he sighed heavily. "Good luck, Buffy."
Inside the office, the man began once again to plan his strategy. Looking at him from a distance, you saw a middle-aged black man with one side of his face heavily scarred. He wore his hair cropped short but softly curled. On a closer look, you saw a proud man who wore his scars as a badge of honor. His black eyes were sharp, intelligent and wise; an air of leadership hung about him like a cloak. His name was Augustus Gibbons and he ran an antiterrorist group for the top branches of the government. His authority was far-reaching and almost boundless. He was allowed to use any means necessary for matters national security, as long as nothing could be traced back to headquarters and eventually the president. Augustus arranged for a helicopter to be available in five hours.
Walking to what looked like a closet; he stepped into a small bedroom to lie down before leaving for Sunnydale.
Buffy heard someone pounding on her front door as she pulled her head out from under her pillow. "Who, the hell, could that be at," she glanced at the clock, "seven o'clock in the morning." Grumbling to herself, she stumbled down the stairs to yank open the door.
Blinking from the bright sunlight Buffy saw a man with scars on the side of his face standing on her porch. "Miss Summers?"
"Yeah, who are you and what do you want?" She looked him in the eye and waited not inviting him into her house. It was daylight outside but this was still Sunnydale.
"My name is Augustus Gibbons. I'd like to talk to you, if you have the time." He asked politely then waited, as she looked him over from head to toe.
Her clear green eyes examined every inch of him as if judging him. Augustus for the first time in a longtime felt an urge to squirm. He clamped down on his resolve and met her eyes, waiting for her decision. He noticed her injured hands and the shadows under her eyes. Those eyes though tired were not the eyes of someone who was beaten down. They were the eyes of a fighter. Someone who always got back up no matter what you did to them.
Buffy made up her mind and without a word stepped back into her house, leaving the door open. Augustus walked in closing it behind him. He saw a nicely decorated room but didn't see Buffy. Where could she be? She was right in front of me.
Buffy walked down the stairs having pulled on an old pair of jeans and a baggy shirt, her hair was in a sloppy ponytail. "Okay sit and spill," she said tersely, as she pointed to the couch. She curled up in a chair on the far side of the living room and once again waited for him to talk.
"Miss Summers, I work for a covert antiterrorist operation. We are responsible for ensuring the country's and often the world's safety." He paused to look at her but her face didn't change one iota. "I think you would be a valuable asset to our team."
"Doing what exactly?"
Her voice was soft, almost a whisper but he realized he needed to tread softly. He watched her body shift and her muscles tense. Hopefully, he would say the correct thing. "I would like to offer you a job as an agent and I hope a trainer for my other agents. I've spoken to a Sgt. Riley Finn and he holds you in high esteem as do I." Augustus watched her eyes narrow at the mention of Riley's name. "He had nothing but high praise for you. Your dedication to doing what is right t and protecting innocent lives are admirable."
"You talked to Riley. So, you know all about me otherwise you wouldn't be here. Then you know I already do that. You still haven't answered my question, Mr. Gibbons. Why should I work for you?"
"Because, I think the next Apocalypse will be started by men not monsters." His answer hung in the air, it wasn't, what he meant to say but it was the truth.
"You want me to help you stop it and teach others how to as well." Buffy didn't even recognize the calm voice she spoke with. It was as if someone else spoke when she opened her mouth. Buffy realized that her life was her own from this moment forward. The big question was what she wanted to do with it. She had had already died twice, lost her mom, lost Angel and Dawn was happy and safe. Giles was gone back to England and her supposed friends were the ones who brought her back, to this hell.
No, she had given the Hellmouth all it was going to get from her. Here was a chance for a new life, a new start and she was going to take it. "Tell me more about the job, the pay and where I would be staying since as I'm sure you already know the back is about to repossess my house."
He looked at her and smiled for the first time. It changed his whole face, softening his eyes and mouth. He handed her a single note card with a number written on it. Buffy looked at it and her eyes grew wide. "There is also a signing bonus and your moving expenses will, of course, be paid for. As for where, you need to relocate to LA, or any of the surrounding areas are fine. Headquarters is in a central location to LA. Your first visit, you will of course be escorted by me. Afterwards you are free to come and go as you please. The first weeks, we will want to test your abilities - speed, strength, defense and weapons training. Then we will work on familiarizing you with the technology you will need for the job. When can you be available to start?"
"I can drive up to LA, later today, and look for somewhere to live. I know it the best and it will do. If the bonus is available now, I'll use it. Then I'll arrange for the furniture I want and put the rest in storage. How do I contact you?" Augustus handed her a satellite phone with a smile. "Pretty sure of yourself, weren't you?"
"Miss Summers, in my line of work, you always come prepared." He handed her a large envelope. Buffy looked inside to see several packets of money and a check equal to the cash. It totaled $20,000; she looked up at him in wonder. "Welcome to the team, Miss Summers." He put out his hand.
Buffy stood up to shake his hand. "It's Buffy, just Buffy. Do I have to call you Mr. Gibbons?"
