Heaven Tagged (BtVS/SPN)
4 Mar 2010 15:29![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skylar0graceTitle: Heaven Tagged.
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Buffy has been brought back from Heaven and she has more than one hitch-hiker. One of them goes by the name of Mary Winchester and she needs to speak to her family. Can Buffy help her?
Spoilers: Pre ‘Supernatural’ and Season 1-6 of ‘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: Based on a challenge issued by Phoenix.
Dean let out a breath and glanced once more around the graveyard. On his left he could only just see his father carefully concealed by a bough that had fallen on a crypt. Sam was somewhere behind him but Dean knew that he was crouched in exactly the same position, ready to spring up when the moment arose. Unlike, his brother and father though, Dean was antsy. He could barely contain himself and he desperately wanted it to show up. He needed it to show up. He needed it to show up so that he could get the hell out of the town he was in and put as much distance between himself and the memories that, even now, were threatening to resurface.
They were just under an hour away from his childhood home and Dean found it incredibly difficult to believe that he was the only one affected by the close proximity to so many unwanted memories. John had remained silent, calm, as though this town was just like any other, and Sam….Dean shook his head. If Sam looked one more time down that highway toward Lawrence, Dean was going to deck him. Yeah, he had to get out of the town before he broke. The demon appeared cautiously in front of them and Dean saw the almost imperceptible nod from John.
“Showtime,” he whispered.
~
Buffy looked across at a sleeping Willow before looking back out at the road in front of her. She really didn’t want to stop; stopping meant Willow waking up and continuing to observe her in what she assumed was a surreptitious manner. But the petrol light had begun to flash and her stomach was screaming for food. Buffy glanced into the backseat of the car only to sigh with frustration. Mary had seen something and disappeared again. She seemed to be disappearing more and more often and for longer periods of time. It had now been a number of hours since she had seen her and as annoying as it was to have someone only you could see, Buffy missed the conversation.
Buffy took a right at a sign that promised food, petrol and a bed and inwardly groaned as Willow sat up. The redhead glanced out of the window and noticed the change of scenery before looking back at the road they had just left. She glanced at Buffy.
“Are we stopping soon?”
Buffy nodded. “Yeah, petrol light came on and it’s around breakfast time.”
“How far out of Lawrence are we?”
Buffy took a deep breath. She still wasn’t sure it was the right decision but Mary had mentioned she’d come from Lawrence and Buffy had managed to convince Willow it was better if they could get her to pass on before trying another exorcism. She was just trying to buy time and she suspected Willow knew that. Willow continued to glance at her as though she was afraid Buffy was developing Stockholm Syndrome and Buffy had tried not to talk out loud to Mary - the last few hours had definitely been easier in trying to accomplish that goal.
“About an hour.”
Willow nodded absentmindedly and looked out the window. She was willing to let Buffy stall for a few hours. The attachment and, moreover, lack of fear Buffy was showing toward the spirit was beginning to have Willow concerned. It shouldn’t have been so difficult for her to remove the spirit. It was a simple spell and Tara had even been there to amp her power but it was as though she was trying to move a city; the spell failed and had left her confused and annoyed.
Willow saw a small diner beside a dingy-looking motel and pointed to it. Buffy only nodded in return and manoeuvred the 4WD into the parking lot. Willow inwardly sighed. She and Buffy used to be able to talk for hours on end about absolutely nothing at all but it seemed that since she had gotten back she'd withdrawn from everybody. She knew Hell would have been bad, excruciating even, but she thought that Buffy would accept the offer of support; confide in her, lean on her.
They climbed out of the car together and Buffy stretched her legs. She wasn’t used to be cooped up for such a long period of time and she was feeling the ache in her muscles. She had needed to patrol last night; not just for the exercise and the need to protect people but for her own sanity – she needed a release. Buffy stretched her arm muscles and silently prayed for some demon to come charging out of the bushes straight for them. When nothing happened Buffy turned disappointedly toward Willow and ignored the confused expression on her friend’s face.
They walked silently toward the diner and as they entered, they ignored the eyes focused on them. Buffy and Willow found an empty booth toward the back of the diner and the curious gazes fell away one by one until it was just the two of them. Buffy looked out of the small, dirty window to the carpark and felt a sense of déjà vu. It was exactly how she’d been feeling from the moment she’d come back and she wondered if she’d ever look at the world the same again; if she was ever going to feel like she was living her life instead of watching it slip by.
A waitress approached the table and Buffy almost choked at the familiar uniform on the sandy haired girl. She smiled weakly and asked for a piece of plain toast. Buffy didn’t even spare a glance at Willow as she pointedly ordered something more substantial and turned her gaze back toward the carpark. There were several cars parked, most of them older models that barely looked like they ran, and she supposed they must stand out like a sore thumb. Neither of them were dressed like the rest of the patrons and Buffy began evaluating her wardrobe. If she wanted to blend in a little more with the towns they passed through, and she did, she was going to need to invest in something flannel.
Buffy looked back as Willow grabbed her hand and spoke in a low voice, positive that her friend’s better-than-average hearing would pick up the diminished decibels.
