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skylar0graceTitle: Where We Began (Fractured Hearts Trilogy – Part One).
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete; Multi-Chaptered.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: The greatest challenge of their lives is about to begin.
Spoilers: All of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.
Disclaimer: ‘Supernatural’ and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended. ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended.
Notes: Set after ‘Chosen’ of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and during Season Three of Supernatural.
Dean pulled up in front of an inconspicuous house. As he parked the car, he glanced at the figure in the back. She had sat in the backseat, with the girl’s body across her lap and was staring sadly at her. When she realised they had arrived, her eyes snapped forward and when she noticed Dean looking at her in the mirror, she turned to pick up the girl beside her.
Buffy carried the girl up the driveway and tapped the door with her toe. It was immediately answered by a man in a tweed coat who ushered her inside. Seeing the two men behind her, he turned surprised as she simply said, “It’s okay” and walked inside laying the body on the linoleum floor. Blood still caked the deep wound to the girls’ stomach and Buffy sighed as she walked over to the kitchen sink and washed her arms. She cringed when she saw the tear in her own shirt.
Dean and Sam walked up to the kitchen table, avoiding the body on the floor. Another man appeared from the corridor and both unknown men picked up the body and carried her into one of the rooms. Sam saw the defeated look cross Buffy’s face and felt sorry for her.
“Look. We don’t know who you are, but we’re hunters. I’m Sam and this is my brother Dean,” he said, pointing to his scowling brother next to him.
Buffy looked up, surprised. “I’m Buffy,” she began, “I’m a Slayer. I assume you were after the Polgara?”
“Slayer?” Dean gruffly asked. “Like the band?” Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed at the response. It wasn’t the one she usually heard but she had heard it, especially from the older hunters.
“Yes, I’m in a band. I was out playing guitar in the woods when…”
“I thought Slayers were a myth,” Sam cut in.
“Well, you thought wrong,” she refuted.
“Sam?” Sam pulled his gaze away from the woman before them and faced his enquiring brother.
“Dad made a small reference to Slayers in his journal. One girl called to fight the forces of evil, usually vampires, with supernatural skill and strength. When one dies, another is called. He thought they were a myth.” Sam turned to Buffy who was staring at her destroyed top. “So you’re the Slayer?”
“No,” Buffy responded, walking toward and sitting down at the table. Sam and Dean followed suit. “Not the only one. A couple of years ago, we turned the tide on an apocalypse that had started. A very powerful witch I know made all potential slayers, Slayers. We managed to avert the apocalypse but destroyed Sunnydale in the process. There is nothing there now but a big ol’ hole.” She had a small smile on her face as she thought about The First’s defeat.
“You did that?” Dean asked, clearly shocked.
“Unfortunately. But it closed the hellmouth so it worked out for the best. However, we had to then find all these girls and train them. That’s what she was,” Buffy explained, pointing to the back of the house. “There is another hellmouth in Cleveland so we started a private school and train the girls there until they are ready.”
The two men appeared from the back of the house and the older one stepped forward and addressed Buffy, ignoring the two brothers as though they weren’t there. “We called Mr Giles and he asked us to return to Cleveland with her body. He also asked that you call him.”
“Fine,” Buffy replied, as she pulled out her mobile. “I’ll see you back in Cleveland.”
She waved as they exited the back of the house and an engine was heard starting up. Buffy dialled the number she knew by heart and placed the phone in the centre of the table. Dean turned to Sam as he heard the ringing. Obviously, she had put the call on speaker. Sam shrugged.
“Buffy?” the voice asked.
“Hey, Giles,” she answered. “Sorry I didn’t get to her in time.”
Both men saw the guilt she held onto for the loss of one of her Slayers. Dean didn’t know if she was wearing it openly or if she didn’t know how to mask the pain. The woman opposite him had strength and power but she also had the same fundamental human flaws. The pain didn’t mar her beauty though and if anything, made her humanity stand out.
“It’s okay,” Giles responded soothingly, “What happened?”
“She was dead when I got there. By the way, I picked up two hunters. Their names are Dean and Sam.”
