Story: The Bracelet (all chapters)

Authors: Jessica Knight

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Chapter 1

Title: Part 1: Destiny Arrives In A Black S.U.V.

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part one:
DESTINY ARRIVES IN A BLACK S.U.V.

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September 15th, 1997; Sunnydale, California, U.S.A.
7:56 AM; Joyce Summers drives her teenage daughter, Buffy,
in for her first day at a new school, Sunnydale High.

Sunshine and scenery passed by at thirty-five miles per hour, the familiar scents of flowery air freshener in her mother's black S.U.V., the sounds of a vehicle in motion with the air conditioner on, and Karma Chameleon by Culture Club playing on the radio at low volume. Looking out the window but not really seeing, Buffy thought on her dreams the night before. [Armies of demons crashing through town... and a blonde vampire named Darla killing me? Not a very promising start to a day... Well, at least the vampire was cute.] She mused to herself dryly, as if trying to find an upside to the whole thing. Looking over to her mom, she thought about saying something to her, but before the words would come, the car stopped.

The death-preoccupied Slayer looked out the car door window again and saw, well, it was a school really. Not a very big revelation there. But the sun was shining, only a few snow white clouds in the sky. Students bustled around, just starting off the school day. Despite herself, she was kind of looking forward to this. A normal day at school, meeting new people, that sort of thing...

"O.k.." Her mom's voice broke her train of thought, such as it was.

"That's my conclusion." Buffy said absently.

"What?" Joyce looked at her with a bit of confusion.

"Idonknow." Her daughter shrugged. "But here I go off to school. Have a good day mom, don't do anything I wouldn't do." She flashed her a slightly teasing smile.

"O.k.." Joyce said with a bemused smile. "Someone's feeling a little better."

"What can I say? My outlook is bright, my future is doomed, what else is there to do but enjoy the moment?" Buffy replied reasonably and with a good amount of her own style of cheer as she got out of the car.

"Doomed, huh?" Her mom replied.

"Yeah." Her daughter answered back, leaning in to look through the open car door window. "But don't worry mom, I'll try to get through at least one day without getting kicked out. This I promise you."

"Well, now I feel much better." Joyce said with a bit of wry motherly sarcasm.

"You should mom, it's a brand new day. Who knows, maybe things'll go good?"

"I'm sure you'll do great." She said with hopeful confidence in her daughter.

"Girl's gotta try." Said Buffy, with a charming smile, as she turned and walked off to her first day at Sunnydale High.

It struck her on her first few steps, how wide open and bright things looked.

Maybe it was a good omen?

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8:27 AM; having checked in at the administration office,
Buffy is 12 minutes into her first class...

Looking out the classroom window, she absently noticed the wind rustling the leaves of a bush that had pale pink flowers blooming on it. [Mhmm, Black Death...] She thought with mild annoyance of what the teacher was talking about. [Why can't they have classes outside on a day like this... I mean, would it really be such a shocking bad thing to teach people things like this in the fresh air? ...meh... old people are so stodgy sometimes... I wonder if I told the teacher I was dying, she'd let me have that as a last request?]

"You know, it's not the best way to get a passing grade." She heard a hushed voice say from next to her.

"Huh?" She gradually looked over at who'd said this, seeing the girl next to her looking at her with some amusement. Long well-kept brunette hair, tanned skin, dark eyes that seemed very engaging for some reason. "Oh. I guess you're right about that." Buffy confessed easily. "Just wishing I was outside I suppose." The girl was wearing a burgundy sleeveless dress shirt, a sweeter actually tied around her shoulders in true prepish style. Her arms, though not showing much muscle at all, did evidence that she liked to keep in good shape. She looked nice. And her understated, and probably fairly expensive, perfume did make for a nicer classroom environment somehow.

"I can relate." Said the girl, with understanding and a little of a smirk.

"Hehem." They heard from the front of the class. And looking in that direction, they saw a slightly annoyed teacher.

"Sorry." The girl next to her had the grace to look a little embarrassed.

"It's all right Cordelia, just try to pay attention a little." Said the teacher as she got back to her lesson.

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9:15 AM; history class is dismissed for the day...

Leaving the classroom, Buffy walked with her new acquaintance. "So I'm guessing your name is Cordelia? I'm Buffy. Thanks for letting me use your textbook and all. That was nice of you."

"No problem." Cordelia smiled back as they walked. "You can probably get one of your very own at the library."

"Thanks."

"So, you're from Hemery, right? In L.A.?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, that's me all right." Buffy confirmed.

"Oh, I would *kill* to live in L.A. That close to that many shoes?"

"Shoes, huh?" Buffy smirked. "Well, I have to admit, Brentwood Center's got some quality footwear... If you don't mind the parking of course."

"Of course." Cordelia said excitedly, making sure to keep her cool. "My mom went there a few years ago, she said it was horrible. The parking I mean."

"Well, lots of people, small spaces. It's kind'a like a different world." Buffy commented.

"It must've been so exciting living there." Cordelia said, visions of what she thought it would be like dancing in her head.

"It was that." Buffy admitted with a little of a knowing smirk. "Well, I think I should go look around a bit before my next class, make sure I don't get lost. So I guess I'll catch you later? It was really nice meeting you, Cordelia." She said, touching her briefly on the arm and giving her a well-meaning smile.

"You too." Cordelia smiled back sincerely, acting just a tiny bit flustered. "Say, would you want to come hang out at the Bronze later with me an' my friends?"

"The Bronze?"

"Yeah, you should be able to find it easy. It's like the *only* club worth anything around here. Not up to L.A. standards, I'm sure, but it's cool. An' it's the place to be if you go to this school." Cordelia explained.

"Sounds like fun. Guess I'll see you there." Buffy smiled just a bit flirtatiously as she went off, waving to her new friend as she went.

"Great, see you there." Cordelia called back.

"Who was that?" A familiar voice asked Cordelia curiously.

Cordelia turned to see her best friend, Harmony Kendal. "Oh, that's the new girl. Her name's Buffy, she's from L.A.."

"Buffy? What kind of a name is Buffy?" Harmony asked.

"Ionknow." Cordelia shrugged. "Maybe her mom was a deb and her dad was a hippy or something?" She smirked in amusement, causing Harmony to laugh.

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11:35 AM; After walking aimlessly for a while and idly looking
around, Buffy had gone on to her next class and her next...
Now, the much-hallowed tradition of lunch beckoned her like a siren...

[Ah, food.] She thought wantonly. [How I do love you so.]

Making a b-line for the snacks machine, she picked out the tastiest junk food available and let her quarters do the talking.

[Got'a admit, being a Slayer has it's perks sometimes.] She thought to herself as she retrieved her fifth purchase. [No way I could eat like this without it, not without being some kind'a super athlete, or having to do much too much heath-club time at any rate... Poor ordinary people.] She thought to herself guiltlessly as she carried away her booty, passing several of those ordinary people going about their normal lunchtime activates. A slightly cooling breeze carried by her the scents from the cafeteria, and she scrunched up her nose a little in reaction.

Not exactly feeling up to doing the socializing thing at the moment, she opted to go exploring some more instead. Maybe find a place with a good view to eat her lunch in where she could put on her head-phones, relax, and zone out for a while... hopefully someplace where she'd get a breeze coming in off the ocean some miles to the west, instead of anything less appealing coming from the school. The wind direction was good for it at any rate, so she was hopeful. One thing Sunnydale did have all over L.A. was air quality, and she aimed to enjoy it.

A few minutes later, after walking around a while and munching on some of her snacks as she went, she found a fairly nice spot off to the side of the school with a light wind from the side and something of a view out towards the mountains if she set facing right. [Not half bad.] She thought with reasonable satisfaction. Wistfully, she remembered the times in her L.A. school where she would go to her fav hideaway spot to think. Memories of a simpler time. She'd found her way to the school roof's that was overlooking a nearby park and spent her time there letting herself process her life... She pondered the possibility of finding a roof access later... even though her Slayer abilities made that technically unnecessary... making use of them in broad daylight like that though? Not exactly discreet.

Going over to the spot she'd selected, she put down her book bag and was about to settle in when she noticed that she wasn't quite alone.

Looking over to where one of the school's many pillars had hidden the other girl's presence, she got up and went over to her.

"Hi. Sorry, I thought I was alone out here. I guess I'm not the only one looking for a little quiet space... I can leave if you want?" She offered with a little friendly hesitation. Not wanting to intrude where she might not be wanted.

"Huh? ...Oh. No." The girl looked up at her momentarily. "It's fine. I don't mind."

The girl wore a pair of faded blue-jeans, high-tops for shoes, and a halfway form-fitting tie-dye long-sleeved shirt that covered down to the back of her hands with a neckline like a standard tee-shirt. She had long brown hair that seemed to have flecks of gold in the sunlight, her hair fell over her face a little as she looked up and reveled her face. Angular features with dark eyes that blinked and looked at her, she could tell, without really seeing. Looking closer, Buffy saw that the girl had clearly been crying.

"Hey, are you alright?" Buffy asked softly. "Is something wrong?"

The girl turned to really look at who she was talking with. Slightly tan skin, Buffy wore a pair of jeans-shorts and a white silk shirt, along with a small gold locket and a somewhat worn, but still expensive looking, suede jacket. She had attractively styled dyed-blonde hair, about three or four inches past shoulder length, a few strands of it falling loosely over her face, managing to give her a very cutely casual air... and yes Cordelia, she also had some really nice shoes on; open toed sandals with only a very low heal as it turned out.

There was something in Buffy's eyes, the girl sitting there decided, that just made her want trust her.

"No. It's just my mom ya'know?" She looked down as Buffy sat down next to her, crossing her legs Indian-style. "She's... she's not very easy to live with sometimes." Looking up at her. "Sorry. My name's Amy, Amy Madison." She smiled over at the blonde-haired girl.

"Buffy Summers." Buffy offered her hand for a light handshake. "It's nice to meet you."

"Um, 'Buffy'?" Amy questioned the unusual name.

"Yeah." Buffy said a bit wryly. "I know."

"I haven't seen you around before I don't think, are you new here?" Amy asked.

"Yup, just got in today in fact." Answered Buffy.

"Why'd you move?"

"Oh, um, well... That's kind of hard to explain really... I moved here from L.A., and... I guess you could say things got a little too tense back there and I guess was decided that it was time for a change of scenery... My mom and dad broke up, so now it's just her and me out for a new start I guess." She sighed, looking off into to the distance contemplatingly.

"Sounds like it might've been a tough time for you... I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories or something." Amy looked away, unsure of herself.

"No, it's o.k.." Buffy assured, putting her hand over Amy's to convey that it really was alright. "It wasn't easy, that's true, but it's o.k. now. I've got a whole new life ahead of me, I'm sure. New rules, new town... It might turn out great." She said cheerfully. "Or it could be a disaster and I could end up dying a painful, horrible death." She confessed wryly. "But I'm hopeful." She smiled over at her.

Amy smiled back, feeling a lot better despite herself. "Well, sometimes hope's all you got, right?"

"Maybe..."

"So is she nice?" Amy asked.

"Who?"

"Your mom, is she nice?" She clarified.

"Oh, well, I guess so, yeah." Buffy said thoughtfully. "I mean no one's perfect or anything, but yeah, she's always been nice to me, or tried to... Even though I can tell she fakes it sometimes." She said with a smirk. "I'm told I can be quite a handful at times."

"I bet." Amy smiled back at her.

"Hey, now don't get the wrong idea. I'm a great person, truly I am." Buffy mock-defended herself.

"Oh I don't doubt it." Amy assured playfully.

"Well that's good." Buffy concluded. "I wouldn't want you to get a bad impression of me." She was somewhat flirting and she knew it; which, she considered, maybe not the best thing to do under the circumstances.

"Nah, the impression's a good one." Amy smiled halfheartedly over at her.

"You um... You wanna talk about it? Your mom?" Buffy asked, sensing her companion's mood begin to sadden a little.

Looking back at her for a moment, Amy considered what to say. She liked this girl, and it had been a while since she'd really had someone to talk with. It was... nice, just sitting around and talking with someone who genuinely seemed to want to listen to her. "Sure." She smiled a little. "I think I'd like that."

"It's just." Amy began. "She... I think she really doesn't like me much." A pause. "I mean, like, she thinks I'm a disappointment or something... Does your mom ever think that about you?" She asked.

"Sometimes, probably." Buffy admitted. "More so lately, I'd imagine. In one very notable case, almost certainly." She looked down at her lap a bit. "I guess it's natural for kids to want to please their parents though... I mean... I know I don't like disappointing her, but it seems inevitable that I do some times. She tries to hide it, but..."

"Yeah... At least she does try to hide it." Amy said bitterly.

"Not yours, huh?"

"Not even a little, as far as I can tell." Buffy noticed Amy's hands squeezing into tense fists.

"What... Why do you think she... I mean--" Buffy tried to find the right words.

"Cheerleading." Amy stated simply. "Stupid, pathetic, fucking, pom-pom waving cheerleading!" Amy said in disgust, shaking a little with the anger she felt. "I mean I do good in school, I stay out of trouble, I have goals..." She looked over at Buffy with searing eyes. "I'm a good person! Or at least I try to be, but is that ever enough for her?!?!"

"I'm guessing not." Buffy said, now feeling a good dose of anger herself at the absent Mrs. Madison.

"Peh! 'Not' is right! If I'm not wearing a skirt, skinny as a post, and bitchy as hell to my friends, I'm worthless to her." She said sadly.

Buffy was quiet for a moment. "Want me to punch her?" She asked. It was what she was good at, after all.

"What?" Amy looked up at her incredulously, a bit of a blank look on her face.

"Yeah. Ya'know, like wham! Right in the face, my fist." She stated with clarity. "I'm really good at that ya'know." She assured her new friend.

"Punch her..." Amy said again, still not quite believing she'd heard this seemingly scary nice girl just say that.

"Just say the word." Buffy nodded confidently.

Smiling at this, Amy started to dissolve into a fit of giggles, which soon became full blown laughter.

Buffy joining in, the two girls just laughed for a bit together, letting tensions fade.

Settling down, Amy looked over to her new friend. "Thanks. I think I needed that." Amy smiled.

"Any time." Buffy replied. "My fist and I are here to help." She smiled over at Amy.

Chuckling at this, Amy shook her head and said "I don't know what good thing I did to meet you today, but I'm glad I did." She smiled shyly over at Buffy. It was kind of unreal how at ease she was feeling. A shaky and tentative connection she could feel forming between them, even through her jagged and frayed emotions, one that had seemed like it'd just walked in and decided to stay of it's own accord... It was so nice, feeling like there might be someone who was at least a little on her side again. Someone who seemed to think she was worth their time.

"I'm glad I met you too." Buffy gave her a smile back. "Hey, I don't know about you, but I'm starving here. You wanna get some lunch in before the bell?"

"And thanks for bringing that subject up." Amy said unenthusiastically, looking over at her pack. "Salad, lemon wedge, and juice. This should be good..."

Buffy just looked at her. "Your mom?"

"Yeah... It's my newest compulsory diet." Amy said resignedly.

"That's just evil!" Buffy exclaimed. "Now I really must punch her, just on principle!" She grumbled.

That got another laugh out of Amy. "I usually just supplement with school lunch, no matter how inedible it is, but today I just..."

"Wanted some alone time..."

"Yeah. But I'm glad I didn't get it." She smiled back at Buffy, just a little shyly.

"Tell you what, I've got plenty. None of it very healthy, very few ingredients you'd find on any diet plan." She grinned daringly at Amy. "Wan'a share?"

"Love to." Amy said, with obvious food lust.

"Great!" Buffy exclaimed as she pulled Amy to her feet and led her over to her pack.

"You know, I was a cheerleader once." Buffy commented as they went over.

"You lie." Amy contested as they took a seat and Buffy spread their fair out before them.

"God's honest truth." Buffy pledged, holding up her hand as if she were being sworn in.

"No way." Amy said. "I wouldn't have guessed. You don't seem..."

"Stuck up?" Buffy questioned with a smirk, taking off her jacket and setting it aside.

"Yeah, that."

"Well, it was only for a little under three months, so I don't think there was time for the programming to take root." Buffy explained. "I just did it 'cause a... friend of mine, she was going to join too... It, um, didn't end well." She said wryly, a small note of sadness in her voice.

"Oh yeah? What happened?" Amy asked.

"Long story. I'll tell you later if you want." Buffy provided, eyeing her food with a small predatory glint in her eyes. "So, what's your pleasure, Amy?" She questioned, indicating the food she'd set out in front of them.

Eyes a little wide, Amy said in astonishment "You can't tell me you eat like this all the time?!"

"Well..."

"No way!" Amy said incredulously. "You'd- I'd be like a house if I ate like this all the time. You look very much not like a house." She accused with slight suspicion, studying Buffy's athletically built form again, her legs already having testified to the facts, and now her arms, mostly bare as well without the jacket on, joined in their agreement. Though it was easy to see she couldn't be accused of starving herself to look good, she saw no evidence of any unwanted fat anywhere. Buffy was all sleek and well built curves, like an athlete. Amy could tell she was actually fairly muscular too, if she looked closer... She actually had the momentary urge to touch the other girl's skin to find out for sure, but prudently dismissed it as being inappropriate.

"I've got a fast metabolism." Buffy shrugged sheepishly in her own defense.

"Really." Amy agreed enviously, feeling just a little warm under her skin saying it.

"Yup, it seems like I can just eat and eat and eat, pretty much. My mom's a little freaked by it to tell the truth." Buffy supplied abashedly. "She wonders how someone my size can have room to put it all."

"She's not the only one." Amy said, shaking her head in maintained disbelief.

"Well come on. Let's dig in!" Buffy prompted as she picked up a half of her fully decked out ham sandwich and sank her teeth into it with delight.

Looking as Buffy begin to make short work of the sandwich, Amy figured she'd best stake her claims while she could.

And as they munched contentedly away at their meal, Buffy took a slow sip of Amy's juice box, having since downed the salad in five bites. She asked Amy "Hey Amy, do you wanna head over to the Bronze with me tonight?"

"Huh?" Amy looked up at Buffy after she'd swallowed a bite of Reece's Peanut Butter Cup with a delighted groan of pleasure.

"The Bronze." Buffy clarified. "This girl I met in my history class, she invited me to meet her and some of her friends there later. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?" She asked hopefully.

"Oh, um, sure! That sounds great." Amy smiled. "Who are we meeting?"

"Her name's Cordelia. Do you know her?"

Silence.

"Cordelia? As in Cordelia Chase?" Amy asked, again finding herself incredulous.

"Idonknow, I guess. I never heard her last name, but how many people can there be with a first name like that in a school? I mean 'Cordelia' is no 'Buffy', not many names can match mine for sheer memorablity." She assessed logically, not particularly caring that memorablity wasn't really a word. "But it's still a pretty unique name." She finished her small bit of babbling. "Why?"

"Oh, um." Amy looked at her with a wry expression of her own. "No reason. She's just like the queen of the school or something."

"Queen of the school?" Buffy looked at her skeptically.

"Yeah. You know." Amy moved her hands a bit by way of exposition. "Like in, most popular, has her own band of hangers on, known for being a royal bitch when she wants to be... Oh, and unless the world has the hiccups, she'll be a cheerleader this year." She said with a crooked smile as she shook her head a bit. "What, you didn't know?"

"Nope, 'fraid not." Buffy said still a bit in wonder. "She seemed normal enough to me. A small of a case of being slightly posh, and a bear sized crush on all things L.A., but nothing as bad as that... She seemed nice in fact. I got a good vibe from her." She reflected honestly.

"Huh, well o.k. then. It's not like I really know her or anything." Amy said, shaking her head. It was true, she didn't really know Cordelia very much herself, at least not lately anyway. She tended to try to avoid that whole crowd like the plague actually. She just knew what she'd heard about her. "You're really something else, ya'know that Buffy Summers?"

"So they tell me." Buffy smirked, a bit sheepishly.

"I guess you never really know with people sometimes." Amy wondered.

"That's true." Buffy agreed. "So, you still wanna go?"

Amy looked at her for a bit, then smiled. "Sure. Why not."

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to be continued in part two...
SKIPPING SCHOOL ON YOUR FIRST DAY IS HEALTHY, IT SAYS SO IN BOOKS

see you next time!

Chapter 2

Title: Part 2: Skipping School On Your First Day Is Healthy, It Says So In Books

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part two:
SKIPPING SCHOOL ON YOUR FIRST DAY IS HEALTHY, IT SAYS SO IN BOOKS

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11:59 AM; the same day, and there was only
about ten minutes left on their lunch period...

Buffy and Amy walked together back into the school. Buffy had mentioned that she needed to stop by the library to request some textbooks and Amy had volunteered to show her the way there.

"So, what's your next class?" Amy asked. "Mine's English."

"Hey, me too. Two periods in fact." Buffy said as she looked at her schedule again. "Is this the one you have?" She asked showing the paper to Amy.

Taking the schedule, Amy looked over it and her face brightened. "Yeah, and it looks like we've got gym together after that too!"

"Really?" Buffy asked. "Very cool." She smiled over at Amy. "So what are the teachers like?"

"Um, I don't know. I guess they're o.k.." Amy thought about it. "Mr. Jenson, the English teacher, he's pretty easy going... Kind of annoying to listen to sometimes though." Amy confided.

"Has a bad voice?"

"Well..." Amy smiled. "It's not good, and I'd hate to hear him sing with it, but it's mostly just that he's dull."

"Ah." Buffy replied simply, her mind, at the mention of voices, busy contemplating Amy's... which, she considered, she found completely endearing and almost musical in the way words seemed to roll off her lips so easily.

"Yeah. It's not so bad though. He picks interesting assignments usually." Amy informed her.

"And the gym teacher?"

"She's a gym teacher." Amy said lightly. At which Buffy chuckled.

Smiling over at her, Amy went on. "Yeah, it's like with cops or librarians or something. The job must just attract a certain type."

Buffy chuckled some more. "You're pretty funny sometimes, ya'know that?" [Trying too hard.] Buffy chastised herself internally. [Stop it.]

"Well, I do my best.... I've never offered to punch someone's mom, but I do o.k.."

"Hey." Buffy corrected in mock-serious tones. "That was a serious offer. You just say the word and pow! Right in the kisser!" Buffy smacked her fist in her hand for emphasis, causing Amy to dissolve into giggles again.

"Hey com'on. I'd do it, really I would!" Buffy defended herself.

"Really?" Amy asked skeptically.

"Sure." Buffy said.

Looking at her curiously, Amy said. "Hmm. I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"Well if she gives you scarps of rabbet food like that for lunch again and I have to eat it, you might just find out." Buffy replied, sounding all too aggrieved at the notion.

Amy just shook her head a bit at her new friend's antics as they came to the library door. "Well here we are, Sunnydale High library." She said as she opened the door and Buffy followed her in.

"It's nice." Buffy said absently as she looked around the room. "Nobody's here?"

"Hey, yeah." Amy said as she looked around too. "Well, the librarian must be around here somewhere."

"Oh, there he is." Buffy pointed out as she saw an old (well, middle-aged actually, but that was still pretty old in Buffy's considered opinion) guy in glasses and tweed approaching them from what looked to be his office.

"How could you tell?" Amy remarked in droll tones.

"I call it a hunch." Buffy said matter-of-factly, causing Amy to have to hold back another chuckle lest she risk offending said librarian.

"Can I help you find something?" The man asked in a reserved British accent as he came up to them.

"Yeah, my friend here's new to the school and she needs some textbooks." Amy supplied.

"Ms. Summers?" The man asked.

"That's me." Buffy confirmed. "Guess you were expecting me?"

"Indeed." The man said smartly. "Now, what books was it that you were needing?" He asked as he went around behind the service counter.

"I'm not sure." Buffy said. "These are the classes I have." She handed him her schedule.

"Ah, yes. I should be able to find you the appropriate texts then." The man confirmed as he ducked under the counter and rooted around the shelves there.

"So, what are we on now in English?" Buffy asked Amy as they waited for the librarian.

"Oh. Shakespeare, but just 'A Mid Summer Night's Dream'. Not 'Macbeth' or something really awful like that." Amy provided.

"Gee." Buffy intoned in a feigned and slightly flirtations sort of way, not considering herself above trying to charm the other girl into helping her. "I hope I'll be able to get caught up soon. Foreign languages aren't my strong suite." Buffy had transferred in a week after the quarter had already started, so she had to make up the missed work in all her classes... well, excepting gym class of course.

"Foreign languages?" Amy questioned.

"Well it might as well be." Buffy said logically.

"That's true." Amy conceded. "If you want, we cou-"

"Ah. Here we are." She was interrupted by the librarian's reappearance. "I believe this is most of what you should need. I-I can't seem to locate a copy of the introductory sciences text you'll be needing however. P-Perhaps you could stop by after school and I'll have found it by then?" He offered, a bit haltingly.

"Sure. Why not?" Buffy answered easily.

"All right then. After school it is." The man smiled thinly in an immanently British manner.

"'K." Buffy said, studying the man for a moment. [British people are weird.] She knew from experience, and thinking of her impending Shakespeare assignments as well. [Still, something seems kind'a off about this guy somehow...] She considered momentarily as she started to load the books into her bag.

"You were saying, Amy?" Buffy prompted, hoping Amy had been about to offer what Buffy hoped she was about to offer.

"Oh, right. Well if you want, we could get together after school to study and I could help you get caught up?" Amy offered. "You know, before The Bronze?"