“Buffy, something’s here.”
Buffy’s eyes scanned the room but she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary; in fact, she couldn’t even feel anything. A tall man, younger than the both of them, walked past their table on his way back from the bathrooms and Willow gripped Buffy’s hand tighter.
“That’s him. There’s something… I can just feel something off with him.”
Buffy watched as he sat down in a booth a stone’s throw from theirs and scowled at the man sitting beside him. He pulled a plate back to himself, ignoring the other man’s grin and used a coffee mug to cover his grin as the older man sitting opposite them scolded the barely penitent man beside him. If Buffy didn’t know any better, she’d say they looked like an ordinary family having breakfast. The two younger men looked like brothers and the man sitting opposite them was definitely old enough to be their father.
Buffy tried to stretch out her ‘spidey-senses’ and pick up on whatever Willow was feeling but there didn’t seem to be anything demonic about the younger man. She turned back sceptically to Willow, only to be met with pleading eyes. The waitress returned with their food and Buffy absent-mindedly chewed on her toast as she watched the men interact. She couldn’t see the older man’s face and only caught glimpses as he turned to address the waitress but he looked like an older version of the younger two. They started squabbling about something but the older man leaned forward and they ceased almost immediately. He said something in such a low voice that even Buffy’s enhanced hearing couldn’t pick up and the youngest stood reluctantly and left the diner.
Seeing her opportunity, Buffy stood also and quickly threw a bunch of notes on the table. It was more than enough to cover their meal and a generous tip and without a word to Willow, she followed. Behind her, she barely heard the waitress exclaim that it was too much before Willow interrupted her with praise on excellent service, and Buffy disappeared down the side alley where the younger man had gone. She saw him only a few paces in front of her and was beginning to doubt his villainy until she saw his hand reach into his jacket pocket. She made out the rough shape of a gun and she responded quickly.
Her body raced forward, blood pumping quickly through it as it relished the action, and her hand lashed out. She held him pinned to the wall by his throat, his feet only just touching the ground as she looked into his eyes. She could see only surprise and confusion and as he moved to pull his hand out of his pocket, she reached in and grabbed the gun away. It dropped to the ground almost noiselessly and she heard Willow run down the alley.
“Buffy, what is he?”
Buffy shrugged and noticed his face turning redder as he struggled against her realising that his oxygen was slowly becoming cut off. His baby blue eyes looked so innocent and Buffy wondered if Willow had gotten it wrong. She’d seen innocent looking demons before but this one didn’t feel evil. He didn’t even feel demonic.
“He doesn’t feel like a demon…”
Buffy heard the sound of two guns cocking behind her and a deep voice filled the silent alley.
“That’s because he’s not.”
Buffy didn’t even need to turn around to know who was behind her or what weapons they were using. But the materialisation of Mary beside her did make her do a double take. The comforting smile fell from Mary’s face as she looked at the man pinned to the wall. As she took a step closer, Buffy loosened her grip and addressed Mary.
“You know him?”
“Sam?” Mary whispered. Her eyes quickly scanned the alley and fell upon the other two men, a soundless, ‘John’, escaping her lips as she took a step forward.
Buffy frowned and looked at the man in her grasp. “Sam? Oh, that Sam?”
She released her grip and he dropped back to the pavement, rubbing his throat as he sucked in lungfuls of air. He glared up at her and moved as quickly as possible to his family. Buffy watched as Mary moved closer to John, a tear falling down her face as her hand reached out to touch him. She looked back at Buffy with a bitter-sweet smile.
“My family.”
Buffy looked at the weapons trained on her and the charm bracelets on their wrists. They hadn’t seemed at all fazed that she’d thought Sam was a demon and as that thought ran through her head, it all clicked into place like a jigsaw puzzle.
“But they’re Hunters.”
Mary looked back at them and a small frown crossed her face. Buffy noticed John frown at her seemingly ill-directed speech and the older boy looked behind him as if he were expecting to see someone else. Mary looked at her two sons before looking back at John.
“How John? How did you get into this life? I tried so hard to keep it from you.”
Buffy heard a noise behind her and had to reel in her instinct to lash out defensively as Willow drew up beside her and placed a hand on her arm.
“Buffy?”
Buffy looked them over once more. “Winchesters. They're the ones we've been looking for.”
Neither John nor Dean lowered their guns and all three men regarded the two women in front of them carefully. Buffy watched as another tear fell down Mary's face and as she turned her head away from her husband and toward her eldest son, she slowly reached out a hand. Mary flinched as she heard a noise behind her and she disappeared.
Buffy held John's eyes as she spoke. “ I'm Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and this is my friend Willow.”
Sam looked up sharply. “Slayer? I thought they were just a myth.” On John's slight incline of the head in Sam's direction, Sam's brain raced quickly as he tried to piece together all of the information he had read. “A line of warriors, right? One girl chosen in the whole world to fight demons. I was sure that the Slayer was a myth.”
“I'm not.”
John's eyes narrowed as he looked at the tiny woman in front of him. “If someone that powerful existed, we would have heard of them, especially if they were on our side.”