“Dean and Sam Winchester?” Giles asked. Buffy looked up as Sam nodded. “Yeah.” Buffy responded, “Do you know them?”
“No, but they’re a family of hunters. Two sons of John. They closed a hellmouth recently.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows and looked at the two men seated before her. She was surprised. They must be stronger than she gave them credit for. She had never met another hunter that had closed a hellmouth before; didn’t know if any had ever done so.
Dean shifted nervously in his seat. He wasn’t comfortable being known by someone whom he didn’t know himself. It was dangerous if their information fell into the wrong hands. “How do you know about us?”
If Giles was surprised to hear someone else, his voice didn’t betray him. “It’s what I do,” he replied.
Suddenly Buffy sat up straight. Understanding spread over her face as did a small smile. “Is that what Willow had us prepped for a few months ago?”
“Yes,” Giles replied, “We knew if they didn’t get it closed you would need to be ready. As it is, you are still dealing with the fall out from it being opened as long as it was.”
“Hey,” Dean interjected a little angrily, “We closed it as quickly as we could.”
“If we thought you weren’t capable, Buffy and Faith would have been sent in.” Giles turned his attention back to his Slayer and the matter at hand. “You shouldn’t have seen a Polgara out there Buffy. Willow is getting a strange reading from there, so there could be more in the area. Patrol again tonight but please be careful.”
“I’ll be fine,” Buffy reassured, rolling her eyes, “I’ll call you back tomorrow morning with a report.” There was a click and Buffy closed her phone.
“Who is Faith?” Sam asked.
Buffy gave him a curious glance but decided that giving them the information couldn’t harm. She hadn’t had a lot of contact with hunters but they seemed to mostly disregard her. The younger ones thought their youth made them better than they were. The older ones knew they were good because they’d managed to stay alive. Both groups thought they were better than the Slayer. But Sam seemed genuinely interested and even a little in awe. That was new.
“She’s the other original Slayer. When I died, she was called. She’s overseas now, trying to round up girls in Europe.”
“You died?” Dean asked. He was quite surprised. Staying alive in the game of hunting took skill and he’d never known of anyone brought back from the dead. Well, at least not as themselves anyway. To actually accomplish it was, well, a feat in itself. That took a whole new skill. If this woman had actually managed to defy death then she was definitely someone important. From the look on Sam’s face, he clearly thought so too.
“Long story,” Buffy replied, offering nothing else.
Sam felt like he’d run into a brick wall. Like she’d dangled the key to the fountain of youth in his face and then snatched it back before he could touch it. He watched as she stood up and walked into the kitchen.
Buffy pulled a plate of sandwiches from the fridge and offered them to Dean and Sam, taking one off the top for herself. Buffy didn’t know the men sitting in the dining room, nor did she want company after the crappy day she’d had. But if they were as good as Giles made them out to be, then she needed to offer them protection. Keep them alive one more day.
“Where are you staying?”
“Probably a motel in town,” Sam responded as both he and Dean took a sandwich from the pile.
“You should stay here,” Buffy replied. “This is a safe house and there is a protection spell over it. They only last a few days but it is enough for when we have the new girls here. It should keep you safe while I check out the area.”
The response Buffy got was not what she was expecting. To be honest, she’d thought it would be something along the lines of overwhelming gratitude. Maybe not from Dean. He seemed to have an issue with her, as though they’d had a big fight that she wasn’t a part of. But Sam seemed the overwhelming gratitude type. She suspected patrolling for him was something he did because it was in the family. There was no doubt he was hardened, no one escaped without scars but he didn’t treat it like Dean did. She thought for him it was something he did reluctantly but if given a choice, he couldn’t walk away. He seemed almost as trapped as her. Maybe that’s why they butted heads.
“We don’t need to be babysat. We can take care of ourselves,” Dean said and Buffy was taken aback.
“We’ll come with you to check it out. There is safety in numbers,” Sam said, hoping to diffuse any potential argument.
Buffy shrugged. She’d given in. “Suit yourselves,” she responded. “But you’ll need to be better equipped if you’re coming. Your guns are pretty useless.”