"You can call me Gibbons, most people do."
She nodded "Gibbons, you gave me a phone but no number."
He laughed realizing she was right. "I guess I was more anxious than I thought. Just press *#411, its a speed dial safe line straight to me."
"Cool, I'll call you when I find someplace and you can send the movers. As far as I'm concerned, Sunnydale is just a bad memory. Once I leave here I hope to never come back."
Gibbons shook his head in understanding as he walked towards the door. After having met and talked to her, he was even more impressed than ever with Buffy Summers. He couldn't wipe the grin from his face when he thought of the reaction the others were going to have when they met her. He was especially interested in one agent unparticular-XXX.
Xander Cage (X) was finally back in his own house, on the outskirts of LA. He moved in before the last mission. He thought he would eventually be sharing it with Yelena but that didn't work out. She wanted to go home to her family and her husband in Russia. That news was a surprise as they lounged in the sun in Bali. Xander surprised her with a trip back to their private hut. The same place they made love for hours after surviving his first mission.
He wasn't sure what to do with himself during break. He only had a few days off before he reporting to Gibbons for some big assignment. The only thing Gibbons would say was he wouldn't be shipping out any time soon. Xander wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. If he wasn't shipping out then why was he needed at HQ?
His phone rang. "Yo. Hey, dawg. Yeah, I'm free tonight sure. Where and when? Cool. I'll meet you there."
Chapter 5
Buffy looked around her new apartment with a smile. There were just enough of her things from the house mixed with furnishings to be comfortable. Now boredom had set in and she wanted some action. She sat on her Mom's chair; the couch went to Goodwill. Buffy's mind whirled with everything that had happened the last few days.
After Gibbons left, she went upstairs and started packing all her clothes. Luckily, no one had thrown anything away. Her doorbell rang at ten o'clock and Buffy went to answer it already knowing who would be on the other side. There stood Xander with Willow clinging to his arm.
"What?" Buffy leaned against the doorframe and raised an eyebrow at them.
"Can we at least come in and talk, please. Last night a lot of things were said and we wanted to try and fix things," Xander spoke up.
"Give it your best shot." Her tone letting them know the porch was as far as they would get.
"You won't even let us in? Fine. Look, Buffy, we are sorry but there is nothing any of us can do about it now. We just have to accept it and try to get back the way they were before."
Buffy snorted, "They will never be the way they were before, Xander. I was dead for how long, oh yeah four months and you ripped me out of heaven. You tell me how do I go back to the way I was before?"
"But once Dawnie and Giles come back, it will all be better." Willow's eyes sparkled with hope.
"I don't believe you. Dawn is safe and learning to be happy. You would rip her away from that to bring her here and for what, Willow? So she can watch me die again or so you don't have to grow up and learn to live your own life. As for Giles, he doesn't need to know. I'm sure he has started a new life and that is what I am going to do. If that is all you have to say, then I guess this is good-bye."
She went to shut the door but Xander grabbed the edge. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"
"I got a job with Riley and I'm leaving Sunnydale. If I want Dawn or Giles to know I'm back, I'll call them myself. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lot of packing to do. Oh, Willow, you will need to have your things out by the end of the week." Buffy pulled the door out of Xander's hands and shut it in their shocked faces. She heard Willow wailing about this not being the way she planned it all to work out. Buffy shook her head and went to gather the pictures she wanted to take with her.
Surprisingly, finding an apartment turned out to be easier than she thought it would be. She found a hotel in the center of LA, and then circled the ads that fit her needs. Money wasn't a problem but she didn't want to use everything she had in case the job didn't work out. She moved in immediately and soon after that, her furniture arrived from Sunnydale.
Her doorbell rang, startling Buffy from her musing. She froze because no one knew she lived here, until she remembered her neighbor. Debbie was a tall, slender model wannabe with huge doe eyes and legs that went on for miles. Buffy opened the door with a smile. There stood Debbie in a tiny red dress and a huge smile. "Hey, Buffy. I found out about this great new club. Go get ready and go with me. It is the newest place to be and be seen. Who knows maybe we will get lucky tonight." She giggled winking at Buffy.
Buffy couldn't help but smile. Debbie was sweet, fun and always happy. "Come on in. Let me see what I can find to wear. Good thing I already took my shower; it shouldn't take me too long to get ready. Help yourself to something cool."
She moved into a nice sized bedroom and began the difficult task of finding something to wear. She couldn't wear red but needed something dramatic enough not to be overshadowed by Debbie. She pulled out a dress then admiring it in the mirror and smiled. Quickly changing, she found shoes then moved to the bathroom to do her hair and makeup. Buffy swept her hair up then brushed pale gold shadow on her lids and lined her eyes with dark brown giving them a smoky look. Her dress was a shimmery tiger striped material of creams and bronzes.
"Wow, you look great. How did you get ready so fast? It takes me forever."
"Let's just say I've had to be able to respond fast before, so it's a habit now. Kind of like the Fire Department."
"Oh." Debbie shrugged smiling as she rushed Buffy out the door.