Title: The Assistant, part 35
Author: Sweetdoggie (stirling_summer@yahoo.com)
Pairing: B/G
Rating: R
Summary: Buffy in England
Spoilers: season 4
Disclaimer: No permission has been granted to use the characters. They are owned by their creator, Joss Whedon, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB, and Mutant Enemy. This story is non-profit and is intended solely as entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
As soon as Anna finished her homework, it was time for patrol. While she and Buffy went out together, Rupert, Merrick and Joyce discussed everything from Anna’s progress to the problems on the Hellmouth.
“Has the Council made any progress toward finding and stopping the source of the Initiative’s money?” Giles asked Merrick as he sipped a cup of tea.
“Some, but from what I gather it’s a labyrinth of fronts, cover groups and subsidiaries.”
“Someone somewhere is controlling the influx of capital, however. We must find them.”
“We will, dear boy. We will.”
Buffy was amused by the tameness of the countryside. She had assumed that England would be all city, but this tiny hamlet was, well, hamlet-like. The two girls walked happily through the dimly lit streets of the sleepy little community.
“So, does Merrick train you very hard?”
“As hard as he can. He gets very tired. He was injured but won’t ever talk about it.”
Buffy looked at her curiously and told her the story. Anna’s eyes were practically bugging out of her head.
“He nearly died?”
“Yeah, it was touch and go. I carried him to the hospital myself. He kept trying to remove the stake, but I made him keep it inside him. The doctor told me later if we had removed it, he would have died.”
“You are very brave and resourceful. Me, I would not have known what to do.”
“You would have handled it. You’re a Slayer too, just awfully young yet.”
“I am only two years younger than you when you were called. And right away, you fought and killed a very bad Master.”
“Luck,” Buffy explained.
“I don’t think so.” They walked on a bit farther. “You may not know, but the Council sings your praises. They think I don’t listen when they are all talking. When they talk of The Slayer, they always mean you. Faith and I, we are just slayers. You get capital letters.”
“I’m sure they don’t mean anything by it,” Buffy said. “I thought they pretty much hated me. I know I’m not at the top of Travers’ list of favorite people.”
“Huh. That one! He is naught but a pusher of papers. He knows nothing!”
They shared a chuckle.
“So, any word about you getting a permanent Watcher?”
“Ah, every week we have a new one over for dinner. They court me, hoping I will pick them, or at least show some preference. One of them brought me a doll. What do I know of dolls? How did you pick Mr. Giles?”
“Well, actually, Merrick picked him out for me. He had known him before, when Rupert was a young man—younger than me, even. John called him from his hospital bed and got everything set up for Rupert to take over.”
“It seems to have worked for you. Did you know when you first saw him that he was the one for you?”
Buffy grinned in the darkness. “Clearly, you haven’t heard that story. I didn’t like him at all. We fought like cats and dogs. Merrick finally made us both sit down and talk to each other. I resented him because he wasn’t John and Rupert thought I was a total brat because I wasn’t what he was used to.”
“I understand what you mean. I do not like these Watchers because they are not my Jan. He is gone now, forever. I do not know what to do without him. I love Merrick and Joyce treats me like I am her blood daughter, but Jan raised me and I miss him so very much.”
Buffy put her arm around the younger girl’s shoulders. “I understand completely. I was terrified when I thought Merrick might die.” She hesitated. “Look, I don’t know if they told you this, but Slayers and Watchers are on the fast track to Heaven. Your Watcher, he’s there still Watching you for always. He’d be proud to see how well you’ve done.”
“Do you think so? I am not so fast as you, nor yet so strong. I don’t know what to do in tricky situations. You, ah, the stories I have heard…”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Anna. You’re not me, but I’m not you, either. You have things that I’ll never have. You’re smart—I looked at that homework you’re doing and if you were back in the States, you’d be in high school by now. You seem like you’re good at it too. Giles just wants to strangle me sometimes, I know, because I just don’t give a rip about book learning. You think quickly and rationally. If I lost Giles, I sure wouldn’t think to call the Council like you did when you lost Jan. Plus, you aren’t even thirteen yet. I was older, more mature, and not handicapped by a thousand years of Council training.”
“But that’s just it, you see. You have virtually no training in the ways of the Council and yet you are the most successful Slayer in a thousand years. They all say it at the Council.”
“I’m not going to lie to you and say I’m not successful. I’m still alive and that spells success for a Slayer. But look, kiddo, you’re still alive and so is Faith even though she’s kinda temporarily out of action. I think there’s a plan for us, Slayer sisters together. I think something big is coming—not right away, not even next year, I don’t think, but not really all that long from now either. We have to be ready.”
“Have you been having the dreams?” Anna’s voice was hushed.
“Some. Nothing concrete yet. You?”
“The same. I feel it too.”
They both turned as they sensed a vampire in the alleyway next to them. He was wearing his human face. “Are you girls lost? Perhaps I should walk with you so that you get home safely.”
Buffy sighed. “Look, we were kind of having a private discussion here. Why don’t you take it somewhere else?”
“Because I’m going to rip your throats out and bathe in your blood!” He vamped out, a little surprised by their very not-terrified faces.
“Geez, why do I always get the ones that want to explain everything?” Buffy complained as she pulled out a stake and dusted him handily.
“Have you noticed,” she asked the younger girl, “how much they always want to talk to you about their big plans for killing you?”
“Yes. It’s rather disturbing. My Watcher always said plunge and move on, but so often the undead want to chat. Do you suppose it is some sort of obsessive compulsive thing?”
“Nah, I think vamps are very ‘me’ oriented and love to hear themselves talk. You should have heard Lothos drone on and on about boring crap. ‘You are very beautiful, blah, blah, blah. It will be a pleasure to kill you, blah, blah, blah.’ The Master had it too and even Spike wanted to chat.”
“I don’t get the beautiful part so much because I’m so young. No, with me it is ‘you are such a sweet young thing, blah, blah, blah. It will be a pleasure to drink your heart’s blood, blah, blah, blah.’ ”
“You actually had one of them say ‘heart’s blood’ to you?” Buffy asked incredulously. “God, these guys have got to get better writers. I mean, well, isn’t it all ‘heart’s blood’? People don’t go around blabbing about how they are gonna drink your toe’s blood or your elbow’s blood.”
“Good point!” Anna exclaimed as if Buffy had said something profound. They giggled and made their way back to the house.
“So, tomorrow, if the guys don’t have a bunch of boring plans, how about we train together?” Buffy suggested. “I mean, if you want to try it.”
“I’d be honored.”
“Cool.”