"Sure, sounds good. Thanks Amy." Buffy smiled over at her, internally doing a cheer. "It's really nice of you to offer, and I could definitely use the help." She said a bit wanly, not at all confidant in her ability to learn Shakespeare flying solo and immensely grateful to Amy for offering to save her from trying.

"Oh I'm happy to." Amy said happily as they left the library. "You're really nice to talk with... And I'm also kind'a glad to have a good excuse not to be home 'til late, you know?" Amy admitted as the two turned to leave the library.

"Yeah." Buffy said sympathetically, feeling slightly guilty now for some reason.

"We could go over to the Espresso Pump in town if you want? They've got really good snacks and coffee, and it's a great place to study." Amy informed.

"Sounds perfect." Buffy approved, delighted. "We just need to make a quick stop by here on the way and we'll be set to go." She said as they left the library, determining to herself that she would definitely show Amy a good time to cheer her up more.

[Damn.] Thought the librarian in consternation. [She'll be accompanied then as well. Now what am I to do?]

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12:10 PM to 2:20 PM;
It's English class, as if you didn't already know...

In class after lunch, the students were in a little of an uproar before the teacher called the class to attention. It seems that a dead body had been found in the girl's locker room earlier. This fact causing Buffy's Slayerly interest to pique. So, once she had the opportunity during her class's period break to go check it out, she gave Amy an oblique "I have to go check something out, I'll be back in a bit" before she headed out on her investigation.

As she'd suspected from the description of the boy's wounds she'd overheard, he'd been killed by a vampire. A fact which Buffy thought did not bode well for her future in Sunnydale in general, and her prospects of retiring at a ripe old age into the elderly Slayer's home in particular. Still, she resigned to do a little digging around after she left the Bonze later that night. [Gee mom, hope you weren't expecting me home early tonight.] She thought wryly to herself on her way back to class. She really didn't like worrying her mom like this, but what else was she to do? [Maybe I should just go home and then sneak out after she thinks I'm asleep?] Buffy thought to herself as she headed back. [Or I could always just tell her the truth about this and worry her on a scale not previously dreamt of...] She immediately dismissed the idea, though she would rather have not had to. [Maybe I should reconsider that whole 'run away to Hawaii' idea I was thinking about?] She considered, not taking the thought seriously but liking the fantasy none-the-less. [I bet I could convince Amy to go with me too...] She pondered, thinking of the new friend she'd made and her likewise undesirable Sunnydale situation. [The two of us running away from our troubles together? It could be fun... There could be swimsuits.] It was a cheerful, if patently unrealistic, not to mention very forward, notion that she immediately felt a little guilty for. She was finding it hard not to like the other girl though, they just seemed to click somehow. [Maybe it's something in the loneliness...] She analyzed critically. [I still miss her so much, maybe... maybe I'm just seeing things...] She thought sadly, bringing her hands across her chest and torso to hold her elbows in an effort to feel warmer inside again as she made her way across the grounds to meet Amy back at their English class. She really hated to be alone, and she knew that about herself all too well.

========================

2:21 PM; English class lets out
and Buffy and Amy head to Gym...

As class was being let out, her English teacher handed Buffy a note from the school librarian, one Mr. Rupert Giles. Something about him being 'called away'. It asked her to pick up the book in the morning before classes instead. Which, in fact, worked out perfectly.

Especially sense, on arrival, she and Amy found gym class that day had been canceled due to the locker rooms being declared a crime scene. So there were going to be some 'educational videos' shown to the students who were to have had gym that period.

"So... Wanna skip?" Amy asked off-handedly as they were given the news.

"I'm up for it." Buffy replied reasonably.

"Where do you think we should go?" Amy asked as they made their stealthy escape.

"Hmm... Well, sense I'm new in town, could I convince you to play tourist with me for a while?" Buffy asked with a smile. "I suddenly have an urge to get lost, see the sights? We could study after." She put in helpfully.

"Sure, we could do that..." Amy trailed off uncertainly. "But just so you know, don't expect much, o.k.? Sunnydale doesn't really have that much in the way of sights... There are a lot of churches though."

"Yeah, well whatever there is, it's gotta be better than what they pull out of the school's video archives that those other poor shlubs are being forced to watch." Buffy said logically, having the good manners to at least act a little guilty that she'd escaped and left the other students to their fate. "Lead the way!" She exclaimed cheerfully.

Amy smiled and followed along side Buffy, once again very charmed by her new friend and the life she seemed to be able to so easily breathe into a day.

"So, why so many churches do you think?" Buffy asked playfully. "Do they at least have nice landscaping? Nothing worse than a church you can't have a decent picnic at, I always say... Not that I've ever gone to a church except at Christmas mind you." She qualified, babbling slightly.

Amy gave her a curious look. "Um, Idonknow, I guess they might. I'm not much of a churchgoer either. My dad used to take me when I was little, but I don't remember it much. And I don't know why there's so many... It's just kind'a a weird town sometimes..." Amy explained, her words growing a little distant as something hinted through her voice that Buffy picked up on.

"Mm. O.k., so there was definite inflectioning going on there. What's the deal Amy? Is there something about Sunnydale that.. um.."

"No, it's... well... No one really seems to talk about it, but yeah, it can be... kind'a... Well, like today? Dead body in the girl's locker room? ...Its not as out of the ordinary as it would be other places." Amy confided skittishly.

"Not as out of the ordinary?" Buffy asked, not really getting the point exactly. "You mean, like, there's a high crime rate?"

"Not so much, not officially at any rate." Amy looked away a little.

"But unofficially?"

"I looked it up once. Of the two? The death rate's higher." Amy looked at her soberly.

Buffy processed this little bit of information for a moment.

"It's a good thing I'm good at punching things then." Buffy said, seemingly in all seriousness.

"It could come in handy." Amy replied.

"I'll keep my eyes open." Buffy smiled over at her a little as they immerged from the school grounds and onto the sidewalk.

========================

2:46 PM; a quick walk from school finds them on Main Street.
They'd walked a little ways, stopped at a bagel shop and got
some fresh to go. Now, a shop called The Sand Dollar, a touristy
sort of place that carried an impressive assortment of knick-knacks,
had caught Buffy's eye and they'd gone in to investigate...

"I don't think I've ever been in here before..." Amy commented, looking around curiously.

"And you call yourself a tour guide." Buffy tisked, looking inquisitively at an assortment of beaded jewelry.

"No, you called me a tour guide. I just went along with it." Amy clarified, going over to where Buffy was and looking at the beadwork with her.

"That is true." Buffy admitted, smiling at her. "They've got some great stuff in here though." She said, holding out the miniature stuffed panda she'd found shortly after they'd walked in and immediately clamed as her own.

Amy took the panda and looked at it.

Buffy moved a little closer to her and proceeded to put one of the stretchy bead charm bracelets around the panda's neck as a necklace, a purple one with a heart on it. "What do you think her name should be?" Buffy asked, leaning back against the counter and regarding her handy-work.

"Um..." Amy looked between Buffy and the panda. "I don't know... 'Julie'?" She asked.

"How about it? Is your name Julie?" She asked the apparently female panda. She looked up at Amy. "Good guess. I think that was her name all along." She smiled, taking the panda back and hugging it to her.

Amy laughed. "There should be a law. That was just too cute to be legal." Amy said.

"You think I'm cute?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Uh-huh, no doubt." Amy said. "Very."

That earned Amy a very genuine smile that just seemed to light up the blonde-haired girl's face. "Thanks." She said it a little softly and their eyes kind of held each other for a moment and something seemed to pass between them. Absurdly, Buffy wanted to kiss her at that moment, or at least return the complement or touch her hair, but, not really trusting herself with those options, she stifled the urge.

"I think I'm going to buy it." Buffy said finally.

========================

3:12 PM; they were walking down Main Street heading
towards the Espresso Pump and their study date. Amy
proudly carrying Julie the panda in her arms, Buffy
having given the miniature plush toy to her outside
of The Sand Dollar as a gift...

[That was really sweet of her.] Amy once again mused as she peeked sideways at Buffy while they walked, holding the panda a little closer to herself as she did.

After leaving The Sand Dollar, the pair had explored much of the rest of Main Street and gone in any store that looked appealing. Amy had ended up buying Buffy a stuffed tiger and small charm bracelet that had a yin/yang symbol on it from an oriental kind of gift store, in return for the panda. It was crazy really, Sunnydale wasn't actually that interesting a place, but they'd had fun anyway. Something Amy really wouldn't have expected would happen touring her own home town. In fact, she found herself in a down right very good mood at the moment, an experience she'd sorely missed in her life of late. Of course, nagging thoughts wouldn't let it last...

"I should probably call my mom, let her know I'll be out late." Amy thought out loud, the unwelcome thought crossing her mind unbidden, as if to counteract her good mood before it got too out of control.

"Think she'll be o.k. with our plans?" Buffy asked curiously, not really having an idea what Amy's mother's reaction might be. Strangely enough, she found herself not being able to relate to the woman. A fact for which she was grateful. The lady sounded like a psycho. A psycho that, truth to tell, she actually did have a little of an urge, if not to punch, to at least chew her out verbally something fierce.

"Oh, she probably won't care. Or if she does care, it's not like anything I do ever seems to make her happy. So what's the difference?"

Buffy looked at her with sympathy.

"Besides, she's out showing a house today. So I can just leave a message and I won't have to talk to her." Amy said, her mood brighter at the thought.

"O.k.." Buffy said easily, indulging her new friend's good mood.

As Amy went over to the payphone they'd come upon, Buffy shivered a little involuntarily remembering the 'lunch' Mrs. Madison had given Amy. [Jeeze lady, she's your daughter, not your pet rabbit...] "Even rabbits get carrots." She grumbled grumpily to herself as she leaned against a street light, her mood now darkening some.

"All done." Amy said cheerily as she retuned from making her call.

At which, Buffy's semi-dark and grumpy mood vanished, and a smile once again graced her features. "Great! Hey... um, I was thinking, do you wan'a go by my house after a while? My mom will be home and I'm sure she could be convinced to make us dinner? We could pick up the studying a'bit there too, before we go to the club?"

"Mm, you're inviting me to a real home cooked meal?" Amy said speculatively, with obvious food greed.

"Yup."

"I'm so there." She replied, impulsively giving Buffy a hug.

Taken a bit by surprise, Buffy none the less quickly returned the hug, greedily soaking up the momentary closeness. [This feels so good.] Buffy thought wistfully, her thoughts getting away from her for a moment.

But all too soon for her tastes, the hug was over and Amy was pulling her along to the Espresso Pump and their study date.

[God, please let her be into girls.] Buffy thought bemusedly as she happily followed Amy along to the coffee shop.

========================

to be continued in part three...

STUDYING IN BED TOGETHER? YES, IT REALLY DOES MAKE YOU SMARTER

see you next time!

Chapter 3

Title: Part 3: Studying In Bed Together? Yes, It Really Does Make You Smarter

========================

part three:
STUDYING IN BED TOGETHER? YES, IT REALLY DOES MAKE YOU SMARTER

========================

5:26 PM the same day; after Buffy and Amy had
virtuously done their math, science, and history
homework at the Espresso Pump, they'd made
their way to Revello Drive and Buffy's new home...

Aslan, Buffy's golden colored cat, purred contently as she accepted the offering of chicken that her caretaker snuck down to her. Moving out of the way a little, she set it down on her cat dish and started to contentedly tear it apart.

Amy, similarly, was munching with satisfaction on some roasted chicken of her own. She was in the kitchen with Buffy and Joyce Summers eating a casual meal. Granted, it wasn't home cooked, it was from Safeway, but she wasn't about to quibble over details. She was just enjoying a very rare occurrence for her. A pleasant meal with family. True, it wasn't her family; but for roast chicken? If Joyce Summers had offered, she could've easily been influenced towards ideas of adoption.

"So your mother's in real estate, you say?" Joyce asked curiously as she got up to take her plate to the sink.

"Mm-hm." Amy confirmed, swallowing her last bite of chicken. "She's, um, really good at it too." She glanced over at Buffy with an unsaid question in her eyes. Not really a subject Amy was anxious to get into, apparently.

"Mm, well that's nice dear." Joyce said as she came back and retrieved Amy's plate, Buffy already having deposited hers in the sink a few minutes prior. "Maybe you and she could come over for dinner together some night?" She asked.

"Um, I..." A little panicked at this, but trying to hide it, Amy looked over at Buffy with beseeching eyes.

"Amy's mom travels a lot." Buffy blurted out, not really thinking it through. "She's uh, I mean she sells houses and stuff, all over. She might not have time or anything."

"Oh I see." Joyce smiled. "Well, you'll be sure to pass along the invitation anyway, won't you Amy?" Figuring she knew the reasons why Amy might not want her mother to be at such a dinner, Joyce accepted the somewhat lame evasion gracefully.

"Uh, sure!" Amy smiled.

"Well, look at the time." Buffy said all of the sudden. "Getting late around here. We should be studying. Wouldn't want to miss out on that - big dance club plans and all. Com'on Amy." She said, all too cheerfully, as she took Amy by the hand and started to lead her up to her room.

"It was nice meeting you, Ms. Summers. Thanks for dinner, it was awesome." Amy exalted gratefully as she headed for the stares, following along behind Buffy.

"You're welcome." Joyce called out awkwardly at the two retreating girls.

Shaking her head a little, Joyce set about straightening up in the kitchen some more. [Well, if she's going to date other girls, at least she picked a nice one this time.] She thought pensively, still not really completely used to the idea of her daughter's choice of lifestyle.

========================

5:32 PM; in Buffy's room now...

"Thanks." Amy said with a wave of relief, as she plopped down to lay on her back on Buffy's bed. "You totally saved me down there." She sighed as she looked blankly up at the ceiling for a moment before she sat back up.

"No problem." Buffy replied as she retrieved the books and such from their packs. "Saving damsels in distress is one of my all time favorite pastimes." She was curious, sensing there was something Amy wasn't saying, but she figured if the other girl wanted her to know, she would tell her.

"And you do it so well." Amy commented drolly. "So, do you save damsels on a regular basis, or..." [What am I saying?] Amy thought to herself, realizing where her thoughts were headed.

"Oh sure." Buffy answered cheerfully. "It's like, my calling in life or something. But don't worry, most of them don't get invited over for chicken and pasta."

Amy kind'a half giggled, half laughed at this, unreasonably charmed by her friend's silly talk.

"You're such a goof sometimes." Amy giggled, her voice a little teasing.

"Well, yes that's true I guess." Buffy pondered as she sat next to Amy on the bed. "Teach me?" She handed Amy their English book, along with the script of Shakespeare's famous play.

Chuckling a little more, Amy agreed. "Sure." She smiled. "Um, well, like Mr. Jenson said, we've got the quiz and the discussion on the second act tomorrow, so I guess that's all we really need to know, right?"

"Sounds logical." Buffy agreed.

"Except, maybe the second act wouldn't make as much sense without the first act, right?" Amy thought.

"Probably. I have to take the quiz for act one on Monday anyway, so I need to know it." Buffy admitted. "But, maybe you can you just summarize it for me now? So I'll know enough to get the second one?" She asked hopefully.

Amy seemed to ponder. "Um, yeah, o.k., I think I can do that..." She agreed. "We could get together on the weekend if you want? I could help you with act one then if you'd like?" She asked hopefully.

"I'd like." Buffy readily nodded her agreement. "I'd like a lot." She again affirmed. "...So, where do you wan'a meet? We could just study over here or-"

"Here's fine." Amy offered quickly. "I like your house, and you've got a nice room... And your mom seems really nice too and..." Amy tried to think of another reason.

"You're welcome any time." Buffy put forth, placing her hand on Amy's for a moment to further convey her intent.

"You... I am?" Amy asked, looking into Buffy's eyes. She didn't find any pity or compassion there as she thought she would, just, well, she wasn't completely sure, but she liked what she saw, a lot.

"Yup." Buffy assured. "It's a promise, o.k.?"

Amy was quiet for a moment as she looked down at her hands where Buffy's hand had recently touched hers.

"Thanks..." Amy looked over at Buffy. "That's... That's really sweet of you." She told her sincerely.

"You're welcome." Buffy gave her an honest smile. "So, as far as the play goes..." She began, having been looking at the words on the page rather like they had horns. "This is really English?" She said under her breath, looking up at Amy a little helplessly. "So, um, you were about to do the summarizing thing?" She asked hopefully.

Amy gave her a small teasing smile at that. "Yeah, I think I could do that..." She agreed, turning to the start of the second act. "Lets see, O.k. Right, well, first there's this nobleman guy, named Theseus, right? He's like the mayor of the city or something..." She looked in her notes. "Duke. Right, he's a duke. Anyway, he's marrying Hippolyta, she's the queen of the Amazons... you know, like from Wonder Woman?" She asked.

"Really? Huh. That's kind of neat." Buffy commented.

"Yeah, thought so too." Amy agreed, pleased. "Well, anyway, Theseus and Hippolyta are getting married in four days, but Theseus wants to take her to bed with him before the wedding."

"The cad." Buffy commented.

"No, it's this whole he's head over heals in love with her sort of thing. Sort of a theme in the play I think. So he's all 'it's driving me crazy to wait', and she's like, 'yeah, four days... not such a long time. Take a cold shower.' Or something."

Buffy laughed at that, so did Amy a little.

"Um, anyway, so somebody, another noble or something, comes up to Theseus and wants him to hear his complaint, about his daughter, Hermia. Because she won't marry the man he wants her to marry. She's in love with a guy named Lysander and wants to marry him, but her dad doesn't approve."

"And that's something for this mayor-duke guy to get involved with?" Buffy asked, not really getting it.

"Oh yeah. It wasn't a real good time to be a woman back then apparently." Amy assessed. "See, after he hears them all out, he basically tells Hermia she has three choices: do what her dad wants, be executed, or become a nun. Cheerful, huh?"

Buffy looked at her. "Damn." She said. "Very harsh ...What'd she do?" She asked.

"Well, she runs away with the guy she's in love with of course." Amy smiles. "But that's not 'til later." She explained. "The play has, like, three or four different plot threads going at a time. That's the first one."

"O.k., so what's next?"

Amy looked at the play again. "Well there's this acting troupe in town. They're trying to come up with a play to do at the duke's wedding, because if they get chosen, they'll get a lot of money or something." She proceeded to tell about Nick Bottom and company and the beginnings of their production of 'Pyramus and Thisbe', and things went on from there.

========================

6:39 PM; It's an hour later into their study session,
they're just wrapping up with the second act of the play...

Amy and Buffy sat on the bed together. Buffy had her back against the headboard and her legs tucked up under her, the text of A Midsummer Night's Dream on her lap. Her eyes were fixed avidly on Amy, sitting cross legged right across and to the right a little of her and reading to her from the play. To her surprise, Buffy found she was actually understanding the words of the play reasonably well by this point...

"...what, removed? Lysander! Lord! What, out of hearing? Gone? No sound, no word? Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear; speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear. No? Then I well perceive you all not nigh. Either death or you I'll find immediately." Amy finished, looking up.

"So that's the end of the act?" Buffy asked.

"Yup."

"So I take it when Hermia finds Lysander, it's not going go to well?"

"I'd say probably not." Amy quirked a little smile.

"Jeeze." Buffy spoke. "So, let me get this strait. Oberon gets angry at Tatiana... and out of spite decides to drug her so she'll fall in love with some random guy and... But then he sees Helena's love life is as bad as his, and decides to help her out by drugging the guy she likes too? Only Puck gets it wrong... and act three, we're thinking train wreck here?"

"That sounds about right." Amy nodded.

"That is so messed up." Buffy shook her head.

"Well, yeah. But it's no worse that what a lot of people would do in modern times, given the chance. I mean, getting someone drunk? Date rape drugs? In other countries. Africa? The middle east? You don't even wan'a know what they'll do a person, man or woman, just because they can, or because it was done to them... I mean, I'm sure if there was a drug that would make me want to become an anorexic cheerleader, and my mom had it? I'd've been waving my pom-poms at anything in a jersey a long time ago." She said it with a curious amount of dispassion.

Buffy looked at her a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that. People can be pretty monstrous, I know."

"Yeah... But at least, with the play, I think Shakespeare was more trying to call attention to than endorsing it. I mean, it's hard to be sure sometimes, but I think so. It seems to be something that's a theme for him. Like for Romeo and Juliet? Showing what a conflict like that can do, who knows how many lives that play could have saved?... I don't know. I hope so anyway." Amy said with modest optimism.

"Hmm... Well, I suppose it does at least make you think about things like this, right? That's got'a be a good thing." Buffy put in, her small smile showing further proof that Amy's optimism had been returned and appreciated.

"I think so." Amy replied.

"Oberon's still a bastard though." Buffy qualified. "And his little Puck too."

Amy laughed. "No argument."

"So, you think we're done with this for tonight?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I think so." Amy confirmed, closing her book.

"You really seemed to know this stuff though." Buffy complemented, closing her own book. "I mean, I really think I get this now. Do you realize how huge that is?" She teased.

"I can imagine." Amy gave her a little of a lopsided grin. "I have to admit, I did have a little help though."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, from cartoons. There's this one called Gargoyles? It's really a good cartoon, like, not just for kids, it has a really good story. Anyway, there's a bunch of stuff from Shakespeare in it, so I was kind of familiar with the characters when the teacher assigned it. I could relate more, you know?" Amy explained.

"Hm. Yeah, I'cn see how that would help. The way you explained it, it sounded like you really knew what you were talking about." She allowed. "So, what was the cartoon about?" She asked curiously, wanting to leave the subject of school work behind now that she could.

"Stone statues coming alive at night and protecting New York City." Amy said without missing a beat. "It was more interesting than it sounds."

Buffy made a small laugh sound. "I bet." She said.

"Well, what about you? You don't ever watch cartoons?" Amy challenged.

"Well, when I was little I think I watched some, my mom says I did anyway... but, truth to tell, I haven't really watched much TV in a while." She admitted. "Just some ice skating, and sports sometimes."

"Gee, I never would have guessed." Amy said, looking around Buffy's room and seeing some posters from both those things. One each from women's basketball and tennis and one from the 1996 Summer Olympics U.S. Woman's soccer team (there was also one of Madonna). There were some family portraits and such too - one bigger one, an eight by ten, on her dresser was of Buffy and another girl with dark hair at sunset on a beach. Amy felt uncomfortably threatened by that last item, but deliberately tried not to think about it.

"Yeah." Buffy looked a little chagrinned. "I guess that would be kind of obvious."

"So, um, that's it, no other TV?" Amy set up a little and asked, resisting the urge to ask who the girl in the picture was. "But... What do you do for stuff to watch in the off seasons when there's no sports?"

"Oh, um, well, I'm pretty active I guess. I don't even watch those things very often anymore, just sometimes. I guess I just like to be out doing things if I can... But when I don't have anything else, I'll usually just listen to music or read a magazine or something." Buffy explained.

"Wow." Amy said simply.

"Ah come on. It can't be that strange, can it?"

"Of course it can." Amy looked at her as if she was contemplating something. "Buffy, come on, you're probably the nicest person I've ever met and all (and I know this about you only having just met you today, so you know it's totally obvious how nice a person you are), but you got'a admit, there's not much that's ordinary about you. Don't worry though, the kind of strange you are is a really good kind of strange. Or I think it is anyway." Amy stopped talking and looked at Buffy. "What?"

"If I'm strange, I think it's a catching condition. You do realize you sounded just like I do sometimes just then, right?" Buffy pointed out saliently.

Amy was silent for a moment, looking down at her hands? "My hair isn't turning blond, is it?" She winced, looking at Buffy with widening eyes. "Did you poison that chicken with hair color or something?" She asked. "You did, didn't you!" She accused, and, whereupon seeing the look on Buffy's face what she'd said had elicited, she immediately dissolved into laughter.

"And she thinks I'm strange..." Buffy complained grumpily.

Looking up again at this, Amy saw something of a pouty look on Buffy's face, which of course caused her to laugh all the more.

"If you're quite done now." Buffy said in mock impatience.

Looking up at her again, Amy valiantly tried to reign her laughter in. "O.k.. O.k.." She breathed. "I'm good. I'm good." She lay back and rested her head on Buffy's thigh.

"You know, it really feels good to laugh like this." Amy said. "Thank you."

"For what? Being such a goof that you can laugh at me all the time?" Buffy asked, half abashed, half mock-offended.

"No silly. You know, for being my friend and cheering me up and... and..."

"Yeah." Buffy replied. "I know. You've kind'a done the same for me." She looked downwards a little.

"I have?" Amy turned over on her stomach, supporting herself with her arms.

"Sure." Buffy smiled, warm affection and regard clear in her eyes. "I mean, here I was: This new girl in a new town, feeling alone. Not a friend in sight... Except for my mom I guess, but she doesn't count... And I luck into finding the best new friend I could ask for. Who not only cheers me up and makes me feel like I'm of some use in this world, but offers to help me get caught up in school and takes me on a tour, and... It's just nice having someone I can really talk with. Someone who'll give me a hug even. Makes me feel like I don't have to worry so much... about things... you know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Amy sighed as she got up and took her place sitting next to Buffy, lay her face  on her shoulder again. "I know."

Looking down at Amy at the sudden silence, she saw tears falling down her face.

"Amy... Amy, hey, what's wrong? What is it?" Buffy asked, worriedly, as she got up and tucked her legs under her so she could look into Amy's eyes.

"I don't know. I, I just..." Amy moved forward and hugged Buffy tightly, burying her head in her friend's shoulder.