“One girl chosen in all the world...are you sure about that? Out of the billions of people on the planet, it's possible you've never run into a Slayer.”
“But someone would've. At least one Hunter would've.”
“I've known a few demon hunters and you don't really seem to be a close-knit bunch.”
Willow stepped forward with her hands raised. “Look, you don't have to believe us but it's still the truth. Can we at least discuss this somewhere else? The alley isn't really the best place.”
John watched them carefully before lowering his gun and signalling Dean to do the same. He wasn't sure if he believed their story or not but he would at least have the opportunity to find out on ground he was more familiar on. He could run a battery of tests on them back at the motel and if they really were demons, he'd stand a better chance of protecting himself if he was within arms reach of his weapons.
“Just follow us.”
The Winchesters walked out of the alley and Buffy and Willow followed them as they crossed the carpark and entered one of the rooms of the motel next to the diner.
~
Kiara Rose walked into the bathroom and sighed. In her fifteen years cleaning motel rooms she’d seen a lot of things, some of the weirdest being satanic symbols drawn underneath the rugs, on the ceilings and the walls as well as other disgusting displays of humanity. But she’d never encountered salt at the windows and doors. The stuff was everywhere and Kiara knew it was going to take a while to clean it all up.
She went quickly to work on the bathroom, scrubbing down the tiled room in record time before standing back to give the room a once over. With a small smile, she picked up her bucket of cleaning products and moved onto the main room. There was a lot of work to be done and as she made the first bed, she decided the order with which she was going to clean the room. Hospital corners tucked in on the first bed and she’d just started straightening the sheets on the second when the door to the room opened. Kiara looked at the older man in the doorway, a group of people just behind him, before she turned back to the bed.
“I’ll be another ten minutes folks,” she announced good-naturedly, “I’ve really only just started here.”
She looked up to see the older man standing beside her curiously.
“Actually, there’ll be no need for cleaning today. I must've forgotten to put the sign on the door.”
Kiara was surprised. She’d rarely had occupants who hadn’t wanted their rooms cleaned; most were just glad that they didn’t have to do it themselves. She looked back at the two men and two women standing in the doorway before looking up at him. Whatever they wanted to do, she wanted no part of. She nodded briefly before picking up her supplies and walking out of the room.
~
“Come in.”
John watched as both women stepped over the salt line and let out a breath. Perhaps they really were the real deal. He took out five bottles of water from his bag and passed them around to the occupants of the room. Buffy and Willow sat at the small table and Sam propped himself up on his bed. As John sat on the bed next to Sam, he noticed Dean lean against the wall behind him.
“So, Slayer, huh? Do you just travel around and hunt things?”
Sam looked back at Buffy as he answered his brother's question. “No, Slayers are usually stationed, aren't they?”
Buffy nodded. “I'm in a town called Sunnydale. The town was actually built on top of a Hellmouth so I have more than enough bad guys to keep me busy.”
“I didn't think that Slayers worked with others.”
Buffy glanced over at Willow briefly before looking back at the Winchesters. “They didn't, but I do. Probably why I've survived as long as I have.”
“Does your family know what you do?” Dean asked as he took a drink from the water bottle.
“My sister is all I have left and she knows. She tends to get into trouble a lot so I needed her to be on the look out for danger.”
Dean snorted. “I hear that!”
Sam scowled at Dean and Buffy gave a small laugh. Willow's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the melodic sound and she looked across at Buffy. There was a small smile creasing the corner of Buffy's lips – it wasn't much but it was more than she had been used to seeing since Buffy had been back. She looked across at Dean and noticed the smile he was giving Buffy in return. They were somehow connecting over something as trivial as sibling responsibility and a part of Willow was jealous. Buffy had been hard to reach, emotionally, and this man didn't even seem to be trying and he was already cracking the armour that Willow was being held at bay by.
John watched as the seemingly stoic woman in front of him seemed to be brought to life by such a simple conversation and he wondered what had happened to her to make her shut herself off from the world. Had it been her calling or was it something else. John had the feeling that this woman, this Slayer, at the top of her game was going to be indeed a sight to behold. Even as closed off as she was, she still burned brightly. He gave a small nod in their direction before excusing himself to go to the bathroom. The conversation picked up again and John heard Sam deliberately turn the conversation around to Slayer lore and away from himself.
John locked the door and quickly leant against the sink, his head bowed as he squeezed his eyes shut. He was trying as hard as he could but everything was reminding him of Mary. The town, his sons - even the tiny, blonde Slayer. The wounds felt as fresh as the day he had lost her and a tear slipped down his cheek as images of his wife floated through his head.
John angrily wiped his face with his hand and turned the tap on. He splashed some cold water on his face, relishing in the feeling of the cold water on his face instead of the hot tears. He needed to hold himself together for his sons, especially Dean. He’d noticed Dean’s anger growing the longer they were so close to Lawrence but he believed that the longer he kept a cool, level head, the more likely that was to rub off on his sons - especially Dean. The job had been completed and if it had not been for them meeting the Slayer, they would have left town already, putting as much distance between themselves and Lawrence as possible.
