FIC: These Roads We Travel (8/?)

[Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

TITLE: These Roads We Travel (8/?)
AUTHOR: Kimber (kacoe@xxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
SUMMARY: The long awaited next story in "The Road Series".
SPOILERS: Everything is fair game.
DISTRIBUTION: The usual suspects. Anyone else, e-mail me please.
AUTHOR?S NOTES: This comes because I've had so many great responses to the series and
many people begging for another. Be careful what you wish for.

{{Indicates flashbacks}}
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". . .and there was Giles, covered head to toe with demon slime." Faith laughed. She was
telling Laurel one of the hundreds of slaying stories where Giles came out covered in
goo. There were plenty of them.

"You sure did get hurt a lot, Papa. It's a wonder you never became a snack."

Giles coughed. "Yes, well, I was much younger back then. And much more foolish. I think
I'll leave the, um, demon slaying to the younger generation."

Something began to beep. Loudly and frequently. "What in God's name is that?" Giles
looked for the source of his annoyance.

"Sorry. It's my computer." Laurel reached into her bag and pulled out a small black
laptop. She flipped the lid open and chuckled then typed something in. "Sorry. It's a
friend of mine. She just got back from band practice and wanted to tell me what
happened."

"Don't you need a phone line and, um, electricity to run one of those blasted machines?"
Giles asked.

"No, Papa. The battery is good for a week and I'm connected through satellite. God, I'd
just *die* if I had to be plugged in somewhere. I don't know how mom dealt with it. That
is *so* last century." She got up. "I'll be back in a few." And walked off towards a
tree.

Buffy shook her head. "Willow in every way." She smiled and looked at Giles. "Did I
tell you that she *accidentally* got into the pentagon's computers last week? They have a
whole file on 'other worldly' activity. There's even a Slayer profile. Gee, can we guess
where that bit of info came from?"

"Beefstick, I'll bet." Faith commented.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded in agreement.

----------

*CowPrincess: So then he was all like. . .gimme that flute! And I said. . .no way,
besides, you have no idea where this flute has been!!!

*Laureltvs: LOL. . .oh, no! You didn't?! I can just imagine the look on his face! It
must have been classic.

*CowPrincess: Totally. I wish you could have been there.

*Laureltvs: Me too.

(There was silence on both sides of the computer for a while)

*Laureltvs: *tap tap*

*Laureltvs: You still there?

*CowPrincess: Yeah, just working on a paper. . .and thinking.

*Laureltvs: bout? (Laurel asked, but she knew exactly what her friend was thinking
about. It had been the source of her confusion over the past few months)

*CowPrincess: You know. Come on, Lau-Lau. . .do I really have to say it?

*Laureltvs: No. I just. . . you know how hard it is for me to get away. Since mom's
been gone, Buffy's been watching me like a hawk! And if I'm not with her then I'm with
Faith on patrol and then we go to my grandfathers. It's difficult. But we'll find a way
to meet.

*CowPrincess: I guess you're right. I just, you know. . .wish we at least went to the
same school. I mean I'm *all* the way over here and you're *all* the way over there
::big sigh::

*Laureltvs: LOL

*Laureltvs: you make it sound like we're twelve states away! It's only across town and
you go to another school cuz your parents are nazi's and are sending you to catholic
school so you're raised with 'good Christian values' ::snicker::

*CowPrincess: Ok, ok I get it. J But you know it's not working. . .the Christian values
stuff?.*evil grin*. . .I'll be bi till the day I die!

*Laureltvs: ::blush:: You know you embarrass me when you talk like that. . . .

*CowPrincess: I know. But it's so much fun! Come on, Lau-Lau. . . lemme corrupt you!
You know what they say about genetics. . .you can't fight genetics. You have 2 mom's for
gods sakes! It should be the most natural thing in the world for you.

(a few minutes passed without a word.)

*CowPrincess: Laurel? You there?

***Laureltvs signed off 3:23pm

Laurel closed the lid of her computer and sighed. She leaned her head back against the
tree and closed her eyes. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Sure, she dated
some boys in high school, without her mom's knowing of course, but still. . .she'd been
kissed and there had been some *minor* touching involved, but. "I hated it." She
whispered to herself.

"Hated what?"

She jumped and looked behind her. "Uncle Xander!" She slugged him playfully. "When did
you get here?"

He sat down in the grass beside her. "Don't worry, I wasn't spying. But I did hear what
you said. So what's up?"