Dean growled as Buffy walked over to a cupboard in the corner and opened the doors. Inside was an expanse of weapons. Both men sat there stunned. As Dean got up to look at all the weapons in more detail, Sam turned to Buffy.
“What exactly is a Polgara? We’ve never seen one before. Most of the demons we see are possessing people.”
To say Buffy was surprised was an understatement. She mostly dealt with the fleshier demons but she knew others existed. She didn’t know how someone could get the status they seemed to have gotten without coming across demons.
“Polgara’s are part reptilian. They’re very strong but not very bright. That’s why it is weird to see one here. They shouldn’t be in this area. They need to feed every two hours or so but they don’t usually migrate so far. And there have been no killings anywhere near here. It’s like it just appeared here.”
Buffy did a ‘poof’ motion with her hands and saw Dean smirk at her. There was something about the ‘better-than-you’ smirk that made Buffy want to wipe it off. And not in a friendly way.
“What about the campers?” Sam asked. “One of the girls got away. If we talk to her we can find out if this Polgara demon is responsible for the attack.” Buffy was shaking her head.
“Louise was the one that got away but she was the girl whose body I brought back. She told the investigators that it was a monster. She described the Polgara which is why we were alerted. Willow figured out she was the Slayer we were looking for, so I came down to get her. Just a little too late.”
“What about the skewers coming out of its arms?” Dean asked, turning his attention away from the cupboard.
“Bone skewers,” Buffy replied, nodding. “Can be deadly if you don’t stay clear of them. Look, I need a shower and something else to eat before I patrol. If you wanna sleep here, that’s fine. You can use any of the rooms and there is an ensuite in each of them. I’m gonna head out for lunch soon. If you want to join me, fine, but if not, there is food in the fridge. Help yourself.” With that she turned and walked down the long corridor.
~
Dean sat down next to Sam. “Wow, a real Slayer!” Sam said. “You know, she might be able to help us with this deal, Dean. She seems to have some pretty deep connections.”
“No.” Dean stopped him in his tracks, holding up his hand. “We’ve known her for a couple of hours. We don’t know anything about her.”
“Dean, she’s a Slayer. She fights on our side. They have protected safe houses and a school set up for the girls. They have the money and obviously the means. It can’t hurt to at least ask.”
“No!” Dean said more forcefully. “Look, we hunt these Polgaras. See if there are any more in the woods. If not, then we move on.”
“But Dean…” Sam tried again.
“I said ‘No’ Sammy. Now leave it alone.”
Sam just stared at his hands confused. Why wouldn’t Dean get help from people who could so easily help? They may just have information but they may also be able to get him out of the deal.
“Fine, but I’m going out to lunch with her. You can come and get more information or you can sit here and sulk.” He got up and walked to the cupboard to check out the weapons.
~
Buffy sighed as she opened the bag on her bed. Another shirt ruined. She had been so busy with the girls she hadn’t had time for shopping. She thought when Giles had turned up a few months ago she would get the time to do the girly stuff she had been neglecting but he was just there because of the impending doom.
She sat on the end of the bed. When she got back to Cleveland, Giles would be leaving again for England. She realised she hadn’t spoken to Dawn in three weeks and wondered where she was; last she heard she had been in Egypt tracking down girls there.
Buffy took out a fresh set of clothes and walked to the shower. Once in the shower, she let the hot water soothe her muscles. She didn’t really want to patrol with two people she hardly knew, especially with one who didn’t like her, but if Will said there was something wrong here, she would have to find out what. Maybe she would get to know more about them over lunch and ease her mind a little. If they closed a hellmouth then they might not be a liability to her but she didn’t want to walk into a situation not knowing if they would have her back.
~
Buffy dressed and as she walked out to the lounge room, she could sense that the two brothers had been arguing. They were standing on opposite sides of the lounge room waiting and Sam was glaring daggers in Dean’s direction. She took her car keys off the hook but Dean stopped her.
“We’ll take my car,” he said brusquely.
He then walked out the front door and Sam offered an apologetic smile as he too walked past her. Buffy sucked in a deep breath and followed them out.