John rubbed his face once more with the cold water and as he looked up to see his face in the basin mirror, he barely had to time acknowledge the black cloud behind him before it overwhelmed him, entering through his open mouth and causing him to take a couple of steps back. As he looked back up into the mirror, his eyes flashed gold once before a cruel smile spread across his face.
~
John walked back into the motel room and noticed Buffy glance at him with a small frown. He gave her a tense smile in response and tossed his car keys to Dean.
“You boys go down to the cars and get our gear. Let's see if we can help these ladies out with their problem before we head out.”
Dean nodded and began walking out, tugging on Sam's shirt as he walked past him. Sam protested lightly before grudgingly getting up and following Dean out. As the door closed behind them, Buffy looked cautiously at John, her eyes searching his face carefully.
“So, Slayer huh? Haven't met a Slayer in a really long time.”
“I thought you'd never met one?”
John waved his hand. “Just said that in front of my boys. Didn't want them to know just how powerful you were.”
Willow stood. “John?”
John's eyes flashed gold as his grin screamed danger and Buffy's blood ran cold. She stood slowly, a move that placed Willow slightly behind her. John just continued to grin.
“Guess we're about to test just how good you really are.”
~
“I can't believe we actually met a Slayer! Do you know how incredible that is?”
Dean shrugged as he fingered the keys in his hand, searching for the Impala's. As his fingers found it, Dean looked down at the keys in his hands and smiled at the familiarity. The Impala was his. It had taken a while for his Dad to find the replacement but just the act of being given ownership of his father's pride and joy was acceptance in itself. Hopefully his Dad would give him the opportunity to work a case on his own. As Dean opened the boot, Sam sighed and reluctantly reached in.
“I don't know why Dad even needs this stuff.”
“Because Dad asked us to.”
“But most of the stuff from the hunt is still in the room.”
Dean straightened. Sam looked back at him in confusion and noticed Dean's eyes searching his. He cast one look toward the motel room before quickly glancing back at him and Sam's mind went into overdrive to discern the look on his brother's face. When Dean broke into a run, Sam quickly grabbed the nearest rifle and slammed the lid of the boot, breaking into a run himself as he tried to catch up.
~
“I once met a Slayer. It was a while ago now but I still remember the look in her eyes as the life slowly drained out of her.”
Buffy heard Willow talking underneath her breath and watched as John cocked his head to the side. A small grin formed before Buffy saw Willow fly into the wall beside them. As Willow sat nursing her head, John grinned and turned back to Buffy.
“This is gonna be just you and me.”
Buffy looked across at Willow and as their eyes met, a single thought floated through Buffy's head like a wisp of smoke., “Remember Eyghon.”
Buffy turned back to John. “Bring it on.”
More quickly than she was expecting, John closed the gap between them and grabbed her by the throat. As his fingers tightened, Buffy kicked out, forcing him backward and putting some space between them. Blow for blow was traded and Buffy was dimly aware of the light banging on the door but her focus remained on John. She managed to get the upper hand momentarily and used it to force him backward into a wall, cringing for the injuries he was sure to have later. Willow gave her the smallest of nods, a barely perceptible move and Buffy aimed a punch at his chest, hearing a rib break and forcing the breath from his lungs.
Her hands wrapped around his throat and Buffy felt two things: she felt the power of the demon inside John begin to wane and she felt a cold feeling burst through her like cold air. As if he knew what she was doing, John grinned and a hand wound it's way into her hair, pulling back forcefully on the long blonde strands.
The cold feeling in her body seemed to sap her energy and her grip on John's neck weakened. She heard Willow call her name from the back of the room somewhere but it sounded faint and far off. Buffy blinked and as the room started to go darker, she knew she was on the losing side. The demon in John was powerful and wouldn't jump bodies unless it was forced and keeping John alive was a priority.
As her world started to dim, Buffy looked at the smirk on his face and the yellow eyes that seemed to burn into hers. Grasping at the last straw she could, she pulled John toward her and pressed her mouth to his in a last ditch effort to draw out the demon.
~
“Buffy!”
Sam glanced worriedly back at Dean as the yell from Willow pierced the door. Dean banged harder on the door and tried the doorknob once more before he put his shoulder into the wood. On the third attempt to break down the door, Dean felt the weight of Sam's body and the wood cracked further. They hit the door once more together and the wood snapped underneath them, the hinges ripping away from the door frame and both felt as through they'd stepped into an alternate reality.
Pressed up against one side of the room was their father and Buffy, apparently lip locked, while Willow stood on the opposite wall, a small cut from her forehead the only visible sign of injury as she raised her head to look at them. Her lips continued to move in an almost inaudible chant and Sam looked across at his brother as he searched for answers.
“What the...?”
Dean stepped forward in confusion and watched as Buffy pulled away from John almost forcefully. John collapsed to the ground and held up his hand as Dean made a move toward him.
“Stay back!”
Buffy's head fell backwards and she wobbled on her feet before her legs buckled underneath her and she fell to the ground. As the final words fell from Willow's lips, Buffy's back arched off the ground and her eyes flashed gold once before a column of black smoke shot out of her mouth and escaped out the door. Her body fell back down to the ground and she remained motionless.
