Slayer
Forever
By Steven Williams
Rating: PG-13 ( I used a bad word
)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for an
exceptional amount of debt for a man my age.
Note:
This was written as a response to a challenge I saw here a couple of day?s
ago. I accidentally erased it so I?m not sure if this meets all the
requirements, if not Mea Culpa. Tell me what you think.
Note
2: I'm trying to decide weather to end it, or jump forward in time a
hundred years, or just keep going like I've been. Help me
decide.
Dedication: To Carol, who makes mewish I
had her imagination, cause I'd never be bored.
Back
Story : I?m gonna mess with cannon for both series here so pay
attention. Firstly Highlander: Season 6 didn?t happen, and Duncan never
killed Richie.
BtVS:
Buffy died at the hands of the master, and became immortal, but no one
thought anything of it cause Xander performed CPR. Then we follow canon
until Becoming part 2 where Willow was killed by Angelus minions whenthey
attacked the library. Buffy killed Angelus, and stopped Acathla, but never
left town, planning to attend Willow?s funeral before leaving. Because
Willow has now become immortal, Buffy never ends up leaving. The two
notice the Buzz, but not being able to find a source just learn to ignore
it. Again we follow canon until the point where the story starts which is
about 2 months after The Body.
Angel
watched as Willow and Gunn did some unarmed sparring, amazed at the
changes in the young redhead. She no longer seemed intimidated by
fighting, nor did she seem inept. She was holding her own against Gunn,
staying loose, watching for weaknesses, and when they presented
themselves, she capitalized.
Gunn
was having a hard time with the slight girl, she moved like a cat, quick
and sure, and when she struck, she struck hard. Not that he wasn?t doing
the same, but she was shaking off some of his best moves, or evading them
in way?s he?d never thought possible. Gunn suddenly was very worried that
one day he might have to face this woman in a fight to the death.
Willow saw his distraction, and took
advantage, sweeping his legs out form under him, and throwing a punchat
his neck that would have collapsed his airway, had she not pulled the
punch.
?You?re dead.? She said her voice
unemotional.
?Wow.? Cordelia said from her position
beside Angel, with Faith wrapped around her like a python.
?Sweets is right, Wow.? Faith said. ?I
can see you?ve been working with B.?
?How?? The witch asked, curious what the
slayer had seen.
?I?ll
show you.? Faith said disentangling herself from her girlfriend, and
walking towards Willow. Suddenly she threw a punch, which Willow blocked.
Which was why the witch was surprised to find herself looking at the roof,
with her knee aching. Then she saw a grinning Faith holding out her hand.
After both girls were once again vertical Faith explained ?That block you
use, Buffy taught you, right.? The other girl nodded. ?Well it leaves you
open for a fast low kick. I could have broken your shin, if I?d wanted to.
Buffy uses her superhuman reflexes and the stupidity of vamps to avoid
that, but you should be careful emulating B. She?s a slayer, you?re
not.?
?Ok,
can you show me a better block?? Willow asked, shocking Faith with the
trust in her voice.
?Sure. We?ll do this slow first, ok? Now
throw a punch at my head, slowly.? Faith instructed Willow in a more
efficient way to block a punch, and over the next half an our the friendship between the two grew,
each gaining a new found respect for the other.
*****
Buffy
was not having quite as much fun as her lover was. She?d gone for a
morning jog, unarmed, and found herself challenged by some young punk,
with what she recognized as a claymore. Obviously he?d expected herto
just give up, because he was surprised when she attacked, at full slayer
speed. She punched the pour immortal 6 times in 3 seconds, then took his
head, with his own sword as he was laying unconscious.
When
the quickening ended she looked around trying to make sure that therewere
no witnesses, then seeing no one, tried to decide what she was going to do
with the body.
Suddenly a van pulled up beside the
battle scene and an older man, but very fit looking, except for the weird
way he was walking with a cane, got out.
?Ms.
Summers!? he said jovially.
?Who
are you?? She asked. ?This isn?t what it looks like.? Then a question
occurred to her ?How do you know my name??
?Be
patient, we should clean this up, then I can tell you what I know about
you.?
?I?m
not doing anything with you, at least not until I know you?re name.? Buffy
said, her casual stance shifting into a combat stance slowly, and almost
imperceptibly.
?Sorry. My name is Joe Dawson, and I?m a
watcher.? With those words Joe opened the side door of the van and
gestured for Buffy to hurry up.
Buffy
decided that being found on the side of the road with a headless corpse
was not a good idea, so he quickly gathered the body, and it?s severed
head and put them in the van. ?Ok, now you owe me an explanation.? Buffy
said, trying not to like the stranger.
?It?ll be easier if we go to Amanda?s.
She knows me.? Joe said as he
circled around the van.
?Fine, but if she doesn?t, I?ll be
upset.? Buffy growled, before getting into the van.
*****
?Good
morni? Amanda?s greeting died on her lips as she caught sight of the
person following her student. ?Joe!? She exclaimed taking the older
looking man in her arms.
Richie having heard the exclamation
practically ran from the kitchen to the front door to see his old friend.
?Joe, what?s up?? he said as he shook the old blues player?s
hand.
?Just
came to visit an old friend, and saw a quickening, so I pulled up to
help.? Joe explained.
?Quickening?? Richie asked, noticing that
Buffy looked a little more dishevelled then her morning run could explain.
?Some
guy came out of the woods and challenged me. I didn?t have a sword,so I
guess he thought it?d be easy. I knocked him out, then took his head.?
Buffy explained.
?Did
he at least tell you his name?? Richie asked, well aware that not knowing
the name of an enemy could lead to trouble.
?Nope.? Buffy
replied.