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete; Multi-Chaptered.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: The greatest challenge of their lives is about to begin.
Spoilers: All of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.
Disclaimer: ‘Supernatural’ and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended. ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended.
Notes: Set after ‘Chosen’ of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and during Season Three of Supernatural.
Dean pulled up in front of an inconspicuous house. As he parked the car, he glanced at the figure in the back. She had sat in the backseat, with the girl’s body across her lap and was staring sadly at her. When she realised they had arrived, her eyes snapped forward and when she noticed Dean looking at her in the mirror, she turned to pick up the girl beside her.
Buffy carried the girl up the driveway and tapped the door with her toe. It was immediately answered by a man in a tweed coat who ushered her inside. Seeing the two men behind her, he turned surprised as she simply said, “It’s okay” and walked inside laying the body on the linoleum floor. Blood still caked the deep wound to the girls’ stomach and Buffy sighed as she walked over to the kitchen sink and washed her arms. She cringed when she saw the tear in her own shirt.
Dean and Sam walked up to the kitchen table, avoiding the body on the floor. Another man appeared from the corridor and both unknown men picked up the body and carried her into one of the rooms. Sam saw the defeated look cross Buffy’s face and felt sorry for her.
“Look. We don’t know who you are, but we’re hunters. I’m Sam and this is my brother Dean,” he said, pointing to his scowling brother next to him.
Buffy looked up, surprised. “I’m Buffy,” she began, “I’m a Slayer. I assume you were after the Polgara?”
“Slayer?” Dean gruffly asked. “Like the band?” Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed at the response. It wasn’t the one she usually heard but she had heard it, especially from the older hunters.
“Yes, I’m in a band. I was out playing guitar in the woods when…”
“I thought Slayers were a myth,” Sam cut in.
“Well, you thought wrong,” she refuted.
“Sam?” Sam pulled his gaze away from the woman before them and faced his enquiring brother.
“Dad made a small reference to Slayers in his journal. One girl called to fight the forces of evil, usually vampires, with supernatural skill and strength. When one dies, another is called. He thought they were a myth.” Sam turned to Buffy who was staring at her destroyed top. “So you’re the Slayer?”
“No,” Buffy responded, walking toward and sitting down at the table. Sam and Dean followed suit. “Not the only one. A couple of years ago, we turned the tide on an apocalypse that had started. A very powerful witch I know made all potential slayers, Slayers. We managed to avert the apocalypse but destroyed Sunnydale in the process. There is nothing there now but a big ol’ hole.” She had a small smile on her face as she thought about The First’s defeat.
“You did that?” Dean asked, clearly shocked.
“Unfortunately. But it closed the hellmouth so it worked out for the best. However, we had to then find all these girls and train them. That’s what she was,” Buffy explained, pointing to the back of the house. “There is another hellmouth in Cleveland so we started a private school and train the girls there until they are ready.”
The two men appeared from the back of the house and the older one stepped forward and addressed Buffy, ignoring the two brothers as though they weren’t there. “We called Mr Giles and he asked us to return to Cleveland with her body. He also asked that you call him.”
“Fine,” Buffy replied, as she pulled out her mobile. “I’ll see you back in Cleveland.”
She waved as they exited the back of the house and an engine was heard starting up. Buffy dialled the number she knew by heart and placed the phone in the centre of the table. Dean turned to Sam as he heard the ringing. Obviously, she had put the call on speaker. Sam shrugged.
“Buffy?” the voice asked.
“Hey, Giles,” she answered. “Sorry I didn’t get to her in time.”
Both men saw the guilt she held onto for the loss of one of her Slayers. Dean didn’t know if she was wearing it openly or if she didn’t know how to mask the pain. The woman opposite him had strength and power but she also had the same fundamental human flaws. The pain didn’t mar her beauty though and if anything, made her humanity stand out.
“It’s okay,” Giles responded soothingly, “What happened?”
“She was dead when I got there. By the way, I picked up two hunters. Their names are Dean and Sam.”