"It'll be all right." Buffy said softly, just holding Amy back. Returning the closeness, offering whatever comfort she could as a few tears started to fall from her own eyes as well. [She has no idea how much being able to do this with someone... She has no idea.] Buffy felt a little like crying herself just then. "It will be. You've just gotta believe that." She did her best to comfort her.

Amy felt the emotions settle within her at those words... she had just felt so lost somehow lately. But now? Now, here in Buffy's arms, she felt safer and more grounded than she could ever remember feeling in her whole life, and she just held on tighter, somehow afraid that if she let go, the feeling would escape her.

The two stayed together like this as the minutes passed, Buffy moving her hands soothingly over Amy's back.

As the tears started to slow, Amy became more and more aware of how close she was to the other girl. Buffy felt so good, so solid and strong, but also so soft and warm and good. It felt a little strange, but definitely good.

Moving slowly, she pulled back from Buffy a little, for some reason wanting to look into her eyes, and she did. They were so beautiful, she felt almost adrift, and she felt her hand raise almost of it's own accord, touching the soft cheek in front of her.

Before she knew what was happening, her lips were on Buffy's. Her mind all but blank as the sensation of the kiss overwhelmed her every sense. She didn't know how long it lasted, but when it was over and she could breathe again she looked up into Buffy's eyes and her mind caught up with her. Amy pulled back in disbelief at what had just happened.

"...Amy?" Buffy spoke in quiet wonder, still a little dazed by the unexpected (but not at all unwelcome) kiss.

========================

to be continued in part four...
LOVE YOU? BUT IT'S ONLY BEEN A DAY...

see you next time!

Chapter 4

Title: Part 4: Love You? But It's Only Been A Day...

========================

part four:
LOVE YOU? BUT IT'S ONLY BEEN A DAY...

========================

5:58 PM the same day; continued
right from where we left off last time...

"I'm sorry." Amy whispered. "I... I don't know what I..." She looked around a little panicky, trying to get her bearings.

Suddenly needing some space, she got off the bed, irrationally afraid of what might happen if she didn't. She started to pace a little erratically, her mind clearly running a mile a minute. What would Buffy think of her? What did she think of herself? What had she just done? Why? Things were going so well, now they were all ruined! Those and a hundred other thoughts buzzed in her mind.

"Amy. Amy." Buffy said, getting to her feet and reaching out to lightly touch Amy's arm. "It's o.k., I-" But Amy pulled away as if her touch had burned her and the words died in Buffy's throat.

"Buffy, I'm, um..." Amy looked away again. "Please don't hate me." She asked in a quiet, beseeching voice as she looked back at her.

"I don't." Buffy assured with surety, again trying to touch Amy's arm to convey that. Amy jumped a little, but didn't pull away this time, which made Buffy feel a lot better. [She's... She's just freaked out a little, that's all. Nothing to worry about.] Buffy nervously reasoned in half-hearted relief, having been afraid she might have tripped into some kind of religious phobia or something equally as wigged, and that Amy would blame her, and, well, then some definite badness would ensue.

"I don't know why I did it, I.." Amy started crying again and sought comfort in Buffy's welcoming arms. "You just felt so, it felt.. I, I'm I..." She started to sob.

"Hey. Hey, it's all right. You didn't do anything that was wrong." Buffy assured confidently as she held on. "It's o.k., really it is." She tried a little desperately to calm her friend down and reassure her.

"It.. It is?" Amy looked to her again, her eyes still watery.

"Yeah. Of course it is." Buffy smiled in assurance.

"You're not, you're not weirded out by this?" Amy asked.

"No, of course I'm not."

"Why not?!" Amy asked, all of the sudden overcome with feelings of being exposed and vulnerable.

"Why not?" Buffy questioned slowly, not quite understanding this twist in the conversation fast enough. "I, um.."

"You, you've, you're..." Amy trailed.

"Well, yeah." Buffy admitted, a little awkwardly, now catching on.

"Then you... Then when we met you where like... it was to... it was a trick?"

Buffy just stared for a moment, bewildered, until recognition dawned. "No! God! No!" She exclaimed defensively, pulling away from Amy and feeling very exposed and hurt herself at the moment.

"Well it feels like it was. I mean you didn't tell me you were. It's-"

"No! It's not like that – Jeeze Amy, you... You really think I would...?" She started to cry. "I wouldn't do that, Amy." Buffy looked away.

"Then what?!" Amy pressed.

"'Then what' is that I like you." Buffy countered. "You're fun to be around. You're... And it's not that easy you know!" Buffy said. "I mean didn't... How was I supposed to...? What did you want me to do?" She asked. "Be wearing some shirt that says 'Beware! I'm a lesbian'? Is that it?"

"Well that would have been..."

"And you kissed me!" Buffy exclaimed. She was feeling a little outraged that Amy seemed to be trying to make her feel guilty about this. "I didn't... Look, it wasn't some plot! It wasn't some psycho pick-up line, o.k.?! It wasn't for a date or, or, I wasn't expecting that! I'm just like any other person, I, people, I mean, it's like... God! I don't know... I mean, can't I just make a friend? Is it so wrong to just meet someone and be friends with them?!"

Amy looked pale "...I'm sorry I... I didn't mean, I mean I..."

"No. It's o.k...." Buffy halted her, quickly coming to her senses upon seeing Amy's reaction. "I didn't mean you did something wrong, or..."

"No, I did! You're right! You didn't do anything, I did! Here you were, being... and I just jump you!... You must think I'm so pathetic..." Amy trailed off, going over to the desk chair and burying her head in her hands, her mind just not finding anywhere for her thoughts to go.

"No. I mean yeah, I wasn't expecting you to..." Buffy tried haltingly as she followed Amy and knelt down in front of her. "I mean, that doesn't mean I... Look." Buffy said, bringing her hand to Amy's cheek and coaxing her to look up "Did you see me pulling away?" She smiled. "If you wanna kiss me, you're totally someone I'd want to be kissed by."

Silence. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." Buffy said, moving forward and kissing Amy's hand, then looking up into her eyes.

Amy looked back, and once again, she didn't see any deception there. She didn't see someone who would try to play with her and, and what she saw was someone she could trust. Someone she did trust, the same person who made her feel safe, who listened to her. She saw her friend.

Tentatively, Amy brought her hand and up to lightly caress Buffy's cheek, and she smiled. "Are you sure you weren't just trying to get me into bed with you when we met?" She asked with amusement, never taking her eyes from Buffy.

Smiling, Buffy brought her hand up and cradled the hand that touched her cheek, brining her lips in to lightly kiss the palm of that hand.

"I'm sure." Buffy's voice just a bit deeper, she smiled to Amy a little. "But that doesn't mean I'd turn down the invitation if you asked me." She found her face heating just a little at saying that.

Amy's mouth was suddenly very dry, and words were just not there, as what Buffy had just said registered on her.

"...That's... That's good to know..." Amy said blankly, causing Buffy to giggle a little bit from the blank look her friend wore.

"Hey, what's funny?" Amy questioned, coming out of her daze.

"You are, silly." Buffy said, touching Amy's lips lightly with the tip of her finger.

Amy chucked a little at this. "Well, then I guess we make a really good couple then... Together we make a silly goof."

"Ohhh." Buffy moaned. "That joke never leaves this room, o.k.?" She looked up at Amy with a silly look on her face.

"O.k.." Amy said simply.

"O.k.." Buffy agreed, laying her head on Amy's lap.

"So... Is tonight a date then?" Amy asked out of the blue.

Buffy's head rose up and she sat back on her knees, looking up at Amy.

"Tonight?" Buffy asked in question.

"Yeah. Tonight? At the Bronze? Is it a date?" Amy asked.

"Um, well." Buffy got a lop sided grin on her face. "If you want it to be?"

Amy smiled and got down onto the floor with Buffy, then leaned in and kissed her.

Buffy was spellbound, the deepening kiss blanking out most other thought as her heart just started to soar and the blood seemed to drain out of her head all together too quickly.

As the kiss slowly ended, and their lips parted, Amy stayed close, her breath softly ticking Buffy's face as she said "I want it to be."

Buffy just sat there for a bit, looking into Amy's eyes. "O.k." She said softly.

"So it's a date then?" Amy said, stroking Buffy's cheek.

"It's a date." Buffy smiled.

At which Amy smiled back and then tucked her head into Buffy's shoulder and let Buffy's arms hold her. "Good." She sighed, feeling pleased with herself.

"Yeah..." Buffy said a bit euphorically. "Hey Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"This position would be a lot more comfortable on the bed, you know." She pointed out, referring to the fact that they were on the floor at the moment.

"Now see?" Amy said playfully, yet also a little unsteadily, into Buffy's shirt collar. "I knew you just wanted to get me into bed." She moved her hand and up and teasingly slid it over Buffy's left breast.

Giving a little half squawk, half-whimpering sound, Buffy removed the offending hand and said affectionately. "My but you have a dirty mind."

"Would you want me to?" Amy asked hungrily. "Have a dirty mind?" She started to kiss Buffy's neck softly. "Because I could be convinced I think..."

Having a very hard time concentrating now, Buffy said "I... I want... I..." Did she? She might not have that much time left after all, and it had been so long since she'd, so long...

"I love you." Amy whispered fervently into Buffy's ear.

"You lo-?" Buffy started.

"I want... I want to show you." Amy ran her hands over Buffy's body, through her hair, down her side, bringing one to her thigh, the other to her face, tangled in her hair. "I want... To be close.." She breathed into Buffy's ear. "To you..." She kissed her and realized she was laying down. Buffy was lying under her, her thigh was between Buffy's legs, and it felt so right. Her mind was on fire, and all she could think of was Buffy. Wanting to stay with her, be with her, prove that she loved her...

"Amy..." Buffy whispered, almost groaned. She could hardly believe this was happening, it was like some wonderful erotic dream she did not want to wake up from. [Amy, she loves me.] She thought dreamily.

Hearing her name, Amy was in a haze of sensation, and she moved over and up a little so their eyes could meet, and once they did, Amy was lost all over again. And soon they were kissing, again and again.  Softly, lightly, deeply, until they were both breathing hard and out of breath.

Amy rolled off of Buffy and they both just lay there breathing for a moment.

"Wow." Buffy breathed simply, in wonder.

"Yeah. Wow..." Amy said looking blankly at the ceiling, her mind racing, her body humming, and her hormones barely under control.

"That was..." Buffy stated to say as Amy rolled over on her side and Buffy saw her looking at her.

"We could you know?" Amy offered in half tentative, half lust-filled tones. "Get into bed together. I want to." She said quickly, running her hand over Buffy's stomach and liking the athletic musculature she found there.

"Amy..." Buffy whispered, turning over onto her side and looking her in the eyes. "We.. We shouldn't." She said, kicking herself mentally even as she said the words. "It's too soon. We just met this morning and..." the words trailed off as she started to stare at Amy's lips.

"That doesn't matter." Amy said ardently, getting up and crawling back over to Buffy. "Don't you want to?...Don't you wan.." She looked down into Buffy's eyes and her voice caught.

"I want to." Buffy said, simply being honest. "I want you... More than anything." [But.] Her internal voice had to point out. [No matter what I want... It wouldn't be right to just make love with her as soon as possible because I could be killed soon. At the very least, she deserves to know what she's getting into...]

Tears started to form in Amy's eyes, and she collapsed onto Buffy, burying her head in her shoulder as she had before, a bright smile on her face. "I love you." Amy said again softly, almost in amazement at the words, relishing the feel of Buffy's arms wrapping around her.

A pause. "I love you too." Buffy said it like a promise, and to her it was. It was a solemn oath that she would protect the heart of this one girl who seemed to give it to her so freely, for as long as she could anyway.

On hearing this, Amy stopped breathing and just froze where she was in Buffy's arms. Disbelief, fear, longing, desire, love... sanctuary... These were the thoughts and feelings racing through her. But of all this, one thing she new with perfect clarity, she really wanted to kiss Buffy again. To feel that warmth again, now that she knew she was wanted.

And so she did, moving slowly until their eyes met and her lips brushed over Buffy's lightly, and just as she was about to dip in, those lips rose up to meet hers, Buffy's hand tangling in her hair. It was such a heady feeling, and one Amy was soon to lose herself in.

This was a slow, languid kiss, and when Buffy felt Amy's tongue seeking hers, she welcomed it eagerly. The kiss turned into a long string of kisses, deep and longing, only broken long enough to suck in hasty gasps of air.

Finally, exhausted and overwhelmed by the intensity, Amy collapsed onto Buffy's shoulder and half hummed, half groaned in satisfaction next to her ear.

"So." Buffy said rather breathlessly "Can I consider you my girlfriend then?"

Amy started to giggle helplessly at this, and she finally sat up a little so she could look Buffy in the eyes again. "Yes." She said as she bent down to kiss the tip of Buffy's nose "You can consider me your girlfriend... As long as I can consider you mine."

"Oh, I think I just amply demonstrated that I'm yours alright." Buffy said rather wryly, thinking of how easily Amy seemed to be able to have her way with her.

Chuckling into Buffy's hair, Amy said a little bashfully "I guess you did, huh? Who knew I had it in me?" She said, almost in wonderment, at what she realized she'd just done.

"Well, I don't know the answer to that, I just know I really liked finding out for myself." Buffy replied, with a bit of a saucy grin.

"Oh, you did, huh?" Amy said, nipping a little playfully at Buffy's ear.

"What? You couldn't tell?" Buffy asked just as playfully.

"Um, well.." Amy said shyly. "Yeah, I could tell." She finished softly.

"Good." Buffy spoke just as softly.

"Good." Amy repeated contentedly, holding Buffy to her almost possessively.

"It... It might be a problem though." Buffy pointed out, with a bit of worry, as something occurred to her.

That got Amy's attention. "What might be?" She looked at Buffy, not understanding, and now a little fearful.

"Us." Buffy said. "At the Bronze."

"At the..."

"People. Lots of people. They don't react well--" Buffy began.

"To people like us." Amy finished, recognition dawning on her. The evidence clearly stating she was a person like that for sure now.

"Yeah... Is that a problem?" Buffy asked.

"I... I don't know." Amy answered honestly, rolling off of Buffy and sitting against the bed, looking up at the ceiling as she tried to think. "Is it a problem for you?" She asked, looking over at Buffy who had gotten up and was sitting cross-legged in front of her.

"Not really." Buffy answered. "I mean yeah, it's not easy to deal with sometimes. Sometimes it can be a real bitch." Buffy confessed, her mind drifting back to some rather unpleasant memories. "But it's my life, you know? I'm not about to let them stop me from being who I am if I can help it." She said resolutely as she locked eyes with Amy. "Especially not when I have a chance at being myself with someone as completely wonderful as you are." She said, with quiet honesty and feeling.

Silence. "That was... That..." Amy went over and hugged Buffy soundly. "You are the best person I know." She whispered. "And by far the most romantic." She pulled back and locked playful eyes on Buffy. "And so beautiful and brave." She said softly, tracing the angle of Buffy's face. [And you're mine.] She thought as a smile grew on her face.

"I don't care." Amy stated simply.

"You don't...?"

"I don't." Amy affirmed. "I don't care. You're mine, and I won't let anyone make me pretend you're not."

Buffy got a kind'a weird cocky grin on her face that seemed to hint of danger. "Well, o.k. then." She agreed, getting to her feet and offering Amy a hand up. "I guess we better get ready to go then. Cordelia's expecting me soon you know."

"Oh, and won't that be a fun time." Amy drolly assessed as she took Buffy's hand and got to her feet.

========================

to be continued in part five...
MY NAME IS BUFFY AND I AM A VAMPIRE SLAYER WHO DATES

see you next time!

Chapter 5

Title: Part 5: My Name Is Buffy And I Am A Vampire Slayer Who Dates

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part five:
MY NAME IS BUFFY AND I AM A VAMPIRE SLAYER WHO DATES

========================

6:31 PM the same day; Buffy and Amy were heading to
The Bronze. Amy leading the way as they walked and talked
about things as they went. Paying the cover charge, they
entered the club and Buffy looked around
to see what it was like inside...

"Well the band is kind of unfortunate." Buffy remarked, in her usual wry tones that she affected for situations such as this.

Amy winced a bit at the group of guys up on stage, shouting out lyrics for all their worth and not doing a very good job of it. "Well, I wasn't going to say anything in case you liked them." Amy confessed. "But, that is pretty bad isn't it?"

"Uh Huh."

"They usually have better bands than this I think." Amy assured. "A year or so ago, Jewel played here."

"Really?" Buffy said looking over at her in surprise.

"Yeah, I went to see her with a few others, but we were stuck in the back of the room." Amy told. "That was the biggest thing to happen here I think."

"Not much since?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Oh, well, there've been a few notables I think. I haven't really kept track very much though." Amy confirmed. "Ehm, hey Buffy?"

"Yeah?" She asked, looking over to Amy again.

"Looks like Cordelia's spotted you." Amy pointed out, just having noticed the other girl heading their way along with Harmony Kendal and, um, well, she honestly didn't know the names of the others.

"Oh, you're right. Guess we should go say hi?" Buffy asked with that same silly/cocky kind'a grin.

"Guess so." Amy said with a resigned sigh, not expecting great things out of their meeting at all.

"You sure you're up for this?" Buffy asked in concern.

"Yeah. I'm sure." Amy smiled softly, holding Buffy's arm a little closer to her.

"Buffy! Hi!" Cordelia greeted. "You made it!" She smiled.

"Hi, Cordelia. " Buffy returned the greeting, offering a friendly smile in return.

"Oh! This is Harmony." She introduced. "Kayla, Bethany, and Annabelle. Guys, this is Buffy."

"Hi." – "Nice to meet you." – "Hey." – "Hi." The four girls greeted almost at once, Buffy doing her best to answer in kind.

"So, what do think of the band?" Cordelia asked.

"Um..." Buffy started. "They're... they're... They seem like they're trying very hard." She said, not able to think of anything else that was close to a positive comment.

"They're awful, I know. I'm sorry." Cordelia apologized with her usually blunt exuberance.

"It's o.k.." Buffy dismissed it with a chuckle.

"So who's this?" Harmony asked, indicating Amy who had been watching with cautious regard, not having thought to try speaking before now.

"Oh, sorry. This is my girlfriend, Amy Madison." Buffy introduced easily, seemingly completely at ease and sure of herself. Amy swallowed some air the wrong way in surprise at Buffy just coming out and saying it that way.

"Your girlfriend?" Harmony repeated slowly.

"Yup." Amy said in confirmation, quickly regrouping and feeling more daring now, and also kind'a smiling a little at having caused that confused look on Harmony's face. "Girlfriend." It was nice to finally feel like she had a place somewhere again.

"Oh, well. That's nice." Cordelia smiled all too brightly, seemingly not just a little surprised, but trying to cover it unsuccessfully.

"I think so." Buffy said with a charming smile. "I met her at lunch today. She was helping me study, and we... just clicked together I guess..." She explained.

"Oh, well, um, congratulations then." Cordelia spoke.

"Um, thanks." Buffy said. But then there was an awkward pause. Buffy and Cordilia both seemingly trying to think of something good to say. Harmony was looking rather put out and annoyed though, and flustered too. Like she'd just ate some bad shrimp or something. Amy couldn't help but dissolve into a fit of giggles. The absurdity of the situation just somehow very funny to her at the moment.

"Oh, so you were joking." Harmony said in relief.

"Not really." Amy said between giggles. "It's just- Sorry." Amy said, trying to get her laughter under control. "It's just so awkward and you're just standing there like--" and she started to laugh again, causing Buffy to chuckle a little to.

"Hey!" Harmony said in outrage at what she saw as these two trying to make fun of her.

"Well." Buffy said helplessly. "She does have a point, we prob'ly did look pretty funny."

"Fine!" Harmony huffed. "Come on girls, let's just go and let the LESbo's have their little laugh." She sneered at them and turned to walk away.

Kayla, Bethany, and Annabelle went with her. Cordelia, for her part, at least had the grace to look embraced and shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry about them." She said. "They're really not that bad once you get to know them." She told them.

"It's o.k." Buffy said. "It happens, don't worry about it." She smiled. "But I take it we're not hanging out together then?" She asked needlessly.

"Well, I would but... you know, my date's over there." She apologized. "I hope you two have an awesome time tonight though."

"Thanks!" Buffy said.

"You too." Amy added, really having been surprised at Cordelia's easy acceptance of them.

"Thanks. Gotta go. See you around, o.k.?" Cordelia waved as she turned to go off and rejoin her friends.

"Wow." Amy said simply as Cordelia left, amazement clear in her voice. "I guess you really never can judge a book by it's cover."

"Tell me about it." Buffy said with a wry smile. "I could write a book." She looked around the club. "Wan'a grab a table and get something to much on?"

"You're still hungry?" Amy asked, remembering how much food Buffy had eaten at dinner.

"Just for a snack." Buffy defended. "Those onion things look really good." She pointed to what another nearby couple was having.

"Oh no, I have to kiss you later. No onions." Amy figuratively put her foot down.

"You 'have' to kiss me?" Buffy questioned, a cute little Cheshire grin coming to her face.

"Yup, have to. It's required." She told her.

"Well then, who am I to argue?" Buffy asked, moving in to kiss Amy quickly on the cheek. "Wan'a go dance to some awful music with me then?" She asked.

"Sure!" Amy said happily, definitely riding an emotional high and enjoying it quite a lot. It was sort of unreal actually, she felt almost like she were a different person. She took Buffy's hand and dragged her out to the dance floor. Buffy laughing and following her along with excitement, immanently charmed by Amy's care-free mood.

Thankfully, after that song ended, the band took a break and they put on a Madonna song. 'Ray of Light', as it turned out.

========================

7:19 PM; still at The Bronze,
only it's a little later.

After having danced for a while, and getting quite a few more stares than anyone else there had, they'd found and clamed a table that was fairly out of the way so they could talk. They hadn't really been hassled by anyone, thankfully. Most people tended to ignore them once the shock value wore off. But they did have to fend off advances from a couple of over-eager and over-confident football players a few minutes ago.

"Can you believe those two?" Buffy asked. "I mean, what is it with guys sometimes?" She asked in annoyance.

"I thought it was kind of flattering." Amy admitted sheepishly.

"You did?" Buffy questioned, a little surprised.

"Well, yeah." Amy said lightly, taking it all as a joke mainly.

"I'm not having a three way." Buffy said quickly, her face setting in defiance. "No way in hell. You can just forget it!" Bad memories surfacing.

"Buffy-"

"And for sure not with a guy!" She continued, her mind going places she did not at all want it to go. Irritation and annoyance setting in.

"Buffy." Amy repeated, not having expected a reaction like that at all. "What's wrong?" She asked, now getting a little worried.

Buffy looked up at her, feeling a little embarrassed. "Sorry. I've got issues I guess."

"What happened?" Amy asked, eyes getting intense, wanting to know the answer.

"Oh, it's just stuff from my first girlfriend. You probably don't want to hear about it." Buffy equivocated.

"Sure I do." Amy disagreed. "You can tell me." She prompted.

"...Well, o.k.." Buffy reluctantly agreed. "Remember I told you about joining the cheerleading team with a friend before?" She asked.

"Yeah... oh, wait, so you and her were...?" Amy caught on.

"You guessed it." Buffy said, the memories that came up not really welcome. She sighed. "Her name was A.J., Ashley Jane actually. She was my best friend, since, like, forever. We grew up together."

"You fell in love with her." It wasn't a question.

"Oh I fell alright, hard." Buffy confirmed. "She... had a boyfriend. But, one day I was over at her house, and one thing led to another, and I told her I was in love with her. Really stupid of me, now that I look back on it." She said jadedly.

"How did she react?' Amy asked.

"She wanted to try making out with me." Buffy said. "I was like, 'No way!' I smiled like an idiot and went along, all too happy, thinking she felt the same way. Things got intense. She was intense... We ended up sleeping together, the naked way of sleeping together I mean. I was in heaven." Buffy shook her head. "In the morning, when I woke up with her next to me, I was busily planning our life together. You know, go to college, share a room. Build a life. All the stupid fairy tale fantasies teenage girls have about happily ever after. Except of course replacing the price with another princess."

"I take it she had other ideas?" Amy said, knowing that the story wouldn't have a happy ending... well, it would for her of course, but that wasn't the point right now.

"Oh yeah." Buffy confirmed. "I wouldn't have known it then though. She acted like everything was status quo. Said she had a great time with me, that she liked being with me, and wanted more. I, of course, was only too eager to assume the best, that she'd chosen me over her boyfriend. And she did, at first... Three months later, I find out she'd gotten back together with him at some point. I still don't know when, and I'm not sure I want to." She paused. "When I found out and confronted her about it, she said she liked us both. She said her boyfriend was cool with it and wanted to have a three way." Buffy said in disgust.

"...What did you do?" Amy asked, quietly. Sensing how much Buffy was struggling with the memory.

"What do you think I did?!" Buffy said. "I went somewhere alone, got sick, threw up, and cried my heart out. The next day I quit the cheerleading squad and told A.J. I didn't want to see her again. She asked if we could still be friends... I said I'd think about it. We talked sometimes after that, but we were never really friends again... So, yeah. Now that I've completely brought the evening down..." She said abashedly.

"No. It's o.k." Amy smiled. "I'm glad you told me about it." She said. "And I promise, no three ways, o.k.?" She said with a little of a grin. "I kind'a want you all to myself." Amy sat her chin on her interlaced hands, elbows on the table, and just enjoyed a longing stare at Buffy.