?Jesse Philips, born 1932, became
immortal at the age of 23, likes to hunt the young ones.? Joe supplied,
then amended ?Liked.?
?Never heard of him.? Richie said.
?Well, Duncan killed his teacherin the
early sixties, and this kid went nuts. Started hunting, looking for
situations where he couldn?t lose. Today he was wrong. No big loss.? Joe
continued.
?At
least if you?re not him.? Richie joked.
?I
just killed a man, I don?t think jokes are really appropriate.? Buffy
replied, a bit testily.
?He
was trying to kill you, what do you want me to feel bad that he lost.He
was a cheat. He bet his life and lost. Vaya Con Dios!? Richie replied,
trying to make sure his friend never felt guilt for being
alive.
?He?s
right.? Amanda said, as she stopped hugging Joe. ?Never feel remorse for
surviving.?
?So
who?s your friend?? Buffy asked to change the
subject.
?This
is Joe Dawson, and he?s a watcher.? Amanda introduced
him.
?A
watcher?? Buffy asked? ?Like Giles??
?Nope. These guys keep tabs on immortals.
They watch, and record., and theoretically never interfere.? Amandasummed
up.
?Theoretically?? Buffy
asked.
?Well
they first came to my attention after they started killing some of us,
including a good friend of mine, a monk named Darius. He was over two
thousand years old, and they slaughtered him for no reason.? Amanda?s
voice filled with anger as she remembered the feeling of loss, of shock
that Darius wouldn?t ever be there to talk to her
again.
?They
hunted and killed immortals?? Buffy asked,
incredulous.
?It
was a rogue faction.? Joe stressed, ?And we got rid of
them.?
?Mostly!? Amanda put in. ?They?re usually
harmless, so we don?t hunt them down, especially those of them thatare
our friends.?
?Yeah, all two of them. And one?s an
immortal.? Richie snorted.
Joe
shot him a withering look, which failed to accomplish it?s goal, asRichie
remained smooth of face.
?So
why are you really here?? Amanda asked more directly this
time.
?I?m
sort of hoping that you know where I can find Mac, actually.? Joe
admitted.
?Uh,
isn?t it your job to know where he is?? Amanda asked, sarcasm dripping
from her words into a pool on the floor.
?Adam
came and saw him at the bar one night, they said they?d see me the next
day, then they disappeared.? Joe said annoyed that he?d lost his
assignment.
?I
haven?t seen or heard form him in almost a month.? Amanda said finally.
?Sorry.?
?Yeah, Yeah.? Joe grumbled ?He?ll turn
up. He always does.?
*****
A
dark alley in LA.
Faith
and Willow are patrolling, chatting idly. The subject is, as usual with
Faith, centred on sex.
?So
how?d you end up with Buffy?? Faith asked.
?Well, it was after Tara died.? Willow
began, then stopped short sensing the approach of another immortal.
?Damn.?
A
tall man stepped out of the alley ahead of them, brandishing his sword.
?Oh, you?ll be fun for quite some time. I think I?ll keep you instead of
taking your head.? His smirk left no question what he
meant.
?You
can try.? Willow replied calmly, already hating the guy.
?What?s going on?? Faith
asked.
?Well, he?s an immortal, and he wants to
keep me as a pet instead of killing me.? Willow said never taking her eyes
from the stranger.
?Really?? Faith asked, her voice
betraying absolutely no fear. ?So these are the kind of jerks you have to
kill?? She asked.
?Yep!? Willow replied, just before the
enraged stranger charged her.
Willow fought carefully, never giving her
opponent an opening. She slowly dismantled his defence, then she hamstrung
him, and took his head. The quickening was more powerful then she
expected, since the corpse hadn?t been much of a fighter.
Just
as the quickening was ending, she felt the approach of another of her
kind. ?Shit.? She said trying to regain her feet. She looked up at Faith,
and the two men coming up behind her, then put her sword
up.
?I
don?t want to fight you.? She said.
?We
don?t want to fight you either.? Said the lighter skinned of the two ?I?m
Adam Pierson and my friend is Duncan McCleod.?
?We
were looking for him.? Duncan said pointing at the corpse.
?Sorry, too late.? Willow
said.
?And
you are?? Adam asked politely.
?Willow Rosenberg.? She answered him ?and
this is my friend Faith.?
?Is
your teacher Amanda?? Duncan asked, suddenly recalling the last time he?d
talked to his sometime lover.
?Yes.
Wait you?re Duncan McCleod?? Willow asked, realising that she wasmeeting
one of the most powerful of her kind in the world.
?That?s me.?
?Wow.
Amanda told me about you, you?re like one of the best swordsmen in the
world.?
?Just
good enough.? Duncan replied, amused at the
complement.
?So
far, anyway.? Adam put in.
*****
When
Buffy got home from a boring patrol, the phone was ringing. ?Hello?? She
answered.
?Hey
Baby, what?re you wearing?? Came Willow?s voice over the phone
line.
?Pants, shirt, jacket, shoes, socks??
Buffy started listing off everything she was
wearing.
?You?re supposed to say ?Nothing? you
know.? Willow cut her off laughing.
?Yeah, well if you want me nakedcome
home and strip me.? Buffy challenged.
?I?ll
be home soon, I just wanted to hear you voice.? Willow
said.
?Yeah, I want to hear you voice screaming
my name in passion.? Buffy said huskily. ?By the way, the day youcome
back, Dawn is staying with Xander and Anya, and we?re making love all day
and night.?
?It?ll be soon I promise. I love you.?
Willow said.
?I
love you too.? Buffy returned ?Goodnight.?
?Not
without you to snuggle up to.? Willow pouted into the phone
?Night.?
TBC