“Dean and Sam Winchester?” Giles asked. Buffy looked up as Sam nodded. “Yeah.” Buffy responded, “Do you know them?”
“No, but they’re a family of hunters. Two sons of John. They closed a hellmouth recently.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows and looked at the two men seated before her. She was surprised. They must be stronger than she gave them credit for. She had never met another hunter that had closed a hellmouth before; didn’t know if any had ever done so.
Dean shifted nervously in his seat. He wasn’t comfortable being known by someone whom he didn’t know himself. It was dangerous if their information fell into the wrong hands. “How do you know about us?”
If Giles was surprised to hear someone else, his voice didn’t betray him. “It’s what I do,” he replied.
Suddenly Buffy sat up straight. Understanding spread over her face as did a small smile. “Is that what Willow had us prepped for a few months ago?”
“Yes,” Giles replied, “We knew if they didn’t get it closed you would need to be ready. As it is, you are still dealing with the fall out from it being opened as long as it was.”
“Hey,” Dean interjected a little angrily, “We closed it as quickly as we could.”
“If we thought you weren’t capable, Buffy and Faith would have been sent in.” Giles turned his attention back to his Slayer and the matter at hand. “You shouldn’t have seen a Polgara out there Buffy. Willow is getting a strange reading from there, so there could be more in the area. Patrol again tonight but please be careful.”
“I’ll be fine,” Buffy reassured, rolling her eyes, “I’ll call you back tomorrow morning with a report.” There was a click and Buffy closed her phone.
“Who is Faith?” Sam asked.
Buffy gave him a curious glance but decided that giving them the information couldn’t harm. She hadn’t had a lot of contact with hunters but they seemed to mostly disregard her. The younger ones thought their youth made them better than they were. The older ones knew they were good because they’d managed to stay alive. Both groups thought they were better than the Slayer. But Sam seemed genuinely interested and even a little in awe. That was new.
“She’s the other original Slayer. When I died, she was called. She’s overseas now, trying to round up girls in Europe.”
“You died?” Dean asked. He was quite surprised. Staying alive in the game of hunting took skill and he’d never known of anyone brought back from the dead. Well, at least not as themselves anyway. To actually accomplish it was, well, a feat in itself. That took a whole new skill. If this woman had actually managed to defy death then she was definitely someone important. From the look on Sam’s face, he clearly thought so too.
“Long story,” Buffy replied, offering nothing else.
Sam felt like he’d run into a brick wall. Like she’d dangled the key to the fountain of youth in his face and then snatched it back before he could touch it. He watched as she stood up and walked into the kitchen.
Buffy pulled a plate of sandwiches from the fridge and offered them to Dean and Sam, taking one off the top for herself. Buffy didn’t know the men sitting in the dining room, nor did she want company after the crappy day she’d had. But if they were as good as Giles made them out to be, then she needed to offer them protection. Keep them alive one more day.
“Where are you staying?”
“Probably a motel in town,” Sam responded as both he and Dean took a sandwich from the pile.
“You should stay here,” Buffy replied. “This is a safe house and there is a protection spell over it. They only last a few days but it is enough for when we have the new girls here. It should keep you safe while I check out the area.”
The response Buffy got was not what she was expecting. To be honest, she’d thought it would be something along the lines of overwhelming gratitude. Maybe not from Dean. He seemed to have an issue with her, as though they’d had a big fight that she wasn’t a part of. But Sam seemed the overwhelming gratitude type. She suspected patrolling for him was something he did because it was in the family. There was no doubt he was hardened, no one escaped without scars but he didn’t treat it like Dean did. She thought for him it was something he did reluctantly but if given a choice, he couldn’t walk away. He seemed almost as trapped as her. Maybe that’s why they butted heads.
“We don’t need to be babysat. We can take care of ourselves,” Dean said and Buffy was taken aback.
“We’ll come with you to check it out. There is safety in numbers,” Sam said, hoping to diffuse any potential argument.
Buffy shrugged. She’d given in. “Suit yourselves,” she responded. “But you’ll need to be better equipped if you’re coming. Your guns are pretty useless.”