Buffy got a goofy smile on her face. "You really know how to make a girl feel wanted." Buffy said, getting up off her chair and going over to Amy, who followed her with her eyes, a questioning look on her face. Buffy stood in front of Amy and then leaned down, a knowing smile on her lips as she moved in to tilt Amy's chin up lightly with one hand and capture her date's waiting lips with her own.

Amy's eyes fluttered closed and she moaned a little into the kiss, bringing her hands up to touch her girlfriend. One hand lacing through her golden blonde hair, the other resting at the juncture of Buffy's shoulder and neck, gently urging her to deepen the kiss.

A few whistles and cat calls were heard from a couple tables over. The two football jocks from before, no doubt. Buffy ignored them and continued kissing Amy until it ended naturally. Buffy grinning impishly at Amy. "Are you sure you're not an angel?" Buffy asked reverently.

Amy's eyes widened and she had trouble finding words. She felt like she was dreaming, and she didn't want it to stop, not ever. "I love you, Buffy." She said, standing and moving in to capture Buffy's waiting lips in another kiss, her hands touching Buffy's face and hair. She felt Buffy's arms wrap around her, hands on her upper back, one moving down to the ach of her lower back.

More lewd noises from the jocks corner, a few embarrassed remarks from nearby club patrons. But Amy didn't hear any of it, she was in love. She'd found someone who loved her, and she would hold on to that as much as she could, because she knew how precious a treasure it was.

Buffy heard them though, and pretty much everything else in the club too, her senses suddenly on high alert at some sound that registered with her on some instinctual level.

She wanted to ignore it. Really wanted to ignore it. But she knew she couldn't. So she broke the kiss and held Amy at arms length by her shoulders, giving her a blissful grin. "I love you too, Amy." She said seriously. "We just met today, and I know it's crazy, but I swear it's true..." Buffy said.

"Buffy..." Amy breathed, a goofy grin on her face that hauntingly reminded Buffy of the way she herself felt that first time with A.J. all that time ago. [Except, I'm going to do a lot better by her than A.J. ever did by me.] Buffy swore to herself.

Her ears picked up the sound again, fainter this time. "Damn." Buffy cursed under her breath. "Look, Amy. I um, I can't explain, but I got'a go for a little while. I'll be back soon, I promise." She looked at Amy meaningfully. "Just wait here for me, alright?" She asked as she hurriedly turned and slipped through the crowd.

Caught flat-footed, Amy looked after her in disbelief. [What in the hell...?] She asked to herself, getting up and following after her girlfriend, paying no heed at all to Buffy's instruction to stay put.

========================

7:31 PM and the sun is no where to be seen...

Outside of the back entrance of the club, Amy caught sight of Buffy at the end of the ally. She was looking in both directions, and then she suddenly bolted right. Amy took off down the ally after her.

When she got to the end of the ally, she saw Buffy running after a guy who was carrying a girl over his shoulder. Eyes wide, Amy continued her pursuit until Buffy had caught up with the guy at the edge of a cemetery.

Amy stopped cold when she saw the guy, who was dressed like he came out of some 70s TV show, toss the girl onto the ground and turn to face her girlfriend. The guy lunged at her, but Buffy side stepped in a flash and caught the guy in his mid-section, flinging him to the ground. He was trying to get to his feet when Buffy kicked him hard in the face, but he rolled with it and got to his feet in a fluid motion. Then unexpectedly, he darted for the girl he had discarded before, who was still reeling from her impact on the ground. Buffy tackled him to the ground before he got there though, and... and stabbed him in the chest with something... and then he, like... disappeared and there was this weird faint sound in the air when he did.

Shaking her head out of the trance she seemed to be in, Amy rushed over to where Buffy was checking over the fallen girl's head and asking if she was all right.

"Buffy..." Amy said, all of the sudden halting in her tracks.

"Amy?" Buffy looked up in surprise at hearing her girlfriend's voice.

"Behind you!" Amy said with trepidation.

Looking over her shoulder, Buffy saw a group of eight vampires closing in on them. At seeing this, she got right to her feet and assumed a defensive position between them and the two she wanted to protect.

"Well, come on!" Buffy growled menacingly at them. "Who's in a hurry to die again?" She challenged.

Some of them held back a little at this, while three surged forward at the challenge. Buffy flipped one over her shoulder and around into another, then wheeled on her feet to face the other, getting a hard punch in the face for her trouble. The next second however, Buffy had landed a strong right cross with her full weight behind it right to the vampire's jaw, knocking him to the ground with a thud. Seeing this, one more of the vamps closed in on Buffy as well, while the remaining three bypassed the fight and headed for Amy and the other girl, Amy having been headed towards Buffy to try to help her.

One of the vamps that went after Amy knocked her down and pinned her to the ground. Amy heard a shout as she struggled to get free but couldn't and the man with fangs over her was closing on her neck. But before he could do anything more, he was yanked backwards like a rag doll and Buffy jammed her stake into his chest, turning without even looking at Amy in order to face the five vamps who were heading towards them.

Having to keep any of them from getting past her for more than a few seconds at a time, the fight was a lot harder for Buffy. But in protecting Amy, she had strong motivation to win, and the focus to be deadly and efficient in her fighting style. Within the first few seconds, one was dust, then a moment later, another followed. A third was coming at her from behind while her attention was on the other two, and seeing this, Amy made a mad grab and tackled the vampire woman around her legs, toppling her over. Looking up, Amy felt a rush of air to her left side that was one of the remaining vamps being thrown to the ground head first a few feet away from her. Looking back at Buffy, Amy didn't have time to register anything but a quick flash of intense light and heat before she was knocked on her back by a wall of air matched by the sound of rumbling thunder.

A moment later, she came to her senses and dizzily realized someone was pulling her up roughly by her arm, but opening her eyes, she only got a puff of dust in her face as Buffy staked the vamp lady who was in the process of trying to kidnap her.

The last remaining vamp was a memory as he made haste to get someplace else, only to be struck down by a bolt out of the blue.

"Amy, are you o.k.?" Buffy asked, checking her girlfriend over for any obvious wounds, a sense of almost panic driving her actions.

"Yeah I-" Amy tried to clear her head, which was still a bit groggy. "I'm alright, my arm hurts a little but... Buffy?"

"Yeah?" Buffy asked consolingly, realizing what this situation must've been like for Amy.

"What's going on?"

"Oh, um, well, I'm, um..." Buffy tried to think of something, her mind drawing a blank.

"You're like a super hero or something." Amy said, bewilderedly, rubbing her sore head.

"If I am, then so are you." Buffy said affectionately, thinking of how Amy had rushed in after her and tried to save her.

Amy looked up at Buffy in confusion, then looked over her shoulder. "Hey. Who's that?"

Buffy looked and didn't quite believe what she saw. "Huh? ...Gwen..." She said, just now registering the other girl who was looking at them with a curious expression on her face. "What are you dong here?" She asked, her voice now softer.

"Oh, uh, yeah." Gwen said, shaking herself from her thoughts. "I've got trouble Anne, big trouble. I... I really need your help." Gwen told her uneasily, looking down at Amy with an unreadable expression. "Who's she?" Gwen asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh, um, right. Gwen, this is Amy Madison... My girlfriend." Buffy introduced. "Amy, this is Gwen Raiden, my ex... sort-of..."

========================

to be continued in part six...
I WAS IN LOVE WITH HER ONCE, AND IT'S SHOCKING! SHOCKING I SAY!

see you next time!

Chapter 6

Title: Part 6: I Was In Love With Her Once, And It's Shocking! Shocking I Say!

========================

part six:
I WAS IN LOVE WITH HER ONCE, AND IT'S SHOCKING! SHOCKING I SAY!

========================

7:39 PM the same day, out in the cemetery
by The Bronze; Buffy and Gwen had just killed
vampires together. Can this be just like
old times, or what?

Amy looked at Gwen dumbly, sparks of electricity occasionally dancing across the new arrival's body. This Gwen Raiden, she was a knockout for sure. All dark, form-fitting leather and dangerous looking eyes.

"Hi." Gwen gave her a little of a hesitant wave with her hand, keeping her distance. Her eyes softening as they took her in.

"Oh, um, Hi... Gwen." Amy said, with a bit of confusion as she let Buffy help her get to her feet.

"Look, Anne, I, um... I know you probably won't believe this, but I got myself into some trouble back in L.A. and..." Gwen started, but noticed Buffy was looking around with an increasing level of frantic. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Shit! Where is she...? Fuck! I missed one, didn't I?" Buffy was harsh on herself, punching a nearby tombstone.

"Ann, it's just one vamp, it's not the end of the world." Gwen said, not understanding.

"That girl." Amy said, her voice deathly soft.

"That girl." Buffy confirmed. "Gwen, I don't know what your deal is, but it's gone'a have to wait. I've got'a find that girl before it's too late..."

"If it's not already too late." Gwen spoke evenly.

"If she's dead, at least I can make sure she won't be alone." Buffy said.

Gwen nodded, understanding. "All right, I'm going with you then... But after that..."

"After that, I've got your back." Buffy looked at her with conviction. "You don't have to ask. Not ever."

"...Thanks." Gwen said, a pang of emotion in her voice from a past they had shared.

Amy saw the look that passed between them and didn't like it.

Buffy shared the look for a moment, then nodded her head. "Amy, I know this is crazy, and you've probably got a lot of questions..."

"Like why she's calling you Anne?" Amy pointed out, obviously focusing in on the part she considered most relevant.

"Not exactly the question I thought would be first on your lips, but yeah, like that. But listen, I've got'a go save that girl now. I'm sorry, but there's not much time." Buffy said urgently, her eyes casting about for any clues as to where the girl might have been taken to.

"Then I'm coming with you." Amy said.

Buffy's eyes immediately gave Amy their undivided attention. "Amy, No! No way. It's too dan-" She started, but stopped herself. It wasn't her decision after all, and she knew it. Besides, she couldn't really stop Amy going where she wanted at any rate. Buffy looked at her for a moment. Amy's eyes were set and determined... She was scared, but she wasn't letting that stop her for some reason. "It's really dangerous." She said. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me." She told her.

Amy looked indecisive a moment. "Buffy..."

"An-- Buffy." Gwen corrected. "It's o.k., let her come. She can have this." Gwen revealed a bracelet on her left forearm that had been covered by her jacket. She began to unclasp it.

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"It's magic." Buffy said, eyeing it uncertainly.

"Always did have the eye." Gwen gave Buffy a flash of a dangerous smile. "It'll protect her from anything. As long as she wares it, nothing I know of can hurt her... at all." She said it with assurance.

"Seriously?" Amy asked.

"Seriously?" Buffy echoed.

"Yeah, seriously." Gwen's eyes softened again as she looked at Amy and tossed the bracelet to her. The bracelet was about two inches long, about an eighth of an inch thick, and was made of gold from the look of it. It felt warm in her hands.

"Gwen..." Buffy looked at her, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Yeah, I know... Later, o.k.? We've got a life to save after all. Don't we?" She said, her eyes and her smile showing that she was ready for a fight and dared anyone to get in her way. She always was just a little reckless.

"Right." Buffy agreed. Amy clasped the bracelet in place on her arm and there was a little shuddering in the air around her. Buffy looked between Gwen and Amy with some uncertainty. Then she looked at Gwen and asked with a little pleading almost evident in her voice. "Can you tell which way?"

"I can try." Gwen nodded and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

"What's she doing?" Amy asked.

"Heat traces, she can sense them." Buffy explained. "It can come in handy." It didn't work with vampires because they tended to blend in, being room temperature and all. But the girl that had been taken was alive, and so her body gave off heat, and that heat left a small wake, just visible enough for Gwen to see.

"That way I think." Gwen said, looking deeper into the cemetery.

"Let's go then." Buffy said.

Gwen took the lead and Buffy followed along, taking Amy's hand in hers and giving her a reassuring smile as they started to run. "It'll be o.k." Buffy said to her reassuringly. "I promise."

"I know." Amy said, trying to believe it.

And so they went.

As they traveled along though, moving quietly as Gwen led them through, Amy caught Buffy casting these unreadable looks at Gwen. [What is with those two?] Amy couldn't help but wondering. They didn't seem to have parted on bad terms. Whatever it was with this 'sort-of ex' status, it was plain to see there were still issues there. And what was with those looks Gwen had given her? That made no sense. As a general rule, one doesn't expect to be looked at like that from your girlfriend's ex. Gwen clearly knew that Buffy was with her now and she didn't know it was for only less than a day, but she wasn't jealous, or didn't seem to be exactly. She couldn't tell what Gwen was, if she was honest. But there was definitely something in all this she was missing, she could tell that at least.

Buffy, for her part, was largely focused on the task at had, and how she'd failed in her responsibility to protect the girl the vampires had taken. She had been completely focused on her new girlfriend. When that vamp had been on top of Amy... She could still feel the sickening sense of fear and fury and panic in her stomach. And she didn't want to even think about the fact that there she was, leading that same girl into danger again. Except, Gwen gave her that bracelet, didn't she? And Buffy trusted Gwen, no matter what. She knew Gwen wouldn't lie about something like that. Especially not something like that. And that brought it all back to her. The smile Gwen gave her that first night they saw each other. The longing. How exciting it had all been. How crazy-making frustrating it was. The look on her face when she had... woken up. It was all still there, and she had to admit, it felt really good to have Gwen back in her life again... Even if she knew that there would probably be hell to pay for it before it was all said and done, if her dreams were any indication.

"She's in there." Gwen said, stopping a few yards from a mausoleum.

"All right then." Buffy looked at Amy as she let go of her hand. "Stay close to Gwen, Amy." Then she looked at Gwen.

"I'll keep her safe, Anne. Don't worry." Gwen gave Buffy a look that said it was a promise.

"O.k. I'll go in first." Buffy said, heading for the mausoleum.

========================

7:50 PM and the dead's rest is disturbed
here, by three people trying to keep them from
having anymore company tonight...

"There's nothing here." Amy said softly, looking around as she walked down the few steps into the mausoleum proper with Gwen at her side.

"I noticed that." Buffy said looking at Gwen, and noticing with a slightly raised eyebrow that she had an arm around Amy's back. "Gwen...?" She asked with a question in her voice, deciding to let the gesture go for what she knew it was.

Gwen closed her eyes again, letting her arm drop from Amy's back. "She was here." Gween said. "I don't know where she..." Gwen opened her eyes. "Over there." Gwen went over to a wall. "She went right into this wall. There must be a secret door or something?" She touched the wall a moment and then a spark went off from out of the wall. "There." She said, moving to open the door in the wall she had predicted was there.

"Wow. How'd you do that?" Amy asked.

"Oh, Gwen's very good at getting into places she shouldn't be. Aren't you?" Buffy asked Gwen with a spark of humor in her eyes.

"It is one of my more endearing qualities, isn't it?" Gwen asked.

"Right. Endearing." Buffy smirked. "Stay close." She said to Amy as she proceeded down a set of stares that, from what Amy could tell, headed down into the town's utilities system. Amy made sure to stick close between both of the other girls. She noticed Gwen was quick to put an arm around her again like last time. It was a weird feeling when Gwen touched her. Like a low current going though her, it felt kind of tingly and warm, but weirdly comforting.

Again, Buffy couldn't help but notice the contact, but again said nothing. As they got to the bottom of the stares though, she sensed movement and heard a slight rustling clothing kind'a sound. She held out her arm to stop Amy and Gwen from going any further and shushed them with her finger.

"Stay with Amy." Buffy said softly and quickly as she crouched low and dashed into the room with supernatural speed. Amy heard a quick scuffle along with some colorful expletives and exclamations from two male voices and then the already familiar sound of a vampire dying.

"Come on in." They heard Buffy call to them. Amy and Gwen entered the room to find Buffy holding down a vamp, his face pressed forcefully into the concrete floor. "You can still tell which way she went down here, right Gwen?" Buffy asked, making sure to keep her attention focused on the vamp.

"Yeah, no problem." Gwen said, pointing down one of the passageways before them.

"Good." Buffy said, staking the vamp and getting up off the ground, dusting herself off. "Let's go then."

Amy could see how focused Buffy had gotten. She was calm and cool, definitely on a mission. And Amy couldn't help but be a little thrilled by it. That was her girlfriend. How tripy was that? She could still hardly believe it all actually. Twenty-four hours ago, she was basically a friendless nobody in her own eyes. Now she was in a relationship, with another girl. They'd come out as lesbians to the whole school practically. Danced and even kissed in public. Been propositioned by football players. She'd laughed at Harmony Kendal without reservation and been given the equivalent of a vote of confidence by Cordilia Chase, whom she'd thought to be the representation of all that was evil in her school, but was apparently actually very nice. Next she finds out her brand new love interest, she apparently has superpowers and fights vampires (who are, by the way, very real as it turns out... not that she hadn't suspected something of the kind, she had, she'd just never seen one before). And to top it off, the love interest in question apparently had a 'sort-of' ex-girlfriend with lighting powers and heat sensor eyes and who knew what else, and she'd given her a magic invulnerability bracelet and now they were all off into some underground labyrinth to slay some vampires and rescue a kidnapped girl... one that Amy felt kind of responsible for letting get kidnapped, she realized with lucidity. That was one of the reasons she'd been so set on going along. But still... damn. Right about now, she didn't really think she should be surprised by much of anything. Round the next bend, she half expected to see Santa Claus, the Mad Hatter, and the Wicked Witch of the West sitting down at a table, drinking lattés and munching chocolate covered biscotti. It would have had a certain symmetry, she mused, holding back a small laugh as she let Gwen lead her by the hand through the dimly lit passageway.

========================

to be continued in part seven...
IT'S A FAR, FAR DEADER THING I'VE KILLED TODAY THAN EVER I'VE KILLED BEFORE

see you next time!

Chapter 7

Title: Part 7: It's A Far, Far Deader Thing I've Killed Today Than Ever I've Killed Before

========================

part seven:
IT'S A FAR, FAR DEADER THING I'VE KILLED TODAY THAN EVER I'VE KILLED BEFORE

========================

7:58 PM the same day; In the tunnels
under one of Sunnydale's cemeteries...

The scent of candles and something stale began to waft to Amy's rather unappreciative nose as she, Buffy, and Gwen came up to a bend in the tunnel with more light than usual coming from the other side.

"Shh." Buffy said in hushed tones, looking to Amy and Gwen and motioning for them to keep quiet, her senses picking up activity ahead of them. "I think we're here." She crept forward, motioning for the others to stay where they were.

As the scene before her came into view, Buffy sensed she'd been spotted.

"Remember you said, you'd keep Amy safe?" Buffy looked at Gwen meaningfully for a second. "Now's your chance."

"We have some uninvited visitors." A freakish looking bald vampire said, raising his head from drinking the blood of a girl his followers had brought him. "Luke, greet them properly will you? I'm busy." He commanded.

"Yes Master." Luke, a big and rather threateningly imposing vampire, turned to see a flash of motion coming at him. He readied himself to face it, but whoever it was fainted to the left then broke right and was past him before he could stop them.

The Master had just started to sink his teeth in again when he felt the sudden hard impact of a fist connecting with his face. The next thing he knew he was flat on his back wiping blood not his own from his face, and looking up into the face of Buffy Summers, Vampire Slayer.

Hearing Buffy's quick comment to Gwen about keeping her safe, Amy had watched in amazement as her girlfriend seemed to almost fly across the cavern so fast she could hardly even follow her with her eyes, and hardly making any noise, to attack the vampire who had the girl they were trying to save. Her sense of renewed amazement didn't last long though, as the big vampire named Luke returned his attention to her and Gwen, seemingly figuring that the other vampire could take care of himself. Amy had to tell herself that he was wrong about that, or at least that's what she hoped, but then again, she had her own troubles.

Luke and three other vampires closed in on her and her protector, Gwen seeming wary but unconcerned. Three other vampires, among them a blonde woman who looked amused at the whole thing, stayed back holding a groggy boy hostage, a boy Amy recognized.

"Jesse!" Amy called out, but he didn't hear her and the four vamps were now attacking Gwen who had placed herself in between her and them. Amy backed away as Gwen blasted two of the vampires into flames with bolts of electricity and caught the big vampire named Luke with a sweeping kick. The fourth vampire got by Gwen while she was dealing with Luke and jumped on Amy. She screamed as he pinned her to the wall and tried to bite her neck. It was scary and for a second she didn't know if it she'd really be o.k., but she was, and the look on his face when he pulled back, his fangs apparently having been unable to pierce her skin, was rather comical. Amy, thinking quickly, let her legs fall out from under her and scrambled along the ground to get away.

The vampire growled at her and tried to kick her face. It sent Amy rolling away, but didn't hurt at all! [This is so cool.] Amy thought to herself as she rubbed her cheek and felt no damage there. She smiled and got up. "Is that all you've got? Big scary vampire monster like you?" Amy laughed at how unreal this all was.

The vampire in question, of course, took it as an insult to his lack of virtue and decided to take another run at her, fangs bared and growling very ferociously. Of course his big monsterly charge kind of lost it's ferocity when the falling form of Luke the vampire collided with his and knocked him on his ass. Further cementing his bad day, Luke's big foot stomped on his crotch as the big vampire got off him, barking a threat at Gwen.

"Don't mock the monster movie rejects. It hurts their delicate feelings." Gwen gave her a devil-may-care smile as she met Luke's charge and let herself fall backwards, using his momentum and her feet to catapult him into the wall of the cave behind her. He hit head first and was slow to get up.

"Why don't you just blast them?" Amy asked.

"Tell you later." Gwen said as two more vamps advanced on her.

Amy wondered at that a moment, but then remembered something. "Jesse!" She turned and saw the blonde vampire from before still holding Jesse and backing away from the fight. She knew Buffy or Gwen probably wouldn't want her doing it, but she broke off into a run for the vampire and her hostage anyway. [Jesse's my friend, or at least he was once.] Amy reasoned to herself, finding she was unwilling to not try and help him if she could. [Besides, I'm invincible, what's the worse that could happen?]

As she closed on them though, she found out. The sickening sound of a neck snapping halted her in her tracks, and Jesse's limp body impacting her at high speed knocked her across the room and onto her back.

"Not so tough, now are we little girl?" The blonde vampire could be heard taunting her from across the room in a hauntingly melodious voice.

The death cry of another vampire brought the room to silence. The blonde vampire, as well as Luke and the one remaining vampire that Gwen was still having a fair amount of trouble with, all looked over and saw.

"Master!" They all heard the blonde vampire woman call out in disbelief.

The silence was further broken by Buffy tackling and staking the vampire that was menacingly coming at Amy from behind. It was the one that had tried to bite Amy from before, his bad day now come to an end.

When Amy looked back, the blonde vampire woman had vanished without a trace.

"Shit…" Buffy said, a look of almost despair coming to her face as she saw that Darla, the vampire who'd killed her in her dreams, had disappeared. [I guess I'm still on track for my murder then...] Her mind morosely assessed.

Amy looked at her in question. "Buffy?"

Buffy just looked over to her and smiled. "It's o.k." She said.

The last other vampire that had been squaring off against Gwen chose the better part of valor upon seeing Buffy stake her second vampire of the night (well, ninth actually, but he didn't know that).

Luke, the last left, his head still ringing a little from the impact with the cave wall, was genuinely at a loss for a moment. His pride demanding that he stay and finish the fight with Gwen, while his mind told him that if the Master had fallen to this other girl, and she hardly seemed to have a scratch on her, that he would fair no better. Especially out numbered as he now was. His mind easily won out and he took off. "Another time." He called behind him hatefully as he made his retreat, vowing to gain his vengeance another day in his own time.

"Are you two all right?" Buffy asked, glancing over to see that Gwen was all right, then looking her girlfriend up and down to see if there was any damage.

"Yeah... I'm okay. Invulnerable, remember?" Amy said, her gaze not leaving the fallen body of Jesse, his head twisted at an unnatural angle, a deathly blank look on his face. "I'm fine."

"Oh, Amy..." Buffy touched Amy's face. "I'm sorry..."

Amy was silent and Buffy took her in her arms and held her.

"It'll be alright." She said softly. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but it will." She didn't know what else to say. She still remembered the first time she'd seen someone die in front of her, knowing that if she'd just been a little smarter, a little faster, they'd still be alive. It wasn't something you got over very easily.

As she held Amy though, Buffy's thoughts caught up with her heart and she remembered the girl she had come down here to save. [I'm developing a blind spot for her.] Buffy assessed to herself about her budding relationship with Amy Madison as she turned and saw Gwen kneeling silently by the unconscious girl, looking back up at her with a concerned look that told Buffy she was still alive, if worse for the wear. [This could get us in trouble some day.] She didn't quite know what to do about it though. Could she really not think of the girl she was with first? She'd never been able to do that very well with Gwen back in the day, even though she knew Gwen could take care of herself in a fight. And it was looking like it would be even worse with Amy.

"Is she all right?" Amy asked when Buffy let go of her and she noticed that she was going over to crouch down by the fallen girl's side.

Buffy was feeling the girl's pulse and checking her over. "She's lost a lot of blood, and it looks like her shoulder might be dislocated... but I think she'll be o.k. if we can get her to a hospital soon." Buffy took off her jacket and ripped a length of fabric from around the bottom of her shirt. She used it to bandage the girl's neck and stop any more bleeding. There wasn't much blood coming from the wound, but she knew from experience that that could change any time.

Amy gulped, she couldn't help it. [That is so very sexy.] She thought to herself a little guiltily of how heroic Buffy looked.

"Hey Ann, looks like the vamps had another prisoner down here." Gwen noticed the guy chained to the wall looking at them silently and got up to go over to help him.

Buffy and Amy looked over. "Gwen, don't." Buffy said. "I noticed him earlier. It's just another vamp."