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Buffy has been brought back from Heaven and she has more than one hitch-hiker. One of them goes by the name of Mary Winchester and she needs to speak to her family. Can Buffy help her?
Spoilers: Pre ‘Supernatural’ and Season 1-6 of ‘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: Based on a challenge issued by Phoenix.
Dean let out a breath and glanced once more around the graveyard. On his left he could only just see his father carefully concealed by a bough that had fallen on a crypt. Sam was somewhere behind him but Dean knew that he was crouched in exactly the same position, ready to spring up when the moment arose. Unlike, his brother and father though, Dean was antsy. He could barely contain himself and he desperately wanted it to show up. He needed it to show up. He needed it to show up so that he could get the hell out of the town he was in and put as much distance between himself and the memories that, even now, were threatening to resurface.
They were just under an hour away from his childhood home and Dean found it incredibly difficult to believe that he was the only one affected by the close proximity to so many unwanted memories. John had remained silent, calm, as though this town was just like any other, and Sam….Dean shook his head. If Sam looked one more time down that highway toward Lawrence, Dean was going to deck him. Yeah, he had to get out of the town before he broke. The demon appeared cautiously in front of them and Dean saw the almost imperceptible nod from John.
“Showtime,” he whispered.
~
Buffy looked across at a sleeping Willow before looking back out at the road in front of her. She really didn’t want to stop; stopping meant Willow waking up and continuing to observe her in what she assumed was a surreptitious manner. But the petrol light had begun to flash and her stomach was screaming for food. Buffy glanced into the backseat of the car only to sigh with frustration. Mary had seen something and disappeared again. She seemed to be disappearing more and more often and for longer periods of time. It had now been a number of hours since she had seen her and as annoying as it was to have someone only you could see, Buffy missed the conversation.
Buffy took a right at a sign that promised food, petrol and a bed and inwardly groaned as Willow sat up. The redhead glanced out of the window and noticed the change of scenery before looking back at the road they had just left. She glanced at Buffy.
“Are we stopping soon?”
Buffy nodded. “Yeah, petrol light came on and it’s around breakfast time.”
“How far out of Lawrence are we?”
Buffy took a deep breath. She still wasn’t sure it was the right decision but Mary had mentioned she’d come from Lawrence and Buffy had managed to convince Willow it was better if they could get her to pass on before trying another exorcism. She was just trying to buy time and she suspected Willow knew that. Willow continued to glance at her as though she was afraid Buffy was developing Stockholm Syndrome and Buffy had tried not to talk out loud to Mary - the last few hours had definitely been easier in trying to accomplish that goal.
“About an hour.”
Willow nodded absentmindedly and looked out the window. She was willing to let Buffy stall for a few hours. The attachment and, moreover, lack of fear Buffy was showing toward the spirit was beginning to have Willow concerned. It shouldn’t have been so difficult for her to remove the spirit. It was a simple spell and Tara had even been there to amp her power but it was as though she was trying to move a city; the spell failed and had left her confused and annoyed.
Willow saw a small diner beside a dingy-looking motel and pointed to it. Buffy only nodded in return and manoeuvred the 4WD into the parking lot. Willow inwardly sighed. She and Buffy used to be able to talk for hours on end about absolutely nothing at all but it seemed that since she had gotten back she'd withdrawn from everybody. She knew Hell would have been bad, excruciating even, but she thought that Buffy would accept the offer of support; confide in her, lean on her.
They climbed out of the car together and Buffy stretched her legs. She wasn’t used to be cooped up for such a long period of time and she was feeling the ache in her muscles. She had needed to patrol last night; not just for the exercise and the need to protect people but for her own sanity – she needed a release. Buffy stretched her arm muscles and silently prayed for some demon to come charging out of the bushes straight for them. When nothing happened Buffy turned disappointedly toward Willow and ignored the confused expression on her friend’s face.
They walked silently toward the diner and as they entered, they ignored the eyes focused on them. Buffy and Willow found an empty booth toward the back of the diner and the curious gazes fell away one by one until it was just the two of them. Buffy looked out of the small, dirty window to the carpark and felt a sense of déjà vu. It was exactly how she’d been feeling from the moment she’d come back and she wondered if she’d ever look at the world the same again; if she was ever going to feel like she was living her life instead of watching it slip by.
A waitress approached the table and Buffy almost choked at the familiar uniform on the sandy haired girl. She smiled weakly and asked for a piece of plain toast. Buffy didn’t even spare a glance at Willow as she pointedly ordered something more substantial and turned her gaze back toward the carpark. There were several cars parked, most of them older models that barely looked like they ran, and she supposed they must stand out like a sore thumb. Neither of them were dressed like the rest of the patrons and Buffy began evaluating her wardrobe. If she wanted to blend in a little more with the towns they passed through, and she did, she was going to need to invest in something flannel.
Buffy looked back as Willow grabbed her hand and spoke in a low voice, positive that her friend’s better-than-average hearing would pick up the diminished decibels.
“Buffy, something’s here.”