Dean growled as Buffy walked over to a cupboard in the corner and opened the doors. Inside was an expanse of weapons. Both men sat there stunned. As Dean got up to look at all the weapons in more detail, Sam turned to Buffy.
“What exactly is a Polgara? We’ve never seen one before. Most of the demons we see are possessing people.”
To say Buffy was surprised was an understatement. She mostly dealt with the fleshier demons but she knew others existed. She didn’t know how someone could get the status they seemed to have gotten without coming across demons.
“Polgara’s are part reptilian. They’re very strong but not very bright. That’s why it is weird to see one here. They shouldn’t be in this area. They need to feed every two hours or so but they don’t usually migrate so far. And there have been no killings anywhere near here. It’s like it just appeared here.”
Buffy did a ‘poof’ motion with her hands and saw Dean smirk at her. There was something about the ‘better-than-you’ smirk that made Buffy want to wipe it off. And not in a friendly way.
“What about the campers?” Sam asked. “One of the girls got away. If we talk to her we can find out if this Polgara demon is responsible for the attack.” Buffy was shaking her head.
“Louise was the one that got away but she was the girl whose body I brought back. She told the investigators that it was a monster. She described the Polgara which is why we were alerted. Willow figured out she was the Slayer we were looking for, so I came down to get her. Just a little too late.”
“What about the skewers coming out of its arms?” Dean asked, turning his attention away from the cupboard.
“Bone skewers,” Buffy replied, nodding. “Can be deadly if you don’t stay clear of them. Look, I need a shower and something else to eat before I patrol. If you wanna sleep here, that’s fine. You can use any of the rooms and there is an ensuite in each of them. I’m gonna head out for lunch soon. If you want to join me, fine, but if not, there is food in the fridge. Help yourself.” With that she turned and walked down the long corridor.
~
Dean sat down next to Sam. “Wow, a real Slayer!” Sam said. “You know, she might be able to help us with this deal, Dean. She seems to have some pretty deep connections.”
“No.” Dean stopped him in his tracks, holding up his hand. “We’ve known her for a couple of hours. We don’t know anything about her.”
“Dean, she’s a Slayer. She fights on our side. They have protected safe houses and a school set up for the girls. They have the money and obviously the means. It can’t hurt to at least ask.”
“No!” Dean said more forcefully. “Look, we hunt these Polgaras. See if there are any more in the woods. If not, then we move on.”
“But Dean…” Sam tried again.
“I said ‘No’ Sammy. Now leave it alone.”
Sam just stared at his hands confused. Why wouldn’t Dean get help from people who could so easily help? They may just have information but they may also be able to get him out of the deal.
“Fine, but I’m going out to lunch with her. You can come and get more information or you can sit here and sulk.” He got up and walked to the cupboard to check out the weapons.
~
Buffy sighed as she opened the bag on her bed. Another shirt ruined. She had been so busy with the girls she hadn’t had time for shopping. She thought when Giles had turned up a few months ago she would get the time to do the girly stuff she had been neglecting but he was just there because of the impending doom.
She sat on the end of the bed. When she got back to Cleveland, Giles would be leaving again for England. She realised she hadn’t spoken to Dawn in three weeks and wondered where she was; last she heard she had been in Egypt tracking down girls there.
Buffy took out a fresh set of clothes and walked to the shower. Once in the shower, she let the hot water soothe her muscles. She didn’t really want to patrol with two people she hardly knew, especially with one who didn’t like her, but if Will said there was something wrong here, she would have to find out what. Maybe she would get to know more about them over lunch and ease her mind a little. If they closed a hellmouth then they might not be a liability to her but she didn’t want to walk into a situation not knowing if they would have her back.
~
Buffy dressed and as she walked out to the lounge room, she could sense that the two brothers had been arguing. They were standing on opposite sides of the lounge room waiting and Sam was glaring daggers in Dean’s direction. She took her car keys off the hook but Dean stopped her.
“We’ll take my car,” he said brusquely.
He then walked out the front door and Sam offered an apologetic smile as he too walked past her. Buffy sucked in a deep breath and followed them out.