Gwen stopped in her tracks and looked between Buffy and the vampire chained to the wall. He was definitely in a bad way, obviously haven taken a hell of a beating. And, Gwen noted, he was really beautiful looking with his bare chest all exposed like that. Amy noticed the slightly longing look Gwen gave the vampire. [She's attracted to him?] Amy wondered at this new development. [But wasn't she and Buffy... Maybe this was the 'sort of' part?] She speculated, determining that she'd ask Buffy about it later for sure.

"My name is Angel." The vampire spoke.

"How nice for you." Buffy spoke absently, tossing Gwen a stake which she caught. "We need to get her to a hospital."

Gwen took the stake and looked at Angel uncertainly.

"Wait!" The vampire spoke. "I know this is going to be hard to believe, but I'm not... like them, not like other vampires. I... I have a human soul. Please..." He looked up at Gwen. "I promise, I won't hurt anyone. I was here trying to help... to stop them. Look, they caught me, they beat me, and they tortured me. Doesn't that prove I'm telling the truth?" He asked. "If you let me, I can help you fight them." Her promised.

Buffy turned a skeptical look at the vampire as she rose to her feet, the injured girl cradled safely in her arms. She considered it for a moment. "Nice try." She looked at Gwen. "Gwen, he's a demon, he's lying. Just do it, we've gotta go." Gwen still looked unsure. "Gwen, he probably just got on one of his buddy's bad side and now he's trying to con us into letting him go."

Gwen was still undecided for a moment. Then she looked at Angel and her gaze hardened. "Right." She said, going over to the vampire with her stake raised.

The vampire looked back up at her, like he was trying to think of something to say, but he didn't speak. He just looked like he was resigned to his fate. Gwen took in that look, one of genuine sorrow and remorse, and it gave her pause again. Kneeling beside him, she closed her eyes and tried to sense something... anything to tell her that what Angel had said might be the truth. Surprisingly, she found it. It was small, but it definitely different, definitely human. "Anne, I think he's telling the truth." Gwen got up and looked over at Buffy.

"Gwen..." Buffy started, feeling skeptical and, Amy could tell, a little icked out by the other girl's obvious tentative, and characteristically doomed, attraction to him.

"No, I could sense it. He's definitely got some kind of... energy or something that other vampires don't. That's got to be his soul, right?" She pleaded her case.

Buffy eyed the vampire skeptically, seemingly making a decision. Amy was just looking on, feeling quite out of her depth.

"Alright. Vampire boy gets a pass..." Strange as it was, she knew Gwen wouldn't make this up. And if she was right, and he was innocent? Then it would be like murder. Still, it was too much of a risk right now. "But we leave him here and come back later. Human soul or not, he's still a vampire and he could still be dangerous."

Gwen looked at Angel then back at Buffy and Amy. Buffy would have to carry the girl they'd saved, Amy was safe but couldn't really do much, and she herself had used a lot of energy that her body would need time to regenerate. "All right. Deal." She said, recognizing the necessity of getting the girl to the hospital and knowing that she was needed to fend off any vampires they encountered in the cemetery while Buffy carried the girl in her arms. She looked at Angel. "I'll come back for you. I promise."

Angel was silent, just looking back at her and nodding he understood, his eyes speaking volumes though. Gwen gave him a kind look and then turned to go. "Thank you." Angel said just as Gwen was leaving the cavern. Gwen didn't turn around, but a small smile appeared on her face.

"You're hopeless, you know that?" Buffy teased Gwen as she made her way through the tunnels, careful not to unduly jostle the girl in her arms.

"Yeah, I know." Gwen smirked.

Amy just shook her head. [And now, my girlfriend's ex-girlfriend has a crush on a vampire boy who has a soul. Which, apparently, is not a normal condition for vampires. Yup, that makes it official. It's Amy In Wonderland day. Where did I miss the rabbit hole I fell into? All I did was take half her ham sandwich!] Amy laughed to herself before sobering. [Except... in Wonderland, no one died.] She remembered again with sickening clarity the sound Jesse's neck made as it snapped. Shuddering, she continued to walk along, Gwen again having inexplicably clamed her hand to hold onto as they walked behind Buffy, who needed the breadth of the passageway to carry the injured girl without fear of bumping into the uneven rock walls.

========================

to be continued in part eight...
CORDELIA TO THE RESCUE (IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT)

see you next time!

Chapter 8

Title: Part 8: Cordelia To The Rescue (If You Can Believe It)

========================

part eight:
CORDELIA TO THE RESCUE (IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT)

========================

8:32 PM the same day; It took longer than Buffy would
have liked, but they finally made it out of the cemetery
and back to the area outside The Bronze...

Buffy looked around and spotted a bench outside a barber shop not too far down the street. "I'm going to lay her down over there." Buffy pointed out the bench. "Can you two go inside and call for an ambulance to come?" Buffy asked Amy and Gwen, actually needing a few moments alone to catch her breath.

"Sure." Gwen agreed.

"Of course." Amy echoed.

"Great. I'll wait over there with her." Buffy said needlessly, giving Amy a look like she wished none of this had had to happen.

"We'll come over and join you once we make the call. Right Amy?" Gwen said, reading the interaction between them.

"Right." Amy said, letting Gwen lead her into the dance club by the hand. [Why does she keep doing that?] Amy questioned to herself.

They were let in again after paying the cover charge. "So, where's the pay phone at?" Gwen asked, seemingly feeling a little nervous for some reason.

"This way." Amy got her bearings and led Gwen over to the phone. An interested pair of eyes catching sight of them as they skirted the outside of the room in search of the phone, noting their clasped hands.

Gwen leaned against the wall and waited as Amy made the call and gave the paramedics directions to where Buffy was waiting for them with her charge.

After Amy hung up the phone, Gwen had an idea. "We should get something to drink for her." She pointed out.

"Okay." Amy said easily. "The bar's over that way."

"Um, how about the soda machine?" Gwen countered, indicating the machine she'd spotted before.

"Oh, yeah. O.k.." Amy agreed.

As Gwen was getting the drinks, a hand grabbed Amy's shoulder and whirled her around.

"Hey!" Cordelia said. A boy, her boyfriend probably, standing off to the side behind her. "What do you think you're doing Amy?"

"Cordelia?" Amy was understandably confused.

"I thought Buffy was your girlfriend. She's a friend of mine you know. Does she know you're hanging out with this skank over here? Or maybe I should tell her!" The 'queen of the school' was obviously not pleased.

"Hey! I'm not a skank!" Gwen was quick to challenge. "And look who's talking anyway!" She eyed Cordilia's rather revealing outfit.

"What did you say?!" Cordelia glared at her. "Who's the one sleazing around with a girl who's already spoken for? And what's wrong with the way I dress anyway? Not everyone's into that whole 'leather-bound butch' scene, you know? Some of us actually like to look attractive?" She pointed out.

Gwen's eyes were positively glacial by this point and Amy could tell she was having trouble keeping her temper by the slight flickering she could just catch coming of her body.

"Cordelia, no. You've got the wrong idea, o.k.? No one's cheating on Buffy. Gwen's just a friend of hers." She was hastily explaining, willing Gwen to calm down. "We found a girl who'd been attacked outside the club, and Buffy's staying with her while we called the paramedics."

That seemed to get Cordelia's attention. She looked at Amy and Gwen skeptically. "Then what's with the hand holing? And the buying Cokes?" She questioned, still not entirely convinced.

"Is it a crime to hold a friend's hand now?" Gwen put in. "Mind your own business."

"If Buffy's her friend, then it's her business." The boyfriend put in supportively, addressing Gwen. "Wouldn't you look out for your friends?"

"Thanks Owen." Cordelia smiled over to her boyfriend in appreciation. "Alright, fine!" Cordilia said, looking back at Amy. "But we're going outside with you. If a girl really has been attacked, it's better to have more people to help her, right?" She challenged Amy, still not quite sure she believed their excuses and wanting to have Buffy confirm the wild story. One thing Cordilia couldn't stand was when someone was trying to do damage to one of her friends. And even though she'd only known Buffy Summers a day, in her book it still qualified and she was honor bound to stick up for her when she wasn't around.

"Fine!" Gwen said, stalking off and leaving the other three to follow her.

"You really shouldn't get her mad like that." Amy said in warning to Cordelia, having a little worry in her mind about what Gwen could do unintentionally if she let her temper get the better of her, and Cordelia had really seemed to get to her somehow.

"Why not? Is she some kind of martial arts chick or something?" Cordelia asked, not really buying that. She was pretty sure she could hold her own with Leather Barbi if she had to.

"Or something." Amy said.

Cordelia just shook her head and followed along. "If you say so." She said dubiously.

========================

8:43 PM; outside The Bronze...

Buffy was pacing slowly back and forth, keeping one eye on her charge to make sure she was still breathing and the other she used to keep a look out for any possible trouble. She'd taken off her coat and used it for a make-shift pillow for the girl's head. She'd heard somewhere that it was good to keep a person's head elevated if they'd been injured.

A chill ran through her and she looked around urgently, expecting to see vampires or some other threat. All she saw was Amy and Gwen approaching her from the club along with two other people. Was that Cordelia? [Why would they set me off like this?] Buffy questioned herself. Still looking around for something else it could be but finding nothing.

When they were in short distance of her, she focused her senses on them. Especially the boy that she hadn't met before.... [Nothing.] Buffy assessed. "It's not them." She spoke under her breath as she cast her gaze about again, looking everywhere for the possible threat. [There!] She saw a shadow move in an alleyway a ways off. Her senses told her not to ignore it.

"Hey Buffy." Amy greeted, coming up to her girlfriend and making to hug her.

"No." Buffy said, motioning for her to stay back. "There's something..."

"See, I knew they were full of it." Cordelia said to Owen, seeing Buffy seemingly brush Amy off.

"Buffy... what's..." Amy started.

"Gwen, incoming!" Buffy shouted as three six foot tall demons, pale white skin, sharp teeth, pointed ears, clad in ornate black full body armor, and sporting some very violent looking dispositions, charged at them from different directions.

Gwen, who had still been quietly fuming over what Cordelia had said to her, instantly perked up and looked around. "Oh, shit." She said.

The demons faced them, each having drawn a long sword and regarding Gwen wearily.

"Deceiver!"  The one in the middle shouted in a deep booming voice. "Your death is at hand" He bared his teeth and raised his blade, his fellow demons circling around to flank Gwen and her friends.

The demons were seemingly unconcerned with anyone but Gwen, but they seemed intent on cutting through anyone in their way to get to her. It was instant chaos. Buffy blocked one demon from bringing his blade down on Gwen from behind, while Gwen shot a bolt of electricity at another demon, knocking him to the ground and taking him out of the fight.

"Owen!" Cordelia cried, tackling her boyfriend to the ground just in time to save him from getting cut in half by the third demon who was charging through them to get at the electricity thrower on the other side of them. He stepped over the couple without a second thought and was about to cut at Gwen with a sweeping strike of his blade.

"Die!" He shouted. Gwen turned, but not in time, as the blade impacted not her but Amy in the stomach, sending them both flying into the glass window front of the barbershop behind them, thankfully missing the unconscious girl laying on the bench. Gwen taking the brunt of the impact.

By that point, Buffy had gotten the sword away from the leader of the demons and slain him with it. Seeing what the remaining demon had done, a cold fury took her and she cried in rage as she took the other demon's head off, him not even having time to mount a credible defense for himself.

Buffy pivoted on her feet in a succinct motion, looking around for the third demon. Seeing him laying smoking on the ground a few yards away, she dropped the sword carelessly and scrambled into the barbershop after Amy and Gwen.

"Buffy? Buffy?!" Buffy heard Cordelia's panicked voice call from behind her.

"What happened?!" Owen's voice questioned from behind his girlfriend.

Buffy was helping Amy to her feet. "Are you o.k.?" Buffy asked solicitously.

"Of course I am." Amy said, brushing off the glass and looking down at Gwen. "I'm invulnerable, remember?" She said with tears in her eyes.

Buffy looked at Amy and then kneeled down next to Gwen, taking in just how bad it was as some tears came to her eyes as well. Owen and Cordelia came up behind them, looking down at Gwen laying on the ground, her back hunched as she lay on her side.

"Oh, God." Cordelia said soberly, feeling dizzy and out of it.

"Is she going to be o.k.?" Owen asked, kneeling down beside Buffy and making to check Gwen's pulse.

"No!" Buffy urgently rebuked him, grabbing his arm before he could do what he intended. "You can't touch her." She said sadly.

"Why not?" Cordelia said.

"Because he'd die." Buffy said, turning to look at Cordelia meaningfully. "Amy, you have to do it."

Amy was still a bit in shock and staring mutely down at Gwen, waiting for Buffy to do something. "Me?" Amy said, her voice having a certain mouse like quality at the moment.

"You're the only one who can help her." Buffy said beseechingly.

Amy didn't understand, but she knelt down and started inspecting Gwen for damage, knowing she had to help if she could. She was alive at least, she could tell that much. They heard a siren coming in the distance and Amy breathed a sigh of relief as Gwen opened her eyes and groaned. "What hit me." She said in a small voice, and Buffy laughed with relief.

"She's o.k.!" Amy exclaimed happily, looking up at Buffy, tears clouding both their vision.

"Yeah, she's o.k." Buffy said, her voice breaking. "We've got to get her out of here." She said quietly as the ambulance pulled up, looking at Amy with a little desperation in her eyes.

"Huh? But... Shouldn't we get her to a hospital? ...And why am I the only one who gets to touch her anyway?" Amy finally asked.

"I'd like to know that too." Owen echoed.

"Listen, no time for big explanations here, but if someone without that bracelet of yours touches her, they get electrocuted and die. If those paramedics try to treat her, they're dead." She spoke grimly. "Cordelia, can you and Owen go and keep the paramedics away, show them where the girl is on the bench over there. She needs their help." Buffy pointed her out a few yards away.

Cordelia looked over at the girl on the bench and her eyes softened. "You can count on us." She said, her and Owen turning to go do as they were told.

"Buffy..." Amy protested, a lot of things suddenly making more sense to her.

"Amy, we don't have a choice." Buffy said.

"She's right, Amy." Gwen said in a gravely voice. "It'll be okay. I heal quick... and think I can stumble at least, if I can lean on you?" Gwen asked in with uncommon vulnerability.

Amy blinked. "Sure." She said self-consciously, moving to help Gwen to her feet.

"I think there's a back door through there." Buffy pointed to the darkened back of the shop, her night vision much better than the average human. "I'll meet you out back as soon as I can, I've got to make sure that other demon doesn't get up. Will you two be o.k. until then?"

Amy nodded yes.

"We'll be fine Anne girl, don' you worry about us." Gwen said, giving Amy an affectionate yet very tired look.

"Right." Buffy smiled. [Looks like Amy's got a friend for life now.] She assessed, accurately reading just how much Amy had come to matter to Gwen now. Turning and heading towards the hapless paramedics, who actually seemed to be taking the dead demons in something at least approaching stride, Buffy thought about her life now. [Ah, the blessings of jaded city medical workers.]  She thought as she eyed the smoking demon who was, as she'd feared, starting to shakily get up.

She strolled past Cordelia, Owen, and the paramedics who where getting the injured girl onto a stretcher. Picking up a discarded broadsword along the way, she marched right over to the fallen demon and unceremoniously lopped his head off. All concerned staring with mouths in various stages of hanging open at the beheaded head in question rolled for several feet before coming a rest. Buffy dropped the sword and brushed off her hands, affecting a nonchalant attitude as she went on rejoining the others. "The cockroaches in this town are getting out of control these days. I tell ya." She spoke. "Shouldn't you two be getting your patient on the way to the hospital now? It's not a good night to be hanging about out on the street after all." She directed this to the paramedics.

"Oh, right." One of them said dumbly, looking over to his partner who quickly nodded her agreement.

"I need to get a new job." Buffy heard one of them say as they loaded the girl into the back and got her set in.

"I need to get a new mailing address." The female of the two said back.

Buffy broke out in a sort of madcap laughter, feeling just about at the end of her rope by now, like she was running on fumes. She shook it off though. She had a job to do after all. Miles to go and all that.

"You two should head home now. You have a car?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. I do." Cordelia spoke up, still trying to process all of this. Owen by this point had seeming lost his speaking ability and was just sticking by Cordelia and following her lead.

"I'll walk you there." Buffy said, looking longingly back into the barbershop.

Cordelia looked where Buffy was looking, and though she felt like kicking herself for offering it after everything they'd just been through, she did it anyway. "You three want a ride somewhere?" She asked.

Buffy looked back at Cordelia, blindsided by the offer. Honestly not having seen that coming, she broke out into a grin, the relief clear on her face. "Sure." She said, heaving a sigh, looking over at Cordelia with renewed respect. "Thank you." She said with meaning.

"Just make sure spark plug girl back there doesn't blow up my car while we're in it." Cordelia said, walking past Buffy towards the back of the barber shop. "Well? Are you coming or not?" She asked impatiently.

"Oh. Yeah! Right behind you." Buffy hurried to catch up. Owen trailing behind, strangely glad to see he wasn't the only one Cordelia had that effect on. Somehow the fact that someone who went around beheading things, seemingly without so much as blinking, could be ordered about just like she did to him sometimes was of great comfort to him. It also made this Buffy person seem a lot less terrifying.

========================

to be continued in part nine...
GOODNIGHT KISSES AND LIFE SAVER CANDY

see you next time!

Chapter 9

Title: Part 9: Goodnight Kisses And Life Saver Candy

========================

part nine:
GOODNIGHT KISSES AND LIFE SAVER CANDY

========================

9:06 PM the same night found Buffy, Amy, and Gwen
safely in Cordelia's car heading to Buffy's home...

They'd dropped Owen off along the way. He'd given Cordelia a hesitant kiss goodnight and the two had made plans to get together the next day. Amy had marveled at how well those two were handling this, and how good a friend Cordelia was turning out to be to them. She never would have credited it.

"We're almost there." Cordelia said. "Are you sure she'll be o.k.?" She asked, looking in concern at the passenger in her passenger seat who had fallen into a fitful sleep. Back at the barbershop, after the ambulance had left, Buffy had instructed Amy on getting the few glass shards out of her that got by her clothes (thank God she'd been wearing leather like that), but she knew enough to know that the worst of the damage was probably internal.

"She should be." Buffy said. "She wasn't lying when she said she's a fast healer." Buffy said turning to Amy, who was curled up in her arms with her eyes closed. "I've seen her come back from worse than this once." Buffy said gravely. "Something about the electricity in her, it revs up her system, makes her move faster and hit harder, things like that. It also heals her a lot faster than normal too... She should be o.k. in a day or two I think. She just needs to rest and drink something." She informed them.

"...You realize how crazy that sounds, right?" Cordelia said, with some humor in her voice.

"Yeah. Welcome to my world." Buffy said with a crooked smile. "We specialize in crazy and eschew all things mundane and boring."

"Uh huh." Cordelia said. "That must be murder on a girl's hair." She thought out loud.

"You have no idea." Buffy said seriously.

"You are going to give me a reasonable explanation for all this at some point, yes?" Cordelia asked.

"If you want me to." Buffy offered. "How's tomorrow at lunch?"

"You're on." Cordelia said lightly, satisfied with the answer.

They pulled up into the driveway of Buffy's house. "Looks like we're here." Buffy said to Amy, who had actually seemed to fall asleep at some point.

"That is so cute." Cordelia said, looking into the back seat with an amused smile. "You two are really good together, you know that?" She observed.

"Yeah, I know." Buffy said with a genuine smile, her eyes meeting with Cordelia's, a silent understanding passing between them. "Listen... I don't know how much this will mean... but if you want me, you've got a friend for life, from tonight on. You need me for anything, call and I'm there. No questions asked." Buffy pledged in all seriousness.

Cordelia was a little surprised by that. Though she didn't know why. Buffy had so far, aside from being friendly, always been up front and plainly honest with her as well. That was probably why she found herself warming up to the blonde girl so easily. She just had that kind of personality that made her want to care. "I'll remember that." Cordelia smiled back. "And it goes both ways, o.k.?" She offered as Buffy helped Amy out of the car. "Just don't expect me to fight any monsters, o.k.?" She gave the caveat as Buffy was walking around the car.

"Come on." Cordelia heard Buffy say. "You got'a help Gwen inside now." Amy was still a little blirry-eyed, it seemed.

"Right. I can do that." Amy could be heard to say, apparently awake again.

The passenger side door was opened and Amy leaned in, shaking Gwen as much as she dared, given her condition, to try to get her to wake. She was pretty sure she couldn't carry the other girl in all by herself. Maybe if she gave Buffy the bracelet, that would be different, but she'd tried to get the bracelet off on the way home without any success. She reasoned there must be some trick to it that only Gwen knew. [Which is of no help at all if I can't get her to wake up in the first place!] Amy cursed to herself.

"Come on, wake up!" Amy urged her. Gwen blinked awake, recoiling when she saw someone was touching her.

"Wha!?" She looked at who it was. "Oh, Amy, it's you." Gwen smiled in relief. "What... we're there?" She asked groggily.

"Looks like." Cordelia said from the driver's seat. "And you're welcome by the way." She said pointedly.

"Huh?" She looked over at Cordelia. "Oh, thanks cranky girl. You're a life saver candy."

Cordelia narrowed her eyes at her nemesis. "And you can just get out of my car now, thank you." She said in retaliation, their banter now largely for show and not very serious, Amy thankfully noticed. Or maybe Cordilia was just being nice because Gwen was injured?

"Oh, you're welcome." Gwen said over her shoulder. "You know Amy, I always thought I could do with a chauffer. Think she'd be interested?"

"Somehow I think not." Amy said with good humor. "Good night Cordelia." Amy turned back to the car and said. "And thank you. For everything." She said it, not knowing quite what else to say. "You really were a life saver." She spoke.

"Yeah, yeah. Get her to bed already." She dismissed them.

"Good night." Buffy said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then." Cordelia replied, rolling up her window and waving as she drove off into the night.

========================

9:14 PM; still just outside the home of
Joyce and Buffy Summers...

Buffy was nervously watching as Amy helped Gwen down the path to her front door. It was a lot like it had been before, and she found that time had not dimmed Gwen's ability to have this effect on her. That first couple weeks they'd spent together in L.A. had been an adventure in fidgeting for her, it seemed she would forever be reaching for Gwen only to have to stop herself. And the first time Gwen had been hurt? Not fun... Over time, she'd gotten used to it of course, but that didn't mean watching her in pain was any easier now. At least now she had Amy...

Shaking her head, she went on ahead to open the door for them, rummaging through her jacket for her keys without success. "Shit, I must have dropped them some where." Buffy realized, ringing the doorbell.

"What happened?" Amy asked.

"I lost my key somewhere." Buffy explained, not meeting either of their eyes.

"Oh." Amy said a little awkwardly, trying to think of something else to say.

There was the muted sound of footsteps coming from inside the house now. The door soon being unlocked and opened, Joyce Summers was waiting for them on the other side.

"Buffy, did you forget your keys?... Oh, Amy." She noticed "...Is that Gwen?" Joyce asked, her voice lowering as she recognized the girl Amy was holding up.

"Yeah, it's her." Buffy said reservedly. "And she's hurt pretty badly. Can we get her into the guest room maybe?" Buffy asked, regretting having to bring all this to her mom's doorstep, and worrying over how she was going to explain it without her mom calling an ambulance, or worse, the police. For a number of, to Joyce's mind, very good reasons, there wasn't exactly any love lost between her mom and Gwen, and Buffy knew that.

"Hi, Ms. Summers." Amy greeted apprehensively.

"Hello, Amy. It's nice to see you again." Joyce spared her a smile before looking at Gwen with a large dose of cynicism. "I wish I could say the same about her."

"Yeah... Sorry about this." Gwen said apologetically.

"You should be." Joyce said bitingly.

"Mom..." Buffy implored. "She's hurt. Can't we just, can't we do this later?"

Joyce closed her eyes for a moment. "All right. All right! She can come inside." Joyce said. "But you're going to give me a darn good explanation for this once she's off her feet. I mean it Buffy. I'm not letting what happened in L.A. happen again here."

Buffy rubbed her face, feeling all the sudden twice as tired. "Can't you at least wait until morning?" She almost pleaded.

Joyce took in the ragged looks of her daughter and of Amy, and then really looked at how beat up Gwen was. She sighed. "All right... All right, we can talk about it later. Let's just get her off her feet. Then maybe you can tell me what on Earth happened to you. You look like you've been living in a cave for a week."

Amy laughed. "Good guess." She said.

Joyce gave Buffy a questioning look. Then turned to Amy and Gwen. "Do you need any help getting her up the stares?"

"No!" Gwen said, shrinking away. "I mean no, I'm sure I can manage... if Amy helps me..." She kept a careful eye on Joyce, though she really wanted to look anywhere but at the elder Summers woman at that moment.

"Same old Gwen." Joyce said bitterly, looking at her like she was sure she'd lost her sanity somewhere.

"Let's just get her up stares." Buffy said. "Come on, I'll show you where the guest room is." Buffy turned to go up the stares, avoiding her mother's gaze, her heart still clinched in her chest over all of this ...So much for her new start being any less crazy than her old one.

Joyce watched them go up the stares, then she shook her head to the empty room and went to go into the kitchen. She didn't drink very often, but right now she could use a stiff glass of bourbon. [This can not be happening again.] She thought to herself. All sorts of worries laying siege to her soul, along with a long string of unanswered questions about her daughter's life that she'd never gotten answers to. [Well that's going to change, starting tomorrow.] She resolved to herself. [I refuse to let that girl get her claws into my daughter again. Not again.]