"I don't know. I'm just being sixteen I guess, and feeling everything that comes along
with it." She put her head on his shoulder. "Why does everything have to be so
difficult?"

"Buffy and Willow met when they were your age." He commented.

"I know. They told me the story a million times. What's that got to do with anything?"

"Well, they both went though what you're going though now. I'm sure if you talked to
Buffy then,"

"Uh uh. No way." Laurel interrupted. "I can't. It's too. . .personal." She grabbed
her computer and stood up. "Come on. Lets go join in the family fun." She put her hand
out to him and yanked him up.

"Whoah, take it easy there, kid. You're gonna break me."

She smirked at him. "I wasn't even tryin."

He nodded and looked at her knowingly. "Since?"

She shrugged. "Bout a year. The genius' back there just figured it out." She pointed to
Faith, Buffy and Giles still sitting on the blanket. "You'd think with all the evil and
prophesies they've seen, they'd be a little more in the know." She shook her head.

Xander laughed. "Let me clue you in, Laurel. They're not gonna see what they don't wanna
see until it practically bites them in the face. And it'll never change." He grinned and
put his arm around her. "Come on. I'm starved."

"What else is new?" She smirked at him and they walked over to the others together.

-------

Willow watched with awe from behind Buffy as Xander and Laurel walked over to meet the
others. "She's. . .she gotten so big." Willow shook her head. "Where has the time
gone?" She turned to Jesse, angrily. "What the hell am I doing here? I should be here
with them, with my daughter! Mine and Buffy's daughter!"

Buffy felt a shiver run up her spine. "That was weird. I just got a chill and it must be
ninety degrees in the shade." She looked around suspiciously.

"Your radar goin off, B?" Faith asked and looked around too.

"I don't know." She scrunched her eyebrows in concentration. "What ever it is, it's gone
now." She shrugged and went back to eating her sandwich.

"She felt me." Willow said in surprise. "Buffy felt me here!" She got closer to Buffy
and whispered. "I'm here. I'm *right* here, Buff. Concentrate." She got no reaction
from the Slayer. "Buffy, think. . .think about me. I haven't gone anywhere. . .I'm still
here." Willow paused a moment. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Buffy whispered. Her head immediately shot up and she looked around
frantically.

"Buff?" Laurel looked at her, worried. "Momma, what's wrong?"

Buffy looked around some more then tried to calm herself down. She could have *sworn* she
heard Willow. "Nothing, sweetie. . .cemeteries still freak me out after all this time I
guess. What do you say we head back? It's getting hot and you should rest up before
patrol tonight."

"Okay." Laurel nodded.

Buffy put her arm around her daughter's shoulder and winked at Giles. "How would you like
to stay at your grandfather's house tonight? You don't have school in the morning and
it's close to where you'll be patrolling and---"

Buffy didn't get a chance to finish because Laurel stopped short and jumped into her arms,
squeezing with all her strength. "Oh, yes!! Thank you, thank you , thank you!!! You
don't have any idea how much this means. . .it's been such a long time since I stayed with
Papa." She jumped down and ran over to him. "Is it okay? That I stay with you?"

He smiled at Buffy then took Laurel's hand. "That's never a question you have to ask."
They walked together and he turned to Buffy and mouthed the words 'thank you' to her. She
nodded and the four of them continued to the car.

------

Willow looked off after them long after they left. She turned to Jesse. "She heard me."
She had a wide grin plastered across her face. "Buffy heard me and she answered. That
means something. Right?"

He shrugged. "It might. It might not."

She ignored his vague answer. "I'm worried about Laurel though. She looks. .
.preoccupied, like there's something bothering her."

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, the girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders."

"The weight of the. . ." She trailed off. "No. It can't be." She shook her head.
"This couldn't have been for nothing. She can't be the Slayer." Jesse simply looked at
her and she knew. She knew it had happened. Laurel was now the Slayer and the
fulfillment of the prophesy was inevitable. "God, no. She's gonna die. There's no way
to stop it now." Willow looked up to the sky and screamed. "NO!!!!"

Thunder clapped in the distance and a bolt of lightening skittered across the clouds.


--
Your humble bard,
~~Kimber


Official Noodle wetter and distributor, Gutter-Slut and Vice President and Treasurer of
the Riley/Oz neutering society and garden club...Personnel Recruiter for all main gutter
and sub gutter affairs.



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