Buffy’s eyes scanned the room but she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary; in fact, she couldn’t even feel anything. A tall man, younger than the both of them, walked past their table on his way back from the bathrooms and Willow gripped Buffy’s hand tighter.
“That’s him. There’s something… I can just feel something off with him.”
Buffy watched as he sat down in a booth a stone’s throw from theirs and scowled at the man sitting beside him. He pulled a plate back to himself, ignoring the other man’s grin and used a coffee mug to cover his grin as the older man sitting opposite them scolded the barely penitent man beside him. If Buffy didn’t know any better, she’d say they looked like an ordinary family having breakfast. The two younger men looked like brothers and the man sitting opposite them was definitely old enough to be their father.
Buffy tried to stretch out her ‘spidey-senses’ and pick up on whatever Willow was feeling but there didn’t seem to be anything demonic about the younger man. She turned back sceptically to Willow, only to be met with pleading eyes. The waitress returned with their food and Buffy absent-mindedly chewed on her toast as she watched the men interact. She couldn’t see the older man’s face and only caught glimpses as he turned to address the waitress but he looked like an older version of the younger two. They started squabbling about something but the older man leaned forward and they ceased almost immediately. He said something in such a low voice that even Buffy’s enhanced hearing couldn’t pick up and the youngest stood reluctantly and left the diner.
Seeing her opportunity, Buffy stood also and quickly threw a bunch of notes on the table. It was more than enough to cover their meal and a generous tip and without a word to Willow, she followed. Behind her, she barely heard the waitress exclaim that it was too much before Willow interrupted her with praise on excellent service, and Buffy disappeared down the side alley where the younger man had gone. She saw him only a few paces in front of her and was beginning to doubt his villainy until she saw his hand reach into his jacket pocket. She made out the rough shape of a gun and she responded quickly.
Her body raced forward, blood pumping quickly through it as it relished the action, and her hand lashed out. She held him pinned to the wall by his throat, his feet only just touching the ground as she looked into his eyes. She could see only surprise and confusion and as he moved to pull his hand out of his pocket, she reached in and grabbed the gun away. It dropped to the ground almost noiselessly and she heard Willow run down the alley.
“Buffy, what is he?”
Buffy shrugged and noticed his face turning redder as he struggled against her realising that his oxygen was slowly becoming cut off. His baby blue eyes looked so innocent and Buffy wondered if Willow had gotten it wrong. She’d seen innocent looking demons before but this one didn’t feel evil. He didn’t even feel demonic.
“He doesn’t feel like a demon…”
Buffy heard the sound of two guns cocking behind her and a deep voice filled the silent alley.
“That’s because he’s not.”
Buffy didn’t even need to turn around to know who was behind her or what weapons they were using. But the materialisation of Mary beside her did make her do a double take. The comforting smile fell from Mary’s face as she looked at the man pinned to the wall. As she took a step closer, Buffy loosened her grip and addressed Mary.
“You know him?”
“Sam?” Mary whispered. Her eyes quickly scanned the alley and fell upon the other two men, a soundless, ‘John’, escaping her lips as she took a step forward.
Buffy frowned and looked at the man in her grasp. “Sam? Oh, that Sam?”
She released her grip and he dropped back to the pavement, rubbing his throat as he sucked in lungfuls of air. He glared up at her and moved as quickly as possible to his family. Buffy watched as Mary moved closer to John, a tear falling down her face as her hand reached out to touch him. She looked back at Buffy with a bitter-sweet smile.
“My family.”
Buffy looked at the weapons trained on her and the charm bracelets on their wrists. They hadn’t seemed at all fazed that she’d thought Sam was a demon and as that thought ran through her head, it all clicked into place like a jigsaw puzzle.
“But they’re Hunters.”
Mary looked back at them and a small frown crossed her face. Buffy noticed John frown at her seemingly ill-directed speech and the older boy looked behind him as if he were expecting to see someone else. Mary looked at her two sons before looking back at John.
“How John? How did you get into this life? I tried so hard to keep it from you.”
Buffy heard a noise behind her and had to reel in her instinct to lash out defensively as Willow drew up beside her and placed a hand on her arm.
“Buffy?”
Buffy looked them over once more. “Winchesters. They're the ones we've been looking for.”
Neither John nor Dean lowered their guns and all three men regarded the two women in front of them carefully. Buffy watched as another tear fell down Mary's face and as she turned her head away from her husband and toward her eldest son, she slowly reached out a hand. Mary flinched as she heard a noise behind her and she disappeared.
Buffy held John's eyes as she spoke. “ I'm Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and this is my friend Willow.”
Sam looked up sharply. “Slayer? I thought they were just a myth.” On John's slight incline of the head in Sam's direction, Sam's brain raced quickly as he tried to piece together all of the information he had read. “A line of warriors, right? One girl chosen in the whole world to fight demons. I was sure that the Slayer was a myth.”
“I'm not.”
John's eyes narrowed as he looked at the tiny woman in front of him. “If someone that powerful existed, we would have heard of them, especially if they were on our side.”
“One girl chosen in all the world...are you sure about that? Out of the billions of people on the planet, it's possible you've never run into a Slayer.”