Once they got to the room, Amy helped to lay Gwen on the bed and silently set about getting her out of her jacket, boots, and jeans while Buffy took a seat in a chair facing the end of the bed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees as she watched the scene before her unfold. She watched as Amy got Gwen tucked in under the covers and give her a soft kiss on her forehead. "It'll be all right." Amy said, consolingly stroking the disordered and messy hair out of Gwen's face. Gwen was now very nearly asleep and the words and the caring touch seemed to quiet her even more and bring her some peace.

Buffy couldn't help the pang of envy that went though her as she watched Amy touch Gwen like she'd always wished that she could. But it was accompanied by a greater sense of relief... Relief that Gwen finally had someone who could hold her and tell her that the world wasn't really so bad. Relief that she had done it, she had gotten them all home safely and managed to save at least one life. And relief that she had someone again. That she had Amy.

She saw Amy turn to look at her, and Buffy managed to muster a tired smile for her. "Can I stay with you tonight?" Amy asked.

"Yeah... Yeah, of course you can." Buffy said, getting up from her chair and going over to sit down on the bed beside Amy, giving her a hug. "Of course you can." She said, closing her eyes as Amy gratefully returned the hug. "Come on, lets let her get some sleep."

"Yeah, o.k." Amy said, a shy and relieved smile coming to her face as she let Buffy guide her up off the bed. "And thanks. I don't think I could go home alone right now." Amy confessed.

"And you don't need to." Buffy spoke with assurance and comfort as she held both of Amy's hands in front of her and looked in her eyes.

Amy smiled back shyly and moved forward into Buffy's arms, seeking her lips with her own. The kiss wasn't so much passionate as it was loving and warm, like a safe haven found after a long time in the storm.

They broke off the kiss with Buffy pushed up against the far wall of the hallway. She smiled. "I think we could both use a bath." She said in a softer voice, a smile on her lips as she brushed some dirt from Amy's cheek.

Amy chuckled softly and buried her head in Buffy's shoulder, pressing her body in as close as she could and letting Buffy hold her.

"Let's go." Amy said with a soft smile, once she'd released Buffy from their embrace and stood back before her.

"Go?" Buffy asked.

"To take a bath." Amy said without any shame.

"Amy..." Buffy was at war with herself. She couldn't think of a good reason to say no, but she was pretty sure there was one.

"I don't want to be alone right now, o.k.?" Amy said taking Buffy's hands in hers. "We don't have to do anything you... don't want to." Amy finished, her eyes soft and so open to Buffy... it was the kind of look Buffy had only ever seen in Gwen's eyes before, after they would spend whole nights together just talking about things. Amy wasn't holding anything back. Maybe just because she was so tired, maybe it was because of all the otherworldly things that had been thrust upon her all at once that were so outside her comfort zone, maybe it was because Buffy was her first love... or maybe Amy just trusted her that much, Buffy couldn't say. Whatever the reason though, Buffy couldn't find it in her heart to say no to her.

"All right." Buffy said simply. "Let's go." She smiled.

Amy's eyes lit up and she moved in to kiss Buffy, once then again and again, stopping before she got too caught up. "Let's go then." Amy said, taking her girlfriend's hands and leading them to Buffy's room down the hall.

The door to the room was left partly open and Amy went in without a thought, sitting herself down on the side of the bed, smiling at Buffy as she walked by her to close the door. Amy started to take her clothes off in preparation for their bath.

Buffy watched her, a little bemused by the sight, as she went over to the dresser and put away her watch and necklace before taking off her shoes and draping her jacket on a nearby chair. She looked over and saw that Amy was now only in her jeans and a bra and was getting to her feet to take her jeans off. Buffy let herself enjoy the site for just a moment, sighing as she shook her head at the situation and proceeded to take her own clothing off. Life never failed to give you it's share of turns in the road, didn't it? Well, this time, Buffy thought to herself, this time she didn't mind it so much.

========================

to be continued in part ten...
REFLECTIONS FROM THE PAST, AND A HAVEN RIGHT NOW

see you next time!

Chapter 10

Title: Part 10: Reflections Form The Past, And A Haven Right Now

========================

part ten:
REFLECTIONS FROM THE PAST, AND A HAVEN RIGHT NOW

========================

10:01 PM the same night, in Buffy's room...

It was about forty minutes later now, and Buffy stood by the bathroom mirror toweling off her hair. The simple act of doing that feeling unreasonably wonderful to her... Everything since she'd taken Amy in her arms in the guest room had felt like a haven almost... In her line of work, the act of getting clean, of just having a bath and washing her hair had become something really precious to her. Something she'd learned to saver. The feeling of being clean and warm and safe at home, to her, was one of the most valuable things in the world. Priceless. Still, even knowing that, this had been something so much better. The feeling of Amy's fingers tracing through her hair, over her skin. The warmth of the other girl's body against her. She closed her eyes a moment and sighed happily to herself at remembering. At how safe and loved the whole experience had made her feel. They hadn't even made love, but really they had made love. It was making love, with every touch. Every word. That's what it was.

She felt familiar arms encircle her from behind. Soft skin molding itself to her body as the weight of Amy's chin settled on her shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror and Buffy couldn't help but give Amy a brilliant smile and turn in her arms, seeking out her waiting lips for a kiss. Amy's arms slid over her lower back and Buffy brought one of hers around to hold Amy's upper back, her other hand tracing lightly trough Amy's still damp hair. Buffy hummed in pleasure as the kiss ended. Amy's eyes were a little lost and blissful and Buffy gave her a shy smile with just a little daring in it as she moved down a little and started to kiss Amy's neck with a tenderness and care that showed her reverence for the connection they were slowly starting to share.

"I love you." Buffy heard Amy breathe. "And... I think you should keep kissing me... for a really long time..." Amy said teasingly into Buffy's hair.

A smile broke out on Buffy's face and she nuzzled into Amy's neck and giggled just a little. "We really should get to bed." Buffy said, backing up so she was just inches away from Amy's face, her hands resting on Amy's shoulders, Amy's arms still holding her back, their eyes meeting one another.

"Yeah, I think I can get behind that idea..." Amy said, a little of a crooked smile on her face tinged with anticipation. "As long as we can keep making out when we get there." She put forth the caveat, not expecting any opposition to be voiced over it, and moving in to capture Buffy's lips in a slow smoldering kiss to accentuate her beliefs on the subject.

"Bed." Buffy said. "We should go there." She buried her face in Amy's neck and laughed just a little bit. "But first, I think my mom wants to have a word with us..." She said, her sensitive hearing catching what Amy's could not.

"Your mom?" Amy asked. "What do you mean?"

A knock on the door. "Girls? Are you almost done in there?" Joyce's voice called.

"That's what I mean." Buffy laughed a little more and leaned back against the counter, taping the side of her head a little. "I have really good hearing." She said in a whisper.

"If you say you can leap tall buildings in a single bound, I swear..." Amy said, going over and getting a towel to wrap around herself.

"Girls?" Joyce's voice again.

"We're here mom." Buffy answered, still leaning against the counter and watching Amy wrap the towel around her body. "What is it?"

"I... That is. I was wondering what Amy's plans were for the night. Does she need a ride home?" The motherly concern somewhat evident in her voice, as well as a good deal of uncomfortableness too.

"Amy's staying with me tonight." Buffy said simply.

A moment's silence. "Buffy..."

"She's staying mom. There's no way I'm sending her home this late after everything that's happened today." Buffy said, pushing off from the counter and going over to retrieve her bath robe from it's hook. "It's just not going to happen."

More silence. "Buffy. I don't know what's happened tonight, you haven't told me yet. But for heaven's sake, you just met her this morning... But don't you think that's moving a little fast?"

Buffy groaned. "M-o-m." She whined. "Must you go there?" She asked.

"Well I'm sorry if I'm stepping on your good time, but--"

"Mom!" Buffy said. "Alright fine! No sex on the first date. I promise. Can we just go to bed now? I'm tired!" Buffy asked plaintively.

Buffy could almost hear her mom pinching the bridge of her nose through the door. "All right, fine. I'm sure you know best. With your track record, I don't know why I'm doubting you." Joyce said, meaning for the words to be taken the opposite of how they would properly be taken to mean.

Tying her robe, Buffy felt more of the strain return to her body and was grateful when Amy put a hand on her shoulder to show her support, their eyes met for only a moment.

"Mom..." She started. "Look, I know none of this is very fair to you. And I'm, I'm really sorry I had to bring all this to our door step the first day I go to school... I know you must be... really disappointed in me right now... But can you please just..." [Just what?] She asked herself without knowing the answer. "Can we please just talk about this in the morning?" Buffy asked finally, wishing she could have thought of something... more. Something better to say to her mom that would make everything at least a little more alright that it was. But, she'd hardly ever been that very successful with doing that in the past, had she? And she didn't know a reason why it should be any different now. Despite all the lying and obscuring of the truth she'd had to do over the last more than a year, she still remained not all that good at it.

"...Fine. Buffy I... I'm not disappointed. I just wish that... I don't know. I don't know what I wish. I just..." Joyce's voice trailed of, apparently caught for something to say as much as her daughter had been.

"Mom...." Buffy started.

"No, It's all right. You two... Have a good night." Joyce wished them, some amount of genuine warmth returning to her voice, along with a large portion of tiredness. "I'm going to bed now. I'll see you in the morning." And Buffy heard her turning to walk away.

"See you in the morning." Buffy said a little wistfully, knowing her mom wouldn't hear it.

Buffy turned and looked at Amy, who had been standing behind her holding her around her waist. "I'm sorry." She said.

"For what?" Amy asked.

"For dragging you into all this craziness. For you being stuck in here to witness my issues." Buffy explained, feeling a little self-conscious and embarrassed about Amy having had to hear all of that. "You still don't even know a lot of what's going on, do you?" She asked.

"No I don't." Amy admitted. "But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now than here with you." She said. "And really." She pointed out. "That that just happened then? That was nothing. I mean, I should be so lucky to have a mom like that. You're really lucky, Buffy. You are."

"Yeah..." Buffy said, a smile coming back to her face. "Yeah I really am, aren't I?" She said, resting her head on Amy's shoulder and letting the other girl hold her for a few moments. She was lucky, she realized, and her mom, though making a huge contribution, wasn't her biggest reason why. "Let's go to bed." She finally said, taking Amy's hand in hers and leading her to the door.

"You know, it's funny. I'm not even tired." Amy said as she followed along.

"Why Amy." Buffy stopped and turned to face her. "Are you trying to tell me something? I did promise my mom you know..."

Amy's face reddened just a little and Buffy couldn't help but laugh, just a bit, before turning and leading Amy along to their room for the night.

========================

10:27 PM; Anther resident of the Summers
house sits alone with her thoughts...

Joyce Summers sat in her room, on the edge of her bed, resting her chin in the palms of her hands. She wasn't in much of a mood to sleep, yet she was very tired now. Very tired and, if she was honest, feeling very alone in all of this. It was a terrible thing, being alone. Not that she would admit that to her daughter... She had no friends in Sunnydale yet. The people at the museum were pleasant enough, but she had only just met them. She didn't seem to have her daughter's talent for landing on her feet, socially. Her first day in school and she was already dating and meeting friends to go dancing. She hated to admit it, but she was a little envious at how easy it all seemed to her daughter. Even through everything that had happened back in L.A. ...

Buffy had always been a girl with her own mind, Joyce knew. She'd done her best to encourage that too, even though it more often than not tended to drive her to distraction. So when half way through her first year of high school she declared she was gay and that she was in love with Ashley, her best friend, it had almost made a weird kind of sense to her. Not so much to her then husband, Hank, though. No, Hank was rather put out by it as it turned out. Not that Joyce couldn't sympathize with him. It hadn't exactly been an easy thing for her to deal with either (though she had consoled herself with the relief she'd felt that her daughter at least was now a lot less likely to get pregnant at a young age, thankful for small favors and all that). And she'd tried to educate herself about it of course, gone to the support groups, the whole thing. Hank even went with her a few times. He wasn't even a bigot or anything really, not overly religious in that bad way some people can be. He just had dreams for his daughter, dreams that in the end he couldn't seem to part with. So he'd parted with them instead. She still really had some bitterness in her aimed towards him for that. For abandoning her when he was meant to always be there. And, of course, for rebounding so fast with that secretary of his (she didn't even want to think about the implications of that little fact). More than hating him though, she found she missed him that much more. Or... maybe she just missed having someone to talk with, someone else to share the responsibility with. It hadn't been perfect with them, not by any means, but she still felt they'd done a good job as husband and wife. They'd raised a good daughter, and she still believed in that. She still believed it today. She had to.

But there had been a time when, she was forced to admit, she had doubted. Very nearly lost faith in herself and in her daughter. And the reason for that was now laying snugly in bed in her guest room down the hall. Gwen Raiden. Oh how she would have been glad to never hear that name again, never have her in their lives again. But there she was, like the original bad penny, just refusing to stay gone. And appearing on their doorstep in such bad shape as to not let her turn her away... Was it too crazy to think she engineered the whole beating she'd taken, just to flaunt it in her face that she could still wind herself back into Buffy's life at the drop of a hat? And Buffy would come to her defense, just like always. That was what had finally done it. She was what had finally done it... An argument about her, that was why Buffy had run away. That was what led to Hank finally getting fed up and leaving. Gwen Raiden. Buffy just would not stand for anything bad being said about her. No, as far as her daughter had been concerned, Gwen walked on water and could do no wrong. She'd told her daughter that she had to choose, her family or Gwen, and she'd chosen Gwen. And just like that she hadn't seen her daughter again for more than four months. So many times during those months, she'd driven herself mad with the questions over what Gwen and her daughter had been doing all the time they'd been together, what they were doing out there all alone. And her blaming herself for making Buffy choose, for not being a better mother, for a lot of things. At one point, the police had come 'round asking questions about her missing daughter. It seems she was wanted for questioning, accused of being an accomplice to a notorious up-and-coming master thief that no one had ever seen. They'd seen Buffy though, someone had managed to get a picture of her daughter scaling a building. Some law firm had been after them it had seemed. She never got the whole story. But eventually Buffy had come back, her and Gwen having parted ways. Joyce had asked her many times to tell her what had happened while she was gone, what had happened between her and Gwen, but Buffy had never spoken of it to her to any extent. Just letting the odd detail slip out now and then, none of which made much sense. And still, even after whatever it was her daughter had gone though, Buffy would still not stand anything bad being said about her precious Gwen. Joyce just didn't understand it. But had learned to let the subject lay, for there to be peace between them. And peace there had been. Peace and a new start in a new town.

One thing Joyce was sure of, Buffy didn't love someone half way. When she and A.J. had broken up, when A.J. had broken her heart, Buffy had just withdrawn into herself for weeks. She still went to school, still talked, still did everything she'd normally done. It had just been like some light had gone out in her eyes. And some time after, things had started to happen. She'd started staying out late, coming home at all hours, never giving her a straight answer. She hadn't known what to think, and had had a very hard time even pinning down what it might be that had changed. It was clear though that her daughter had changed somehow. As self-assured and capable as her daughter had been before, she seemed to get more so. She seemed to get harder and more taciturn as well. It had gotten to the point that Joyce had been so grateful to Gwen for appearing when she had, she remembered it now with a certain bitterness. Gwen had just appeared in their lives one day and brought it all back. The daughter Joyce had raised, the life and joy in Buffy's eyes had returned, brighter than ever it seemed at times. She supposed, she did owe Gwen for that much at least. Even after Buffy returned from her time... away. That light had never gone out again. Whatever had happened between them, Gwen hadn't left her daughter with another broken heart, Joyce at least knew that much.

Maybe tomorrow she would finally get some answers. It would be nice, she thought. It couldn't be as bad as not knowing. Could it? She wished so much she had a real person she could ask that question to... She thought of her daughter in the room down the hall. She couldn't quite bring herself to imagine what might be going on in that room. But she did know, Buffy wasn't alone tonight, and she was. She was. She sighed.... Oh well, tomorrow was another day, right?...She'd find her way again, she had to believe that. Otherwise, what would be the point?

Joyce lay back onto her pillow and thought. What was it that Buffy had said to her that morning? "Girl's gotta try"? That sounded about right.

========================

to be continued in part eleven...
ANNE IN A DREAM...

see you next time!

[End notes: Thanks for all the great reviews and feedback so far, it really helps!]

Chapter 11

Title: Part 11: Anne In A Dream...

========================

part eleven:
ANNE IN A DREAM...

========================

"T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Buffy spoke the words out loud to the empty house below; she was sitting on the stair steps leading to the second floor of the home she grew up in, back in L.A..

"Then what are you doing here?" Buffy looked over and saw she wasn't alone after all, another girl was sitting next to her.

"A.J., hi!" Buffy's smile soon faded though.

"You're feeling down, aren't you?" A.J. asked.

"Just a little, yeah." She admitted.

"Why?"

"'cause I'm gone'a die soon I think." Buffy confessed.

"Is that all?"

"You cheated on me." She said, it was the obvious thing to say after all. "I really was in love with you, you know?"

"Hm, lucky me then." A.J. smiled, seeming to look of into nothing.

"You didn't seem to think so." She was starting to feel even more bummed talking about this.

"How do you know?" A.J. asked. "That's pretty presumptuous, don't you think?"

"Oh, and you're one to talk about being presumptuous now?"

A.J. smiled. "Well, I never said that."

"Among other things you didn't happen to mention." Buffy added. "What are you doing here A.J.? Because, got'a say, while I might call you a rat, you're no mouse, are you?"

"Got that right." A.J. smiled. "And can't a girl just drop by to say 'hi'? We did have it pretty good together for a while after all. You remember that time at Christy's party?"

"I have no idea of what you speak." Buffy firmly denied, unable to help herself from smiling a little though. It really had been a party she wouldn't forget.

"Oh, you remember." A.J. said. "And if you don't, I have witnesses. Lots of'm."

"It was a good kiss." Buffy was forced to admit, resting her chin on her folded arms and looking off into the darkened down stairs of her childhood home.

"Now, see? Aren't you glad I stopped by?"

"A.J...." Buffy felt A.J.'s fingers trailing through her hair, the other girl was close to her now, she could feel her breath. "You need to stop doing that and back off, now."

"Maybe I need something else more?" A.J. whispered.

"Yeah, what? What do you need, Ashley? What?" Buffy jerked her head around to stare into A.J.'s eyes.

"You, maybe?" A.J. ventured with innocent inquisitive eyes. "Maybe I'm not over you."

"I'm over you." Buffy got up to her feet and walked down the stairs.

"Liar." She heard A.J.'s voice call after her.

Buffy whirled around to confront her first love and former best friend, but A.J. wasn't there anymore. Instead, there was a vase of flowers sitting atop the stairs. "A.J.?" She called out. "What's going on here." She wondered, climbing the stairs again and squatting down next to the familiar bouquet, brushing some of the flowers with the side of her hand in memory. A.J. had given her these once, hadn't she? And there had been a love note too... Buffy's hands automatically went to the place she knew it would be and took it up to open and read.

"To the best friend I ever had. Yours forever. ~ Love, A.J." She read the words aloud and felt like crying. She realized she was crying actually, and she wiped the tears away with her sleeve, taking the flowers in her hands and standing up. "Oh, A.J." She spoke aloud, smelling the remembered scent of those flowers again.

"Buffy, what are you doing up so late? You should be in bed." Her mother's voice called.

"Yeah, kid. Isn't there what I believe is called 'school' tomorrow? Sort of important, or so I keep hearing." Her father's voice spoke, coming up behind her mother and holding her loosely by the waist the way he used to, her mother sinking back just a little into him in another familiar action.

Buffy looked at them like that, her eyes narrowing a little. "Didn't you move to Santa Monica?" Buffy asked her dad.

"Santa Monica? Buffy what are you talking about?" Her mother asked. "Did you have some kind of dream or something?"

"She could be sleep walking, do you think that's it?" Her dad asked.

"You never were very funny, you know." Buffy said to him. "I just liked you because you made me feel safe and listened to me when I wanted to talk. I'm fine without you, I just wish you'd stayed... for mom."

"Buffy, really, what is it? Is something wrong?" Joyce asked.

Her mother had come down the stairs and was standing right in front of her, laying her hands on her daughter's shoulders, Buffy's father crowded in behind her mother in the stairwell. "Mom..." Buffy started. "Dad..."

"Don't keep things locked up inside you, Dodger. You really need to talk things out sometimes. We'll always be here for you, you know you can tell us anything..." Her dad pledged.

Buffy laughed under her breath. "Boy are you a liar." She smiled a little.

"Oh, Hank, what's happening to our little girl? The things she's saying..."

"Mom, don't freak, I think I've figured this out now. It's just one of those dreams I have sometimes. The ones full of hints and stuff - about the future. You don't have to worry, you're... you're not really here after all."

"Not really here? Buffy, that's nonsense." Joyce shook her a little. "Are you on drugs? Is that it?"

Buffy's eyes widened a little. "O'kay, not helping. And like that would ever happen." The doorbell chimed. "Oh, my date's here." Buffy found herself smiling and rushing down the stairway to the front door, her parents forgotten.

Butterflies in her stomach, she nervously ran a hand through her hair once and smoothed her dress. Had she been wearing a dress before? Did she even own one anymore? No, probably not. That dream thing again. It was convent, she considered. The doorbell rang again, and she felt like smacking herself in the head for not answering it sooner. She opened the door a little and peaked out from around the side. "Gwen? You're really here." She opened the door all the way, a bright smile on her face as she rushed into the other girl's arms without even thinking about it.

Gwen held her close and touched her hair, it felt just like she always imagined it would. Warm, safe, right... perfect. "Hi, Ann... Ready to go?" She asked.

"With you? Anywhere." Buffy just held herself close, she felt so happy she thought she might cry again.

"I always wanted... I always thought, if I could have just one dance with you Anne, I could be happy with that." Gwen spoke. "Now... we can."

"Silly, I dance with you all the time. Don't you remember?" Buffy was worried for some reason and pulled back a little, still in the other girl's arms, to look in her date's eyes.

"I remember." Gwen gave her that quiet sort of smile that a girl could just tell came right from the heart.

Buffy felt Gwen touching her hair again and she couldn't help return the smile. "I want to dance with you."

"Then why waste time?" Gwen asked, stepping back from her and only keeping hold of one of her hands. She stepped to Buffy's side and revealed the lights and the dance floor before them. Low lights, a romantic mood, it was that club they used to go to back in the city but never got to dance like this in, just watch as other couples did. And there were other couples there still, all women, they were dancing around the dance floor just like Buffy remembered. It was like a dream. Gwen caught her eyes and led Buffy out to the dance floor.

"Why waste time?" Buffy whispered in wonder as Gwen's hand rested on her waist and Buffy stepped into the embrace, taking up the traditional slow dance pose with her and beginning to sway to the music.

Gwen's eyes were so expressive and warm, calling to her like they always seemed to be able to do. The songs changed and Buffy found herself resting her head on Gwen's shoulder as they continued to sway to the music. [Perfect.] Buffy sighed to her self.

"Um I don't mean to pry, but shouldn't you have a bracelet on or something?" Cordelia asked.

Buffy looked over and saw her new friend from Sunnydale dancing with boyfriend Owen next to her and Gwen. "Why would I need a bracelet?" Buffy asked curiously.

"So you won't die." Owen provided.

"Yeah, obvious much?" Cordilia pointed out. "Seriously Buffy, I love you, but you need to keep up."

"I can cut in, if you want?"

Buffy looked over and saw Amy standing there, hands clasped behind her back, wearing a dress made for dancing. "Oh, um, sure. Go ahead." Buffy stepped back and let go of her dance partner.

Gwen looked at her questioningly, but none the less went along with it and switched dance partners to Amy.

Cordelia scrunched her nose just a little and said. "It's probably all for the best anyway. I don't think you were really meant to be with her anyway. No bracelet. Sad really."

"But... that's not very fair, is it? We love each other." Buffy complained.

"You can love someone, and still hurt them very badly." An eerily familiar voice spoke. "But then, that always makes me happy, not sad, doesn't it? Can I have this dance?" Darla asked.

Buffy just stared at her, and Darla moved forward to take her up in her arms. "Oh, yeah, I guess..." Buffy found herself returning the gesture automatically and swaying with her new dance partner to the music as they looked into each others' eyes. "There's something about you I'm not seeing, isn't there?" Buffy asked. "Something I need to know."

"Yes, more than one thing... but I won't tell you, I'll just... kill. Hurt you, kill you, maybe we can even be friends? We have so much in common after all, I feel like... we should be closer."

"Oh!" Buffy's eyes widened in shock as she felt sharp vampire teeth penetrate her neck, her body going weak, her strength failing. Disjointedly, Buffy saw the room start to fade.

"Hey, I know that girl." Buffy heard Amy say. "What's she doing to Buffy anyway? Shouldn't someone help her?"

[Yeah, shouldn't someone...] Buffy's thoughts tried to agree, but the darkness seemed to be too fast.

"Maybe it's not you?" The girl across from her asked.

Buffy blinked. She was in a cemetery? "Maybe what's not me?" She asked. She was in a cemetery, at night, sitting on the ground against a tombstone talking to another girl who was sitting across from her, also in a cemetery at night, also sitting on the ground against a tombstone. She looked familiar.

"The one who dies. Did you ever think of that? Maybe you have a choice. Maybe it's not even what you think it is at all. Maybe you need to save her." She put forward.

"Who?"

