Past Imperfect ch 6

["Christeen Demons" <Shyfox30@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Joss, story has come from joss, I'm just 
playing with it.:-)


"I can't believe I'm doing this." Buffy complained, as she walked nervously 
through the dark, silent graveyard, silent except for the sound of her own 
voice. Maybe that's why she felt compelled to keep talking, to hold the 
creepy silence at bay. "I can't believe I'm in a graveyard with a strange 
man hunting for vampires on a school night." She gave Merrick an uneasy 
glance, then wrinkled her nose as she smelled something in the air. 
Something musty and dirty...and old. "Ew."

"Why did you never tell anyone about your dreams?" Buffy wasn't sure by his 
tone whether he was really curious or just attempting to make conversation. 
She snorted derisively, "Right...tell everybody I'm crazy? Beauty idea." 
She slowed her pace as she felt something tickling at her senses, then a 
strong pull of revulsion hit her deep in the stomach. "Ow!"

"Cramps?" Merrick asked, the same note of bland curiousity in his voice.

"None of your business. God!" Buffy replied offended, unable to beleive he 
would ask something so personal.

Merrick kept walking for a short pace, then stopped before a recently buried 
grave. "This is it. Robert Berman was killed three days ago. His body was 
found in the bushes by the canal." His cold eyes rested on Buffy as he 
talked, causing Buffy to want to shrink away from them.
"Extensive tissue damage...tearing at the neck and shoulders." Buffy found 
herself shuddering at the description. "Take these." Merrick said, and 
suddenly Buffy was holding a sharpened peice of wood and a wooden cross.

"Wait a minute." She said, her mouth watering nervously, not sure if she 
was ready for whatever this guy had in mind.

"No, no. You won't have to do anything. They're just for your protection. 
I just need you to watch. Sit there. " Merrick said, nodding at the lawn 
in front of another grave.

"All right, what do we do now?" Buffy asked, looking up at Merrick from her 
position.

"We wait for Robert Berman to wake up." Merrick replied, trying to remain 
patient with his young charge.

Buffy sighed impatiently, wondering for the hundredth time what in the world 
she was doing here. "You got any gum?" She asked, looking up at the Watcher 
hopefully.

Merrick rolled his eyes. "No." He said shortly, causing Buffy to do a 
double take.

'I was just asking. God.' She thought crossly to herself, then settled in 
for a long wait.

*****

"Why does Mother Nature always seem to call at the worst possible times?' 
Willow asked herself as she sat in the girls lavatory just off of the Gym. 
She'd been sitting patiently waiting for Buffy's freind to arrive ever since 
the newly called Slayer and her Watcher had left for the graveyard, until an 
overwhelming need to go the bathroom had called her from her sentry spot. 
'I just hope she doesn't come looking for Buffy while I'm otherwise 
occupied.'

"I'm sorry I'm late, Buffy. I had to..." Cassandra stopped walking and 
talking as she noticed how deserted the gym was. "What did I expect? That 
she'd sit here waiting for me." Cassandra asked herself, kicking herself 
for being late. Buffy wasn't one that liked to be kept waiting. She knew 
she was in deep for her mistake, and that it would probably be spread around 
the school come morning. 'Great. It's back to the unpopular line for you.' 
Cassandra thought, walking desolutely
back out of the gym.

Willow caught a flash of her just as she was coming out of the bathroom. 
Her eyes widened as she realized Buffy's friend had come in, and now was 
attempting to leave again. Hurrying her stride, she headed through the 
doorway Buffy's friend had just passed through, and looked for her up and 
down the hall. She finally spotted the girl exciting from the main door way 
of Hemery high, and she sped up her pace, hoping to catch up to the girl.

She was just reaching the girl's side, amidst a long row of parked cars, 
while thinking about how she was going to introduce herself, when a low 
sinister chuckle caught her attention. Looking around nervously she spotted 
a dark figure approaching through the shadows. She gulped,
instinctively knowing who, or what was coming without having to be told, 
then grabbed Cassandra's arm and started pulling her quickly back to the 
school. 'So much for an introduction.' Willow had time to think, ruefully, 
before Cassandra started protesting the rough treatment.

"Hey...what? What are you doing?" Willow didn't take the time to answer, 
simply picking up her pace, her face white as she glanced warily back at the 
man who was getting closer and closer.

"Just hurry up and get back in there." Willow demanded, tossing the girl 
through the doorway, before she turned slaming the door in the guy's face.

He glared at her through the glass window in the door, his eyes glowing 
yellow as he bared his fangs. "Oooh, scary. Too bad you can't get through 
that door." Willow mocked him, her fright dwindling as several years of 
experience with Buffy took over. She just wished she had a stake handy. It 
hadn't occured to her to borrow one from Merrick. She guessed she'd just 
have to make do.

"What...what is that thing?" Cassandra asked from behind her, her voice 
trembling, and it occured to Willow suddenly that the girl probably would 
have been vampire food if she hadn't been there. She'd just changed history.

*****

Buffy sat on the damp cold ground, biting her fingernail and waiting 
impatiently for something to happen. She kept flicking glances to Merrick, 
but everytime she looked at him, he looked like he was wishing she was 
looking somewhere else. She sighed, rolling her eyes, then turned to stare 
back at the grave as a strange tearing sound started to come from that 
direction. Her eyes opened wide as hands emerged from beneath the ground, 
forcing dirt out of the way as Robert Berman
indeed woke up.

Buffy stared in shock, rising from her sitting position with a small shriek, 
as a growling, snarling thing that used to be human rose up from his grave 
and looked at her hungrily. Merrick grinned as he stepped forward to attack 
the creature but was quickly pulled off of his feet, the vampire stronger 
than he had anticipated. "Buffy!" Merrick called to the girl, hoping to 
get her to move, attack, do something, but he soon found himself rolling 
around on the ground attempting to fight
the creature off.

Buffy felt like she was starring in some bad Horror movie as she stared for 
the brief moment she had to witness the strange sight before she heard more 
tearing sounds coming from the grave she'd just been sitting on. A woman 
sprung from the grave making Buffy shriek again as her legs were grabbed and 
she felt herself be pulled to the ground. She fought against the strong, 
clinging hands, attempting to worm her way away, before freeing one leg and 
kicking the 'lady' hard in the head, kicking her away from her.

Merrick was still fighting off Mr. Berman, but Buffy could see it was a 
losing battle, the vampire too strong for the older man. Merrick managed to 
push the vamp away from him, and Buffy saw her chance. Swinging her stake 
as hard as she could, she felt it sink into the vampire's back, catching him 
by surprise before he erupted into a pile of dust. Merrick looked at Buffy 
in relief for a split second, before he noticed the female coming up fast 
behind her.

"Behind you." Merrick warned and Buffy turned, finishing the other vampire 
off with one quick plunge. When the girl turned back to look at him, 
Merrick could see her fighting with her belief and sense of reality.

"I-" Buffy began, before closing her mouth, not at all sure what to say now 
that her world had been completely turned upside down.

Merrick shook his head, taking pity on the girl for the first time tonight. 
"Don't try to talk, just let it sink in. It's always hard the first time. 
You'll be all right. I'm thinking we should go pick up
your friend, and then take you home." Merrick replied, and without further 
discussion headed off in the direction of his car. Buffy shook her head, 
wondering when exactly she'd woken up in the Twilight Zone, and followed 
along behind.

...to be continued.

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