“But someone would've. At least one Hunter would've.”
“I've known a few demon hunters and you don't really seem to be a close-knit bunch.”
Willow stepped forward with her hands raised. “Look, you don't have to believe us but it's still the truth. Can we at least discuss this somewhere else? The alley isn't really the best place.”
John watched them carefully before lowering his gun and signalling Dean to do the same. He wasn't sure if he believed their story or not but he would at least have the opportunity to find out on ground he was more familiar on. He could run a battery of tests on them back at the motel and if they really were demons, he'd stand a better chance of protecting himself if he was within arms reach of his weapons.
“Just follow us.”
The Winchesters walked out of the alley and Buffy and Willow followed them as they crossed the carpark and entered one of the rooms of the motel next to the diner.
~
Kiara Rose walked into the bathroom and sighed. In her fifteen years cleaning motel rooms she’d seen a lot of things, some of the weirdest being satanic symbols drawn underneath the rugs, on the ceilings and the walls as well as other disgusting displays of humanity. But she’d never encountered salt at the windows and doors. The stuff was everywhere and Kiara knew it was going to take a while to clean it all up.
She went quickly to work on the bathroom, scrubbing down the tiled room in record time before standing back to give the room a once over. With a small smile, she picked up her bucket of cleaning products and moved onto the main room. There was a lot of work to be done and as she made the first bed, she decided the order with which she was going to clean the room. Hospital corners tucked in on the first bed and she’d just started straightening the sheets on the second when the door to the room opened. Kiara looked at the older man in the doorway, a group of people just behind him, before she turned back to the bed.
“I’ll be another ten minutes folks,” she announced good-naturedly, “I’ve really only just started here.”
She looked up to see the older man standing beside her curiously.
“Actually, there’ll be no need for cleaning today. I must've forgotten to put the sign on the door.”
Kiara was surprised. She’d rarely had occupants who hadn’t wanted their rooms cleaned; most were just glad that they didn’t have to do it themselves. She looked back at the two men and two women standing in the doorway before looking up at him. Whatever they wanted to do, she wanted no part of. She nodded briefly before picking up her supplies and walking out of the room.
~
“Come in.”
John watched as both women stepped over the salt line and let out a breath. Perhaps they really were the real deal. He took out five bottles of water from his bag and passed them around to the occupants of the room. Buffy and Willow sat at the small table and Sam propped himself up on his bed. As John sat on the bed next to Sam, he noticed Dean lean against the wall behind him.
“So, Slayer, huh? Do you just travel around and hunt things?”
Sam looked back at Buffy as he answered his brother's question. “No, Slayers are usually stationed, aren't they?”
Buffy nodded. “I'm in a town called Sunnydale. The town was actually built on top of a Hellmouth so I have more than enough bad guys to keep me busy.”
“I didn't think that Slayers worked with others.”
Buffy glanced over at Willow briefly before looking back at the Winchesters. “They didn't, but I do. Probably why I've survived as long as I have.”
“Does your family know what you do?” Dean asked as he took a drink from the water bottle.
“My sister is all I have left and she knows. She tends to get into trouble a lot so I needed her to be on the look out for danger.”
Dean snorted. “I hear that!”
Sam scowled at Dean and Buffy gave a small laugh. Willow's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the melodic sound and she looked across at Buffy. There was a small smile creasing the corner of Buffy's lips – it wasn't much but it was more than she had been used to seeing since Buffy had been back. She looked across at Dean and noticed the smile he was giving Buffy in return. They were somehow connecting over something as trivial as sibling responsibility and a part of Willow was jealous. Buffy had been hard to reach, emotionally, and this man didn't even seem to be trying and he was already cracking the armour that Willow was being held at bay by.
John watched as the seemingly stoic woman in front of him seemed to be brought to life by such a simple conversation and he wondered what had happened to her to make her shut herself off from the world. Had it been her calling or was it something else. John had the feeling that this woman, this Slayer, at the top of her game was going to be indeed a sight to behold. Even as closed off as she was, she still burned brightly. He gave a small nod in their direction before excusing himself to go to the bathroom. The conversation picked up again and John heard Sam deliberately turn the conversation around to Slayer lore and away from himself.
John locked the door and quickly leant against the sink, his head bowed as he squeezed his eyes shut. He was trying as hard as he could but everything was reminding him of Mary. The town, his sons - even the tiny, blonde Slayer. The wounds felt as fresh as the day he had lost her and a tear slipped down his cheek as images of his wife floated through his head.
John angrily wiped his face with his hand and turned the tap on. He splashed some cold water on his face, relishing in the feeling of the cold water on his face instead of the hot tears. He needed to hold himself together for his sons, especially Dean. He’d noticed Dean’s anger growing the longer they were so close to Lawrence but he believed that the longer he kept a cool, level head, the more likely that was to rub off on his sons - especially Dean. The job had been completed and if it had not been for them meeting the Slayer, they would have left town already, putting as much distance between themselves and Lawrence as possible.