"The girl who kills you. Have you ever thought about saving her life? You could you know. It would be one way to go." The girl said.

"I know you , don't I?"

"You saved my life recently. My name's Lily by the way... though I'm thinking of changing it again. What would you think of Anne?" She asked.

"Gwen calls me that." Buffy offered, finding herself looking down at the grass by her own feet.

"Oh, yeah. She was there too, wasn't she? Totally hot. Not that I go for other girls of course, but still. I can see why you fell so hard for her. Total crush material."

Buffy looked up at her and smiled. "She is, huh?" She had to admit it was true.

"Totally. You didn't do too bad for a rebound chick either though. I wish I had your love life. Or, you know, the male equivalent anyway. Instead what do I get?"

"Vampires I had to kill." Buffy provided.

"Yeah. Thanks for that by the way."

"No problem. It's sort of my job after all." Buffy deferred, none the less smiling at the thanks. She loved getting thanked... she didn't want to admit she did, but she did.

"Well, you do it well." Lily said. "Do you think we could be friends one day?" She asked.

"I don't see why not." Buffy considered.

"Come see me then. At the hospital? You should come see me." She suggested. "I... I don't really have anyone else after all. I think, yeah, I think I could really use a friend, to be honest. Also, I think I might be able to help you somehow one day, to repay you."

"O'kay... I'll remember." Buffy promised.

"Good." Lily smiled.

"I think I have to go somewhere now." Buffy told her, a little regretful.

"I figured you would." Lily said.

"Are you just going to stay here?" Buffy asked as she was getting to her feet.

"...Yeah, I think I just need to sit a while and listen to the wind." She explained. "You'll remember what I said though, right? The save your killer thing? I really think it could work."

Buffy smiled. "I'll remember." She promised.

"I'm sure you will." Lily smiled back.

"See you at the hospital." Buffy said, waving over her shoulder as she walked away into the night.

"See you there." Buffy heard Lily's voice from behind her, though she didn't turn around to look. Something was calling her, and she needed to go there.

"Buffy, you're here!" Amy came running up out of the night, out of breath.

"Amy?" Buffy moved forward to meet her girlfriend, holding her softly by the shoulders. "What's wrong? How can I help?"

"Help?" Amy looked to her.

"Yeah, isn't something wrong?"

"Well, yeah, of course. Something's always wrong. Right?" Amy pointed out.

"Which sucks." Buffy interjected.

"So do vampires." Amy counted.

"It's a theme." Buffy smiled. "I always hated those."

"Me too!" Amy smiled. "So, I was thinking, we're sleeping together now, right? How long until we have sex?" She asked.

"This is what you wanted to ask me?" Buffy asked, not being able to help from smiling a little.

"I thought it was important." Amy explained. "That, and some Irish boy needs your help."

"Well, yeah, but... don't you think we should talk about this when I'm awake?" She pointed out. "What Irish boy?"

Amy studied her face. "I can never tell for sure when you're joking." She told her.

"Oh, come on Amy, do you really think I'd hit your mom?" Buffy complained.

"You wouldn't?" Amy tilted her head a little.

"...Not unless I had to." Buffy said.

"See? Confusing."

Buffy laughed. "You might just have a point about that."

"Of course I do. Now come on, we're going to be late for the beach." Amy took her hand and proceeded to tug her along in what looked like to be the direction of a particularly dark and foreboding path into the woods.

"We're going to the beach now?" Buffy asked, perplexed. [This does not look like the direction the beach should be in.] Her internal voice noticed.

"Yeah, of course!" Amy turned to her. "Cordelia's right you know, you really do need to keep up better. It could get you in trouble one day."

"Promises, promises." Buffy waved it off. "Beach?" She asked, getting to the important part.

"Oh, right! The door's over here."

And there was a door, big, huge door, like a castle or a keep or something. All black and foreboding looking.

"What's de password?" A girl with an accent asked. "You ca'n pass without de password, e'm afraid."

"That's easy, it's a willow tree." Amy said, turning to Buffy. "She used to be my friend." She explained to her girlfriend.

"That is de correct password. You mey pass." The girl said as the gates started to swing inward, bright sunlight and the sound of waves, laughter, and fun issuing forth from the other side.

"What was your name again?" Buffy asked the gate guard girl.

"E'm not allowed to tell you dat yet, sir..." She looked down at the ground as if embarrassed. "But..." She looked back up to Buffy's eyes. "E'm sure we'll meet one ana'der vera soon. Ma Watcher tells me, we are vera moch alike."

"Watcher? Wait..." Buffy protested.

"Buffy, come on, the gate's closing." Amy tugged on her hand. "Talk to your sister later."

"My sister?" Buffy looked at Amy.

"Well, she might as well be, right?" She pointed out impatiently.

"Um, I guess..."

"Right. So, beach?" Amy insisted.

"Is that Hawaii?" Buffy asked curiously, suddenly even more interested.

"Only if we go there before the gate closes."

"Right, see ya later sis." Buffy waved to the girl at the gate and, smiling, followed Amy to Hawaii. [This is so cool.] Buffy thought to herself. [I was just thinking about doing this!]

========================

It seemed like hours later and Buffy was laying on her stomach, on a blanket in a swimsuit, feeling thoroughly relaxed and pampered. She'd just rubbed some more sun block on Amy and now it was her turn to have Amy rub sun block on her. Qut pro quo was a lovely thing sometimes. The sun block smelled like flowers, her skin was blissfully warm and Amy's hands felt like magic sliding over her. She'd closed her eyes and was just enjoying the peace.

"What do you think we'll be doing a year from now?" Amy asked.

"Assuming I live that long?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, assuming that." Amy allowed.

"...We could move here?" Buffy ventured.

Amy laughed. "That would be awesome. What would that be like? Early retirement?"

"I guess." Buffy agreed. "Whatever you call it, I think I could be happy here. If you came with me."

"What about Gwen?" Amy asked.

"She can come too. If she wants." Buffy said without thinking much of it.

"That would be o'kay." Amy agreed thoughtfully. "You know, I really should be jealous of her, shouldn't I?" She considered.

"I don't know. Maybe." Buffy pondered it.

"Haven't you ever been jealous?" Amy asked.

Buffy pondered that too. "I wanted a dog." She said finally.

"Oh, cute." Amy said. "What kind of dog did you want?"

"One of A.J.'s friends, Kate, she had a dog. A Labrador I think. She always liked me... the dog, not Kate. Kate always thought I was a freak."

"You're not a freak. I think I hate this Kate person." Amy muttered.

"Well, technically, I am a freak; only one of me in the world after all. So I guess she wasn't wrong." Buffy reasoned. "But yeah, I hated her too. A.J. liked her though."

"How come?" Amy asked.

"She had a car." Buffy explained. "That's why I put up with her too by the way."

"But you weren't jealous of the car?" Amy asked, now perplexed.

"I suck at driving." Buffy admitted. "I'm much better at being a passenger."

"Does that mean I'm going to have to drive you places?" Amy asked.

"You don't have a car." Buffy pointed out.

"I might get one some day." Amy pointed out in return.

"...O'kay, then yes, you might have to drive me places some day. You know, if we work out together and I don't die and everything. Is that a problem?"

"Nah." Amy smiled. "I think it would be kind of cool. Like I'd be your sidekick or something. I could drive you places, you could kill vampires, then we could break speed limits and go home and get naked more quickly. It could save us a lot of time is what I'm thinking."

"I don't know. We already seem to have gotten the hang of moving fast in our relationship, don't you think?" Buffy asked.

"Well, yeah, but we had chemistry and we clicked."

"That and we were desperate for someone to be close to. Don't think I don't know that Amy. Probably why we clicked so well." She was a little sullen. "I might even have taken advantage of you a little, because I might die soon." She admitted in a lower, quieter tone.

"Yeah, maybe." Amy had to admit that could be partly true. "But I still think we love each other. It'll work out." She said positively.

"Assuming I don't die soon." Buffy pointed out again.

"Assuming that, yes." Amy agreed.

"Just so you know what you're getting yourself into." Buffy said, sighing and closing her eyes again. "I really should tell you soon, about the dying I mean?"

"Probably. But I think I'm betting on a winner." Amy said. "I have a good feeling about it."

"My feelings are confusing." Buffy complained.

She heard a cat meow, a familiar cat. She opened her eyes and tilted her head. "Oh, hey you. You're still a cat. When are you going to not be a cat again?" She asked Aslan. "I really think it would be best, even if you won't be able to purr and look cute without even trying anymore."

Aslan meowed again and looked meaningfully into her eyes.

"You make me sad sometimes, you know that?" Buffy told her cat. "But I'm glad you're with me again. I missed you when I was away. I missed mom too. I'm glad you stayed with her. Kept her safe."

"Buffy, why are you talking to your cat?" Amy asked.

"Hm? Oh, she's not a real cat Amy. She's magic. My teacher. She saved me. Now she's a cat though." Buffy sounded a little depressed by it. "She says it's not that bad though, being a cat."

"Your life is weird." Amy told her.

"Duh." Buffy laughed. "You're just figuring this out?"

"No, I just thought I should point it out again. For the record."

"Let the record reflect..." Buffy sighed. "This is turning out to be a really cool dream though. I usually don't get to go to Hawaii."

"See? I'm a good influence." Amy smiled, kissing her on the neck from behind.

"Also good at kissing." Buffy mused, feeling like she might fall asleep any second now.

========================

Thursday, September 16th, 1997;
Sunnydale, California, U.S.A.
It's 4:05 AM;
Deep under the ground,
there's (an) Angel in chains...

He strained at his bindings, gripping one of the chains with both hands and pulling again for all he was worth. The other chain had given way an hour ago, but the second one was proving to be stubborn. He grunted again with the strain and pulled harder, losing his footing on the loose packed dirt floor and falling on his tail bone. He cursed in frustration and hit the ground he fell on with his hand. He knew it was only a matter of time before he wore the chain down, it was only a question of...

"You shouldn't bother with that, boy." He heard the voice, full of a twisted amusement, before he heard them approach. Too distracted had he been trying to pull himself free apparently. He turned and got to his feet, readying for a fight. "Did you really think you could get away?" The voice asked.

"From you? Now why would I want to do that, 'boy'?" He bit back scornfully, taking note of the other familiar face among the group of nine vampires who were filing into the cavern.

Luke just laughed and walked towards him slowly. Angel braced for a fight, backing up to gain more slack on the chains. If he was lucky, he could get a chain around the big vampire's neck and use his strength to decapitate him with it. He knew it wouldn't save him, but if he was screwed either way, at least that way he would get the satisfaction of knowing that he'd at last wiped that smug grin of Luke's ugly face.

When Luke was in striking distance, Angel wasted no time in shooting a right cross at the hulking vampire's jaw. Luke shifted his body back and caught Angel's arm in an iron grip, a creeping laugh on his lips that was wiped away very quickly when Angel's knee impacted his groin. Luke growled in fury and moved forward, knocking Angel to the floor with a powerful backhand. Angel rallied with the motion though, spinning around and using a sweeping forceful momentum to crack the length of loose chain attached to his free arm right onto Luke's neck, the chain's momentum causing it to circle around and around Luke's neck, holding him solid with a choking tightness that would have easily killed him had he had need of air.

Angel tugged the chain as hard as he could, forcing Luke off his feet and pulling him into a perfect position for him to deliver a full force kick right to the center of his face. The souled vampire wasted no time getting on top of Luke, pinning him to the floor of the cavern and cementing his positioning to deliver the planned decapitation. Before he could execute it though, a rusted iron pike impacted his face and sent him reeling against the cavern wall. He struggled to his feet, the pain making it hard for him to focus his sight.

"Now, now, boys. Play nice." He heard a familiar lilting voice say. Looking up he saw his sire standing before him, the length of rusted iron he could now taste in the blood on his lips resting on her shoulder.

"Darla?" He asked blearily. He didn't have much time for continued thought or speech however, as the towering form on an enraged vampire named Luke, roaring with pain and anger, soon filled his frame of vision. All that remained then was pain and the memories of better times held dear to his heart that he hoped would see him through the night.

========================

to be continued in part twelve...
MORNING'S LIGHT RIGHT FROM THE HEART

see you next time!

Chapter 12

Title: Part 12: Morning's Light Right From The Heart

========================

part twelve:
MORNING'S LIGHT RIGHT FROM THE HEART

========================

1630 Revello Drive, the home of Joyce
Summers, her daughter Buffy Summers, and
their apparently magical cat Aslan (there are
currently two guests in residence also);
It's 6:17 in the morning, the same day;
a time to wake up...

The morning came, as mornings do, and Buffy awoke to the very pleasant feeling of having Amy's body curled up on top of hers, head tucked into her shoulder, and a hand moving in slow circles over her side. "Morning sleepy head." She heard a suspiciously wide awake and cheerful Amy speak softly from her spot using her as a pillow.

"Good morning." An affectionate smile came over Buffy's features as she ran a hand through Amy's curly hair. "You're a wonderful sight to wake up to... Early riser?" She asked, glancing at the clock and seeing that it was just after six twenty? Which was actually a little late for her, to tell the truth. She usually didn't need much sleep unless she'd been really active.

"Not especially." Amy said. "I never went to sleep actually. It was the strangest thing." She said with a little bit of wonder in her voice.

"You mean to say, you've just been laying here with me like this the whole night?" Buffy questioned, a little incredulous.

"Yup, 'fraid so." Amy admitted with a little abashedness. "It was kind of weird at first, but when I got used to it, it was really nice just laying here with you." She said, moving from her comfy spot at last to raise herself up over Buffy so she was looking down into her eyes.

Buffy smiled, meeting Amy's eyes and feeling very drawn into them. It was the first thing in the morning after all, and the logic centers of her brain had yet to fully click into place. She was sure this was a good thing though. "Are you going to kiss me now, or what?" Buffy asked with a little of a playful dare in her voice.

Amy lowered herself down slowly and their lips met, Amy running her hands through Buffy's hair and Buffy running her hands over Amy's back in slow, unhurried motions. As the kissing continued, Buffy wound her hands up over Amy's neck to tangle them up in her hair. By the time they parted at last, Buffy was breathless and feeling really blissful as she stared up at the ceiling. "God, I should wake up like this more often." She breathed.

Amy chuckled. "I could think of a lot worse ideas." She said, trailing a wondering finger around the surface of one of Buffy's breasts.

Buffy turned and looked into Amy's eyes for a moment, running an thoughtful hand over the side of her face. She moved in and started to kiss her again, this time more slowly and deliberately. Amy moaned a little as Buffy trailed down and started to kiss her neck and shoulder blades. "Ooohhh, don't stop..." Amy spoke, her eyes closed, her hands running over Buffy's back and holding her close.

"I won't." Buffy promised her in almost a whisper. "I want you... so much... Amy..." Amy was on her back now, under her, and Buffy had moved her way downwards, trailing longing, ardent kisses over her skin, making her way to the tip of one of Amy's breasts, now stirred to hardening by her attentions. Amy arched her back a little into the touch, holding Buffy's head and softly urging her on with whispered words.

A knock on the door. "Girls? Are you two up yet?" Joyce's voice asked from the hall.

Amy and Buffy both groaned in frustration; Buffy, unable to hold back a little of a giggle at the situation, rolled over onto her back beside her would-be lover. "We're awake, Ms. Summers." Amy called, rolling over to look down into Buffy's eyes with laughing eyes.

"Yeah, thanks so much for asking." Buffy muttered. Cursing the luck that she'd seemingly gotten her early rising tendencies from her mother's side of the family and not her father's.

Joyce was quiet moment and Buffy could just imagine the embarrassed look on her face and she felt guilty for it. "It's just... I've got some tea and coffee on. Some toast and cereal. For breakfast?" Joyce inquired. "I thought, maybe we could talk over breakfast?" Second time she'd said 'breakfast'. [Good job Joyce, why don't you just start rambling about birds and bees while your at it?] Joyce internally berated herself for her apparent lack of loquaciousness this morning.

"We'll be there." Amy said.

"Twenty minutes." Buffy put forth.

"Alright." Joyce said. "I'll see you then girls." And with that she turned and left.

Buffy groaned. "What'm I gone'a tell her." She whined, hiding her head against Amy's chest just below her chin.

"Um, I donknow..." Amy replied. "Tell her about what? About Gwen?" She questioned.

"Among other things. Many, many other things, both dark and scary." Buffy explained it not very well.

"I... see... Like, vampires and stuff?" Amy hazarded. "And how you're all super powered?"

"Among other things." Buffy equivocated. "It's complicated, and I don't want to worry her."

"More than she is now?" Amy asked.

"Oh, much more." Buffy said. "There are whole worlds of worry out there, that she has no idea even exist." Buffy got up and propped herself up on her side next to Amy with one elbow, a hand resting on her chin. Amy rolling over on her side and resting her head on a pillow so their eyes could meet again. "Right now, she probably thinks Gwen is here running from the cops or something. And that she's trying to get her precious troublesome wayward daughter all caught up in a life of crime again. Which is bad, I grant you. But how would saying that Gwen was chased here by demons and helped us fight a gang of blood sucking monster movie rejects help the situation exactly, I ask you?"

"I see your point." Amy had to agree, not seeing an easy solution to the problem.

"Exactly. See, it's just this sort of lose-lose dilemma I face daily." Buffy said woefully. "And that's not the worst of it, believe me." Buffy lay back and let her head fall onto a pillow so she could look up at the ceiling, and Amy followed her over, getting up next to her so she could look down into her eyes.

"I do..." Amy said. "And I wish I could help somehow..." Amy absently played with a lock of Buffy's hair with her fingers as she thought.

"I wish you could to." Buffy agreed, lifting her head up and planting a quick kiss on Amy's lips. "But I don't think this is one even Solemn could solve.... It is a lot better just having you with me though. It helps a lot." Buffy traced a hand over Amy's face and in her hair a little. "You have this way of making me believe anything's possible, you know?" She admitted.

"Well... maybe it is?" Amy said. "It certainly seems to me like it could be anyway." Amy lay her head on Buffy's shoulder and let her mind wonder. "Yesterday morning I would have said: invulnerability bracelets, girls with electricity powers, demons, vampiress... superhero girlfriends, and even just dancing with you at The Bronze in front of everyone like we did? It all would have been impossible to me. Yet here I am, and it all actually was possible after all." Amy got up and looked Buffy in the eyes. "See what I'm saying?" She asked with a quirky smile.

"Yeah..." Buffy agreed with a bemused smile of her own, the new perspective her girlfriend offered having not really occurred to her in longer than she would have liked to admit. "Yeah, I do see what you mean." Buffy ruffled Amy's hair a little with one hand. "I really love you, you know that?"

"Just one more thing I wouldn't have thought possible." Amy said, laying back down on Buffy's shoulder.

"I still don't know what I'm going to say to her." Buffy pointed out logically.

"...Well... How about this. Imagine you were her, and you had you for a daughter. What would you choose? Truth, or fiction?" Amy asked, pondering the choice herself.

Buffy sat there silently for a few moments, trying to imagine what she would want in that situation. If she had a daughter who was a Slayer, and she herself never had been one. "I don't know." Buffy said. "I just don't know." She sounded defeated. "What would you choose?" She turned the question back to Amy, hoping the other girl would have some insight she lacked.

"Umm..." Amy was still trying to deicide that herself. "I guess... I guess I'd probably want to know the truth." She finally concluded.

"But why?" Buffy asked plaintively. "After all you've seen?"

"What I've seen is you saving a girl's life and protecting people from monsters." Amy pointed out. "That's not really such a bad thing, is it?" She asked.

"No, I guess not... but..."

"Listen, I don't pretend to have the answers about this, but... I'd want to know. I'd want to know who my daughter was... even if it came with a price attached. At least... I think I would anyway..." Amy admitted, some doubt in her decision surfacing.

Buffy lay there and pondered this. "You know... I ran away from home once." She said. "To be with Gwen."

"To be with... You were in love with her?" Amy asked.

"I still am I guess." Buffy admitted. "Maybe not in exactly the same way as back then, but yeah, I still love her very much."

Amy was silent for a moment. "What happened?"

"Mom and dad and I, we got in this huge fight about her. They didn't like her, didn't want me to see her anymore. But I had to Amy, they didn't know... Mom said I had to choose. Her or them. I chose her."

"...Where did you go?" Amy asked, still trying to digest this news.

"Gwen had a place. It wasn't that much, but it was nice, and it felt like home. It was home for a while.... I know, things didn't work out in the end. She couldn't even... look at me, anymore... I had to go. And she told me, I should just go back home. Be with my family. So that's what I did... Only, by then, my dad had left my mom. And, she was really broken up over... everything. Loosing him, losing me... I tired to help, to be there for her... I don't know. Sometimes I think it would have been better for her, safer, if I'd just stayed gone. Made a life for myself out there on my own somewhere. I know I could have done it... Amy...?" Buffy looked down and saw that Amy was crying. "Amy, I'm sorry. Don't cry, please don't cry..." Buffy almost pleaded in a soft imploring voice, her emotions brimming too close to the surface. Those tears were for her.

"M'sorry..." Amy said. "I'll stop.... Buffy, you're an awesome person. Maybe the best one ever..." She looked up at Buffy. "You didn't do anything wrong." She said. "I don't know everything, or how things will turn out, but I do know... that your mom would be really proud of you. She'd have to be." Amy hugged Buffy close to her and hid her head against Buffy's skin for s few moments.

"You really think so?" Buffy wondered at the idea. Would her mom really take things that well?

"Well, either that or she'd freak out and throw a fit." Amy admitted, in all honesty.

"That's what I thought." Buffy had to agree, rubbing the bridge of her nose, the answer still not coming to her.

"Buffy, why... Why couldn't Gwen look at you?" Amy asked.

"Huh?" That came out of nowhere.

"You said, she couldn't even look at you anymore. Why? What happened?" Amy asked, not being able to help but want to know that at least.

"Oh, that... It was, because I died... because I was stupid and I forgot... Just once. One stupid mistake..." Buffy admitted, beating herself up over it all over again.

"You died?!" Amy got up and looked down at her with a concerned look on her face.

"It was stupid..." Buffy looked away. "We'd just gotten back from a night out on the town. We'd had a great dinner at this nice restaurant in midtown, and taken on this nest of vampires we'd heard about living in an old textiles factory that was within walking distance of a new residential development out on the outskirts of town. The place used to be all factories. We'd totally kicked butt, those guys were complete losers. It was almost funny. We were laughing and talking about our night when we got home... I was so happy... But then... Well, Gwen took off her insulation gear as soon as she got inside... She'd gotten that comfortable around me, she didn't even worry about it anymore... I made a joke about this big guy in the vampire gang, he'd fallen into this... anyway, Gwen tripped over a pair of jeans I'd left on the floor for some reason... She was falling, I caught her. Didn't even think. We fell onto the floor together, I still remember her looking down at me with these wide, panicky eyes, like she couldn't believe what just happened for a moment, you know? She was shouting something at me not go... and everything went black, and I died. But then a minute later I was back, and Gwen could hardly look at me. She had tears in her eyes and she shut herself in the bedroom and wouldn't come out..."

"What... what happened? How'd you not die?" Amy asked, feeling the sadness in the memory almost like it was hers.

"She jumpstarted my heart again. Like those paddle things you see on TV?" Buffy explained. "It was never the same after that though. Gwen just seemed to close off... We tired, but Gwen just got so jumpy around me. I tried to tell her it was okay, that I'd just have to learn to be more careful. It didn't do any good though... I could tell I was just making it worse staying. So... I left..."

"I'm so sorry..." Amy said.

"Yeah... So was I..." Buffy remembered.

Amy just held her like that for a while, comforting her.

"And now we really do have to get out of bed, or my mom's gone'a be up here again telling me to get my lazy ass out of bed." Buffy joked. But as her girlfriend got up and out of bed, Amy could tell that those emotions were still pretty raw and she was maybe withdrawing a little to avoid them.

"Right." Amy said. "Can't let the toast get cold, can we?"

"No, we wouldn't want that." Buffy gave Amy a grateful smile as she went and put on some underwear "And thanks... For listing to me." Buffy said.

"That's what girlfriends are for." Amy said. "Well, among other things." She pondered with a little of a flirtatious smile sent Buffy's way.

"And just what other things did you have in mind for me?" Buffy asked. Tugging on some jeans.

Amy went over and hugged her from behind, whispering in her ear. "Oh, you know what they are. You've had more experience with them than me. You're my first girlfriend after all."

Buffy laughed and turned around to kiss Amy.

"See, I knew you would figure it out." Amy said with an affectionate smile. "So..." Amy said, backing up and sitting on the edge of the bed to let Buffy put on a shirt. "Do you know what we're going to tell her?" She asked, tugging on a shirt of her own that she'd borrowed from Buffy. Luckily they were about the same size. And she'd left her school stuff here last night anyway, so she was all set. [If only I really did live here with her...] Amy thought sadly of having to go back to her own house tomorrow night and face her mother again. Lord only knew how she'd react to her daughter staying out all night without her permission. Although, after what she'd faced last night, her mom somehow didn't seem nearly as intimidating as she had before.

"I don't know... I can't really think of a good lie this time... So maybe I'll just have to try the truth for once." Buffy finally said. "Or at least small doses of the truth." She qualified. "What do you think?"

"Sounds o'kay to me..." Amy said. "I've got your back, whatever you decide." She pledged, giving Buffy another affectionate look.

"Thanks..." Buffy said, going over to stand in front of Amy and take her hands, helping her up off the bed and then looking into her eyes for a moment. "Kiss for luck?" She asked.

"Yeah." Amy said, moving in the few inches that separated them and delivering a tender kiss that soon turned deeper.

"We should go check on Gwen before we go down though." Buffy remembered as they parted.

"O'kay." Amy said happily. "You really think she's going to be o'kay in just a day after all that?" She asked, having found it hard to imagine.

"Probably mostly." Buffy said as they went to the door. "Maybe two days. I don't know."

"What about that vampire in the cave?" Amy asked. "The one Gwen said had a soul?"

"Oh, that's right. I'd forgot about him..." Buffy admitted. "Oh well, we can check on him after school or something... He's probably already gotten loose anyway. I can't imagine those chains would hold a vampire who really wanted out of them for too long..."

"Then why didn't he do that when he was captured?" Amy asked as they got to Gwen's room.

"Because the other vampires would have been there to stop him." She pointed out. "Of course I could be wrong. The chains could be stronger than they looked."

"You have a lot of experience with chains?" Amy asked skeptically.

"Ew! Amy, gross!" Buffy protested. "God no."

"Well, that's a relief." Amy said. "I was beginning to wonder." They went into the room.

"Yeah, well don't." Buffy said, keeping her good humor about the whole thing.

"Hey guys." They heard a sleepy voice from the bed. "What time'isit?" The light from the hallway and the dim glow of the morning sun just having risen behind the curtains in the room the only sources of light.

"Somewhere around six thirty I think." Buffy said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, noticing that Aslan had chosen to spend the night on the chair in the corner of the room. The cat, having perked up at their arrival, moved to jump over onto the bed next to Gwen, noticeably keeping a careful distance. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, about like you'd expect." Gwen said tiredly. "What was that you were saying about Angel?" She asked.

"Her hearing's about as good as mine." Buffy told Amy, a little distractedly as she scratched Aslan's head with care, looking into her cat's eyes.

Amy nodded. "We were planning to go check on him later." She explained.

"Oh, o'kay. That's good then." Gwen said, still kind'a sleepy.

"Are you hungry?" Amy asked, sitting closer to Gwen and attentively moving a few strands of her hair out of her face.

Gwen reached a hand up and cradled Amy's hand to her cheek. "God, that feels so nice..." Gwen sighed. "Yeah." She said, self-consciously letting go of Amy's hand. "Some breakfast would be really nice." She said, looking at Buffy who was looking at them with a little of a wistful look. "I just need to rest some more..." Gwen said.

"O'kay" Amy said.

"We'll bring you up some stuff to eat a little later." Buffy said, her voice full of care. She hadn't realized lately just how much she'd missed having Gwen around. Even during the fighting and stuff last night, it had just been so nice to hear her voice again. To have her there. Despite the trouble it might cause, she hoped the girl she still loved would stay in town once all was said and done.

"I'll be right here." Gwen said with just a touch of humor in her voice. "...How's your mom taking having me around?" She asked self-consciously.

"Um, well... She's not very happy about it... As you might imagine." Buffy admitted.

"Well, I am the girl who led her daughter into a life of sin. You can't really blame her, can you?" Gwen said with a dose of wry honestly.

"No, I guess you can't at that." Buffy teased her back. "I'm going to tell her the truth Gwen." She said in all seriousness. "You need to stay with us for a while... and she needs to understand why..." Buffy said, now feeling a lot better about her decision to be honest with her mother.

"Buffy... If it's just for me..." Gwen said.

"It mostly is, but I'm telling her and that's all there is to it." Buffy said, her confidence and belief in Gwen showing through in her words.

"I... thanks..." Gwen said. "I don't know if I deserve it, but..."

"Of course you do." Amy put in.

"Amy..." Gwen looked at her. "You shouldn't be so sure of that..."

"Well I am, and so is Buffy." Amy said.

"She's right you know." Buffy agreed.

"Buffy... you know..."

"Look, we'll talk more later. If we don't go downstairs and have toast soon. My mom's gone'a send up a search party. O'kay?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, o'kay" Gwen smiled at them.

Amy gave Gwen a hug and then they left the room to go downstairs and meet their fate.

========================

to be continued in part thirteen...
IT'S ONLY THE TRUTH WHEN YOU TELL IT WITH FORKS

see you next time!

Chapter 13

Title: Part 13: It's Only The Truth When You Tell It With Forks

========================

part thirteen:
IT'S ONLY THE TRUTH WHEN YOU TELL IT WITH FORKS

========================

6:42 AM the same day; Some people say:
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day...

Buffy peeked around the way and saw the table set with toast and jam and apple slices.

"She must be in the kitchen." She turned to tell Amy.

"Then why are we in the hallway whispering?" She asked Buffy.

"Hm, good question." Buffy admitted.

Amy chuckled.

"Girls? Is that you?" Joyce called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, we're here." Buffy admitted. "I guess it's show time." This said to Amy in a softer voice.

Amy followed along as Buffy went into the kitchen. "Hi, Ms. Summers." Amy greeted.

"Good morning Amy. How are you doing? Did you sleep well?" She asked, getting the coffee pot off the machine and freshening up her cup.

"Oh, um, well..." Amy trailed off, unsure of what to say. "I'm fine." She said, sidestepping the sleep question.

"Do you, would you like some tea?" Joyce asked, clearly a little unsure of herself. "Buffy always drinks tea you see, I don't know where she gets it from." She laughed a little. "Coffee drinkers, on both sides of the family for years."

"Tea would be fine... Thanks." Amy said, Buffy still noticeably quiet.

"Buffy?" Joyce asked.

"Tea's good. Mint would be nice." She commented, looking around the room like she might have just seen it for the first time.

"And you two would like cereal I guess?" Joyce asked.

"I can get that." Buffy offered, going over to the cabinets and showing Amy the selection of cereal.

"I'll take the frosted flakes." Amy said.

"O'kay" Buffy acknowledged, taking out the requested cereal. She handed off bran flakes to her mom and took out a box of Total for herself, and a box of instant oatmeal for herself too. "Oatmeal?" Buffy offered Amy.

"Sure!" Amy agreed happily. She wasn't really noticeably hungry, but she didn't want to miss out on a chance to eat some good food before going back to school, and from there to her mother's food tyranny at home.

"Well it's good to see Buffy finally found someone who likes to eat as much as she does." Joyce said, laughing. "Seriously, I don't know where she puts it all sometimes." She commented from her seat as she watched Buffy fix them all cereal and poor milk. She was always doing this, ever since she got back from being away, she always pitched in in the kitchen or just did things around the house without being asked to. Since she'd come back Joyce had sometimes mused that it was actually more like having a roommate than a daughter, she had gotten so self-sufficient. She wasn't a roommate though, she told herself, she was her teenaged daughter.

Amy laughed a little. "Yeah, she mentioned you said that once. I think it's awesome. I never get to eat like this at home."

"Oh, really? Why not?" Joyce asked.

"My mom... she's, um, kind'a a, um heath freak." Amy equivocated, embarrassed by the truth.

"Ha! She's a freakin' Nazi is what she is." Buffy grumbled. "You should have seen that pathetic lunch she gave Amy the other day. Just this measly little salad and a juice box." Buffy shook her head. "Evil." She said ruefully. "She must be stopped."

"Oh, dear." Joyce said.

"Yeah, she is pretty bad." Amy admitted, going over to give Buffy a hug from behind for being so sweet.

"She doesn't give you enough to eat?" Joyce asked.

"They feed us okay at school, and I use my own money to buy things." Amy explained.

"That's awful." Joyce said, feeling a lot of sympathy for Amy now. What kind of mother wouldn't even give her own daughter enough to eat?

"Yeah, well I found my princess in shining armor yesterday, and she gave me half her ham sandwich and some Reece's cups. So I'm good." She hugged Buffy to her proudly, very happy to be here with her.

Joyce got an indulgent smile on her face looking at her daughter and Amy interacting. The light in Buffy's eyes when she was near Amy, how at ease they were with each other. And after only a day? [How does she do that?] Joyce wondered again, once again a bit in awe of her own daughter's ability to get along and thrive in the world. "You two seem really good for each other." Joyce complemented.

"You think?" Buffy said, pleased by the praise of her new relationship, especially coming from her mom whom she knew wasn't exactly comfortable with the subject.

"Yes, I really do." Joyce said. The microwave went off.

"Oatmeal's done." Buffy went immediately to check on it.

"She has a one track mind for food sometimes." Joyce explained.

"I do not." Buffy commented, all the while diligently preparing the oatmeal to exacting specifications with just the right accompaniments. Chief amongst which was lots of brown sugar.

"Uh huh." Joyce said. "Don't believe her for a second Amy." Joyce said conspiratorially.

"Hey! No bad mouthing me to my girlfriend." Buffy scolded her mom. "Here you go Amy." Buffy proudly presented the oatmeal to Amy, who took a test spoonful in her mouth. "Well?"

Amy hummed with pleasure. "That's it, you are just way too good to be true." Amy shook her head.

"So you like it?" She asked hopefully.

"So much so, I seriously would marry you if you proposed right now." Amy pledged, taking another hungry scoop of the oatmeal and savoring it.

"Well, I think we should hold off on the wedding for a while." Joyce said. "But it is pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"You've tasted it?" Amy asked.

"Oh, yes. Her oatmeal is legendary." Joyce praised. "She's a savant with making anything that doesn't actually involve cooking." She explained.

"It's a gift." Buffy accepted the comment. "And microwaves count as cooking." She clarified in her own defense.

"If you say so." Joyce replied.

"The food gets warm, doesn't it? That's cooking." Buffy argued logically.

"I'm with her. It's definitely cooking." Amy put in, taking another bite of oatmeal.

"See? Amy believes me." Buffy hugged her, and kissed the part of her chin close to her ear before going over and picking up her cereal bowl and carrying it along to the dining room table.

Joyce picked up her cereal and coffee too and went out into the dining room, almost saddened to have that moment of... happiness, she guessed, halted. It had been like time had just skipped a beat back there, and made it almost like a family in her house again. Not what she would have thought of as a family at any time before of course, but she'd come to accept her daughter pretty well by now... Now it just seemed, normal to her somehow. And seeing her daughter so happy, laughing and joking with her in the kitchen, having them feel comfortable enough around her to do that... It was quite something. Still, she had to remember to not let Buffy avoid telling her about why Gwen was here, about anything she could coax her daughter to tell her. Buffy wasn't very a good liar. Not at all. But when she wanted to avoid a subject? Well, it was like cooking without a stove, she had skills.

Buffy hurried back into the kitchen for some glasses of water for them and then set down and started eating. It was like a strange silence had fallen over them now.

"So...I think we have some things we need to talk about, don't we?" Joyce broke the silence.

Buffy stopped eating and sighed, putting down her spoon and looking over at her mom. "What do you want to know?" She asked.

"Gwen. Why is she here. What happened to you three last night, Buffy?" Joyce asked plaintively.

"...That's not... easy to answer. You might not want to know." Buffy warned. "I don't know the details of what's going on that got her here myself." She admitted. "I haven't had a good chance to ask her yet.... But I'm sure whatever it is, there's a good explanation for it." She assured her mother.

"Uh huh." Joyce said, tempted to say something else that wasn't very kind, but catching herself in time. "What do you know?"

"I know she helped me save someone's life tonight. I know she's saved a lot of people's lives since before I even knew her." Buffy spoke with conviction in defense of Gwen. "I know she's a good person, mom."

Joyce didn't quite know how to react to that.

Buffy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I'm sorry..." She knew she maybe overreacted again. "I guess, I should start from the beginning?" She asked.

Joyce was unsure, she glanced over at Amy before looking back at her daughter. "I think that would be best." She said in agreement.

"O'kay, well, uh, and this is going to sound more then a little strange. But it really all started ten days after A.J. and I... after we broke up. I woke up from this truly bizarre and scary dream, and things just felt different. I didn't know what it was until I went out running. It was a Saturday, and I... I just wanted to. Well, you remember how I was then."

Joyce nodded yes, although it was plain to see she had no clue where this was all going. Amy on the other hand was listening intently, and clearly trying to lend her nonverbal support to her girlfriend too.

"Are you sure you want to know this?" Buffy hedged. "You won't like it, and... you'll probably wish I hadn't told you. But I will tell you this time... if you ask me to." She offered, meeting her mother's gaze with clear eyes.

Joyce was a little taken aback by that look, and something told her, her daughter was being serious. "You're my daughter Buffy, I want to know the truth. Whatever that is, whatever it is, we'll handle it. I'll still be here for you." She was getting even more worried now. What had her daughter been keeping from her? Whatever it was though... she'd already made up her mind, she'd do whatever it took. She wouldn't drive her daughter away from her again. "Tell me the truth." Joyce said with determination of her own. "What happened?"

Buffy looked away a moment, and then spoke. "Well... Like I said, I went running... I got to jogging along, and it was really easy. Like I didn't even have to try at it. So, after a while, I just decided to try going faster. Mom, I ran a lot faster. Like fast as a car fast. It was so freaky." Buffy continued her story. "I...

"Wait, wait just a minute. Buffy..." This was so out of left field, why was her daughter saying this? Did she really think she was this dense? "What is this. You ran as fast as a car?" Was all this some sick kind of practical joke? Why would Buffy do this? "I know I must seem gullible to you or something, but you can't really expect me to believe this?? Come on Buffy, if you don't want to tell me the truth..." Joyce was understandably upset, frustrated, and getting more than a little mad at her daughter.

"It is the truth." Amy broke in.

"Amy..." Joyce looked at the girl. "Look, I'm not going to listen to this. I..." Joyce fell silent as she saw Amy pick up her fork and jab it as hard as she could into her hand. Joyce let loose a scream of disbelieving fright at what she naturally thought was this seemingly sane and normal seeming girl just stabbing herself right in front of her. Instead, Amy's stabbing hand just slid down the fork's handle as it impacted her skin and Amy held the fork and the undamaged hand she'd stabbed out for Joyce to see that there wasn't any blood.

"You can try it yourself if you think it's a trick." Amy said confidently, offering Joyce the fork.

"I don't... I..." Joyce looked from Amy's hand to the fork again in bewilderment. "How?" She asked.

Buffy looked at Amy, a little amazed by her quick thinking and creative solution. "Well, you see..." She looked back to her mother trying to get the words together again.

"Gwen gave me an invincibility bracelet last night." Amy said, proudly holding the golden band on her arm up for inspection. "As long as I wear it, nothing hurts me." She looked from Buffy to Buffy's baffled mother. "A vampire even tried to bite me and everything..." Her voice kind of just trailed off and she felt kind of embarrassed saying things like this that she knew were so... out there.

"A vampire..." Joyce said, rather at a loss.

"Yeah, um, funny thing about that... I'm kind of a... demon hunter, or, well, they call what I do being a Slayer in fact." Buffy admitted. "It's a whole destiny thing, I am the chosen one." She said it kind of mockishly, because, really, the whole thing did kind of deserve to be mocked, both for how cliché it sounded and for the mess it made out of her life sometimes. And the impending and increasingly ambiguous date with Darla/death, not to forget that.

"And... Gwen, she...?" Joyce asked.

"Lighting power." Amy added helpfully. "It's really cool."

"Uh... huh..." Joyce found herself rubbing the bridge of her nose much the way her daughter tended to do sometimes. All of this was clearly nuts after all, but then, what about the fork?

========================

7:10 AM the same day; once upon a
time there was high school and a house,
and between the two? Walking.

"That went pretty well." Amy smiled as she walked out of Buffy's house with her hands behind her back, carrying her school bag that way.

Buffy was a couple paces ahead of her and turned to look back at her, her hands in her pockets and a contemplative look on her face. "I guess so..." She hesitantly agreed. "But, I think it hasn't really sunk in yet. So..."

"So she could freak out while we're at school and be waiting at home for you with the people in the long white coats who have the big nets that are more for people than butterflies, is that what you're saying Anne?" Amy questioned with a smile on her face as she slung her book bag over her shoulder and fell into step beside her girlfriend headed to the sidewalk.

Buffy looked over at Amy with a dubiously questioning look on her face. "That's just silly." She said. "As if butterfly nets are really going to be any kind of a threat, even if they are people sized." Buffy made light. [Still, it's definitely of the good we had time to walk instead of her driving us... space was definitely needed.] "...Hey, you called me Anne just now?" She noticed belatedly.

Amy chuckled a little. "I thought I'd try it out to see how it sounded." She informed her.

"How was it?" Buffy asked with some wry amusement, kind of liking hearing someone call her by that name again.

"Mm, I don't know... I think I kind'a like that name for you... but I like 'Buffy' a lot too. Why did Gwen start calling you that, anyway?" Amy asked curiously.

"Middle name." Buffy explained.

"Oh, that makes sense." Amy seemed to be thinking about something.

"What's your middle name?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Lauren. But I'm not sure I want that to be my nickname if that's what you're thinking." Amy hastened to qualify.

"Why not? Lauren's a good name." Buffy asked.

"Do you really think I look like my name's Lauren?" Amy questioned, not really being able to picture it.

Buffy kind of shrugged a little. "Seems o'kay to me." She pondered. "...I'll try'n think of something else for a nickname though if you don't like it."

Amy smiled. "Really?"

"Mm-hm, unless you don't want me to, I mean."

Amy considered it. "No, it's o'kay... And I guess it'd be o'kay if you called me Lauren sometimes, if you want to I mean."

Buffy smiled and looked up to the sky. "Laurie maybe?"

Amy laughed. "I'll leave it up to you."

"Anything I want?" Buffy looked over at Amy in mild surprise.

"Sure... Wait. I should probably reserve veto power, in case of an emergency shouldn't I?" She questioned.

"I would, if I were you. I get weird ideas sometimes, you know. Like, I could call you Romeo... you know, if I can't find you some time. It's just how my mind works." She explained.

"If you can't find... oh, I get it." Amy found herself giggling a little bit. "Would that make you Juliet then?" Amy asked pensively.

"As long as we both get to live, you can call me a Capulet or a Montague and I wouldn't mind at all." Buffy said with a kind of happy-go-lucky air about her.

Amy laughed. "And here I thought you and Shakespeare didn't get along."

"They played the movie in school my freshman year back at Hemery." Buffy explained. "I so wish I'd had you to study with back then, A.J. was worse than me at that stuff and none of our other friends really got it either."

Amy looked down at the sidewalk in front of her as they walked. "I wish I knew you back then too." She said, thinking of how different her life might have been if she and Buffy's first girlfriend had had each other's lives. "I still can't believe you were a cheerleader though." Amy looked ahead of her again.

"My mom might still have the outfit in a box somewhere, if you really want proof..." Buffy offered innocently.

Amy looked over to her in question and abruptly burst out laughing.

Buffy laughed to. "What? Come on, it was a serious offer." She said smiling. "I might even be able to remember some of the cheers."

"I think I'd find that more frightening than sexy to be honest." Amy admitted with a little chagrin.

"You think so?"

"Honestly, yeah... Regular you is who I'd pick any day I think." Amy said softly.

"...That is so sweet, Amy." Buffy said reaching over and taking Amy's hand in hers and squeezing it gently.

Amy smiled back, looking over so their eyes met. "I do want to though, with you? If your mom hadn't come in, I would have wanted to keep going... I... I really want to keep going... with you. You know, in a bed?" She bumped Buffy's shoulder a little, not able to look in Buffy's direction so much because she was feeling a little awkward putting herself out there so much, but also feeling weirdly secure with Buffy holding her hand like she was.

"..Yeah... I... me to. Really me to." Buffy admitted, feeling just a little embarrassed, but only just a little. "I had a dream you know... we were on a beach in Hawaii, we talked about it there. You in the dream talked about it with me in the dream I mean. But... You should know... we just should talk about some stuff first o'kay?

"What kind of stuff?" Amy asked.

Buffy looked up into the sky. "Like I might be killed soon." She admitted. "My dreams..."

Amy stopped walking and Buffy did too. "Dreams?" She asked quietly, the tone of Buffy's voice telling her this was a serious thing for her.

"I have dreams, about the future some times. All Slayers have had them." Buffy explained. "Since right before we left to move here, my dreams have been telling me someone's going to kill me."

Amy was quiet. "Who?"

"I think it was that blonde vampire... from the cave? I'd never met her before, but when I saw her, I was like 'that's her, that's the girl who kills me'... Her name's Darla. I don't know how I know that, but I do..."

Amy was quiet. She really wasn't sure what to do or what to make of this. Inside, she felt like she was going a little insane actually, but the feeling didn't stay that long. She was standing close to Buffy, they had eye contact, and Buffy took her other hand up too.

"I don't plan on letting it happen though." She assured her with as much confidence as she had to offer. "It's not for sure. My dreams don't always happen in real life like it happens in the dreams. I can change it, if I do the right things... I'm sorry, I, I should have told you... I just, well, I've never dreamed about dying before, and the dreams feel so real sometimes..." She trailed off. "It's not really that easy to face it, I wish it was but it's just not... I mean, I know logically I could die anytime when I fight like I do, but actually living through it, in my dreams, it's different..."

Amy let out a shaky breath and impulsively hugged her girlfriend.

"Amy..." Buffy returned the hug and closed her eyes, not able to keep from noticing how very good it felt to hold another person and be held back. She didn't think she really realized just how much she'd missed that with Gwen until just this moment.

"Don't die." Amy said simply. "I couldn't stand it..."

"...Then, then I won't." Buffy said. "I promise, I won't die. And... You believe me, right? About not dying."

"I want to kill her myself." Amy said, something desolately cold in her voice.

"Amy..."

"Darla, I want to kill her. I swear, if I can, I'll kill her for you. She can't even hurt me, right?" Amy stepped back and looked in Buffy's eyes.

Buffy's eyes were confused but soft, and Amy kissed her. Buffy gasped at how demanding it was. She moaned a little and felt her heart start to beat faster in her chest.

"Wow..." Buffy breathed. "Do that any time you want, please..." She smiled a little wryly.

"O'kay." Amy said, a little embarrassed.

Buffy fell against her shoulder and rested her head there. "We don't really know that much about each other, do we?" She asked softly.

"...I guess not." Amy admitted, biting her lower lip a little and holding Buffy closer. She saw some people looking at them from by a car in the driveway of one of the houses close by but decided she really didn't care even a little any more. Feeling that way didn't make her feel brave though really, it, she guessed it must just not all seem really real to her yet. But it was real though, she knew it was.

"You still want to have sex with me?" Buffy asked.

"Duh." Amy said, with a little smile.

"Even if it might be a little because I think I might die and I'm kind of desperate to feel alive or something?" She told her in a nervous sort of harsh honesty. Buffy felt Amy tense against her. "It's not the main reason, I really don't think it is, but... it might be part of it. I won't lie. I really think I am in love with you, I wouldn't lie about... I wouldn't say that unless I believed it. But I also... I probably wouldn't have... and you know, after Gwen and everything, I... I think a part of me just wanted to be close to someone again. You know, make a connection? A real one. Even now, I really want to... to be close, physically, emotionally... I think I could be a little needy. I don't know, I'm a little messed up I think." She admitted with a little stark self reflection. "I just..." She looked back up into Amy's eyes and didn't know quite what else to say.

"Anne... Buffy, um..." She still didn't feel like it was really real, but in a way she did. It was like, maybe the rest of her life before Buffy, that had been the dream, and she'd just woken up or something?

"Yeah?" Buffy said softly, tilting her head and touching Amy's face lightly with a little trepidation.

"You'll still want to be... with me, after, right? After you don't die?" Amy asked, sounding kind of shaky and trembling just a little. "I don't care about any of the other stuff. Just tell me that, please just..."

Buffy cut her off with a gentle, lingering kiss. "Amy, yes, alright? Yes. I want to try at least. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, or even tonight, but I think... it's really good with us, right?" She asked. "I think it is." She continued. "I think we... I think we could be really good together." She told her.

Amy responded by giving Buffy a quick kiss that was more of a peck than a real kiss. She smiled. "You are such a cool girlfriend." She said. "It's... I mean, you just said all that stuff to me, I'd... I don't think I could have said something like that if it was me." She admitted, thinking of all the things about her own life she hadn't told the other girl yet. "But... I think, I think we're really good together too. It's like, when I'm with you.... it's like I'm really alive. For the first time, like, ever... I feel a little like I might be going insane sometimes, but..." She kind of lost her place in her mind and sort of skipped a track. "Hey, wait a minute... if you knew about ...Why'd you even come here then? I mean, the dreams..."

"...My destiny." Buffy said. "Aslan said I had to come. That I was needed here." She looked up at the sky a little.

"...Your cat?" Amy asked blankly.

"She's not really." Buffy explained looking over at Amy again. "Come on, we'll be late for school. I'll tell you more about it on the way."

"...o'kay." Amy said, taking Buffy's hand up in hers in a kind of possessive way and starting to walk with her again in the direction of the school. [So, talking cats now... And we're sure my name's not Alice, right?] Amy wondered to herself, in a Disney sort of way - not that any of this was really at all Disney of course, more like 20th Century Fox.

"So..."

"So, if your cat's not really a cat, what is she? A rabbit maybe?" Amy asked.

"Mongoose." Buffy said reflectively.

"Lie." Amy contradicted.

"Caught me." Buffy smiled. "It's a cool story, actually. See there was this warlock, had these really creepy eyes... made you want to poke them." Her nose scrunched up a little.

"Did you?" Amy asked.

"Just the once; it was kind of funny, but also gross..."

========================

to be continued in part fourteen...
THE LIBRARIAN IS A SPY (TRUE STORY)

see you next time!

[End notes:

My longest chapter yet! :)

Thanks for the awesome reviews oh wonderful readers of my story so far, please keep them coming!

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