John rubbed his face once more with the cold water and as he looked up to see his face in the basin mirror, he barely had to time acknowledge the black cloud behind him before it overwhelmed him, entering through his open mouth and causing him to take a couple of steps back. As he looked back up into the mirror, his eyes flashed gold once before a cruel smile spread across his face.
~
John walked back into the motel room and noticed Buffy glance at him with a small frown. He gave her a tense smile in response and tossed his car keys to Dean.
“You boys go down to the cars and get our gear. Let's see if we can help these ladies out with their problem before we head out.”
Dean nodded and began walking out, tugging on Sam's shirt as he walked past him. Sam protested lightly before grudgingly getting up and following Dean out. As the door closed behind them, Buffy looked cautiously at John, her eyes searching his face carefully.
“So, Slayer huh? Haven't met a Slayer in a really long time.”
“I thought you'd never met one?”
John waved his hand. “Just said that in front of my boys. Didn't want them to know just how powerful you were.”
Willow stood. “John?”
John's eyes flashed gold as his grin screamed danger and Buffy's blood ran cold. She stood slowly, a move that placed Willow slightly behind her. John just continued to grin.
“Guess we're about to test just how good you really are.”
~
“I can't believe we actually met a Slayer! Do you know how incredible that is?”
Dean shrugged as he fingered the keys in his hand, searching for the Impala's. As his fingers found it, Dean looked down at the keys in his hands and smiled at the familiarity. The Impala was his. It had taken a while for his Dad to find the replacement but just the act of being given ownership of his father's pride and joy was acceptance in itself. Hopefully his Dad would give him the opportunity to work a case on his own. As Dean opened the boot, Sam sighed and reluctantly reached in.
“I don't know why Dad even needs this stuff.”
“Because Dad asked us to.”
“But most of the stuff from the hunt is still in the room.”
Dean straightened. Sam looked back at him in confusion and noticed Dean's eyes searching his. He cast one look toward the motel room before quickly glancing back at him and Sam's mind went into overdrive to discern the look on his brother's face. When Dean broke into a run, Sam quickly grabbed the nearest rifle and slammed the lid of the boot, breaking into a run himself as he tried to catch up.
~
“I once met a Slayer. It was a while ago now but I still remember the look in her eyes as the life slowly drained out of her.”
Buffy heard Willow talking underneath her breath and watched as John cocked his head to the side. A small grin formed before Buffy saw Willow fly into the wall beside them. As Willow sat nursing her head, John grinned and turned back to Buffy.
“This is gonna be just you and me.”
Buffy looked across at Willow and as their eyes met, a single thought floated through Buffy's head like a wisp of smoke., “Remember Eyghon.”
Buffy turned back to John. “Bring it on.”
More quickly than she was expecting, John closed the gap between them and grabbed her by the throat. As his fingers tightened, Buffy kicked out, forcing him backward and putting some space between them. Blow for blow was traded and Buffy was dimly aware of the light banging on the door but her focus remained on John. She managed to get the upper hand momentarily and used it to force him backward into a wall, cringing for the injuries he was sure to have later. Willow gave her the smallest of nods, a barely perceptible move and Buffy aimed a punch at his chest, hearing a rib break and forcing the breath from his lungs.
Her hands wrapped around his throat and Buffy felt two things: she felt the power of the demon inside John begin to wane and she felt a cold feeling burst through her like cold air. As if he knew what she was doing, John grinned and a hand wound it's way into her hair, pulling back forcefully on the long blonde strands.
The cold feeling in her body seemed to sap her energy and her grip on John's neck weakened. She heard Willow call her name from the back of the room somewhere but it sounded faint and far off. Buffy blinked and as the room started to go darker, she knew she was on the losing side. The demon in John was powerful and wouldn't jump bodies unless it was forced and keeping John alive was a priority.
As her world started to dim, Buffy looked at the smirk on his face and the yellow eyes that seemed to burn into hers. Grasping at the last straw she could, she pulled John toward her and pressed her mouth to his in a last ditch effort to draw out the demon.
~
“Buffy!”
Sam glanced worriedly back at Dean as the yell from Willow pierced the door. Dean banged harder on the door and tried the doorknob once more before he put his shoulder into the wood. On the third attempt to break down the door, Dean felt the weight of Sam's body and the wood cracked further. They hit the door once more together and the wood snapped underneath them, the hinges ripping away from the door frame and both felt as through they'd stepped into an alternate reality.
Pressed up against one side of the room was their father and Buffy, apparently lip locked, while Willow stood on the opposite wall, a small cut from her forehead the only visible sign of injury as she raised her head to look at them. Her lips continued to move in an almost inaudible chant and Sam looked across at his brother as he searched for answers.
“What the...?”
Dean stepped forward in confusion and watched as Buffy pulled away from John almost forcefully. John collapsed to the ground and held up his hand as Dean made a move toward him.
“Stay back!”
Buffy's head fell backwards and she wobbled on her feet before her legs buckled underneath her and she fell to the ground. As the final words fell from Willow's lips, Buffy's back arched off the ground and her eyes flashed gold once before a column of black smoke shot out of her mouth and escaped out the door. Her body fell back down to the ground and she remained motionless.
