Disclaimers:  I own nothing.  Gary, the Cat, the Paper, etc. all belong to CBS and TriStar.  Buffy, the Slayerettes, the vampires, etc. all belong to Joss Whedon (grr, arg).  No infringement is intended, and I promise not to hurt anybody much (more than necessary <g>).  The idea is mine, however, and it would be appreciated (and lawful) if you ask before doing anything with this story.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Papers, Predictions, and Prophecies
by Jayne Leitch
Installment 2
Copyright 1998
 

Part 2
 

* * * * *
 Despite his too-late phone call, Gary was up bright and early the next morning.  The Paper was as it had been the first time he'd seen it--no disasters.  He had a free day...

 ...Which he was going to spend at Sunnydale High School, hopefully getting some answers.  As Gary got out of his cab at the front steps to the school, he wondered for the fiftieth time if this whole thing was really just some kind of stupid prank.  "It's not very funny," he told himself as he walked up to the big double doors and looked at them, trying to see if they were locked.  He reached out, unsure, and pulled at the handles--and was completely surprised when the door opened easily.  "Well, okay then..."  He walked inside.

 The library was easy to find--just a few turns away from the doors he'd come in.  Gary paused just outside, pulling out the Paper one last time, scanning quickly for any headlines reading, "Man Found Dead in School Library", then shoving it back into his pocket when he realized how silly he was being.  "Here goes nothing."

 He entered the library, then stood just inside the door, looking around warily.  Buffy was indeed there, sitting at a large table in the middle of the room with a red-haired girl, a boy Gary recognized as Cordelia's boyfriend, and an older man.  Various books were strewn over the table around them in organized chaos, and pencils and notebooks were being used at random.

 All four of them looked up as the door closed behind him, their expressions taut and restless.  When Buffy realized who it was, she stood up, gesturing for Gary to come in further.

 "You're here.  Finally."  She gave him a tight smile, then turned to the others.  "Guys, this is Gary Hobson.  Gary," now she turned to him again and made brief introductions, "These are Willow, Xander and Giles."  She gestured in turn at the other girl, the boyfriend, and the older man.

 "Nice to meet you," Gary said uncertainly.  He looked down again at Buffy.  "Um, do they--do they know about the--" he stuttered quietly.  He still couldn't bring himself to actually say "vampires" in public.

 It was the older man, Giles, who answered.  "Yes, we do know about the--ah--vampires," he stated matter-of-factly in a smooth, British accent.  "In fact," he stepped down to stand in front of Gary, "Buffy, here, is very well acquainted with them."  He looked Gary in the eyes, searching for something.

 "I'm the Vampire Slayer," the teenager said calmly.  She looked up wryly at the darker man.  "That'd be why I had the stake last night."

 Gary looked down at her again, mystified.  "The--the what?"

 "Vampire Slayer."  The blonde turned and walked back to her chair, speaking quickly and boredly as she walked.  "Into each generation there is born one with the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and other stuff that goes bump in the night, yadda yadda yadda."  She swung around and sat down, smiling bemusedly.  "Would you look at that.  I've memorized it."

 Gary's thoughts were whirling around this when Giles spoke up.  "Ah, yes.  Buffy is the--the Chosen One, the only girl in the world who can...slay vampires."  He looked at Gary slightly apologetically.  "I realize it's a bit...much, but..."

 "Much?"  Gary went to a chair and sank down into it.  "Oh no, no, it's just enough.  You <fight vampires>?"

 Buffy nodded slowly.  "Pretty much."  She held up her hand and started counting off,  "There's also the wierdos, the invisible people, the witches, the hellmouth itself..."

 "Yes, there is all that, but could we perhaps get this meeting started?"  Giles broke into Buffy's diatribe, taking off his glasses, polishing them, and putting them back on.  He then turned to Gary.  "Now, Mr. Hobson, if you could tell us what your role is in all of this?"

 Gary blinked, shoving his incredulity out of his mind.  Either these people were just plain nuts, or they were telling the truth.  He didn't know which one might be better... "Well, I'm here because I was invited," he stated.

 The girl who'd been introduced as Willow spoke up timidly.  "Maybe, if you told us why you're in Sunnydale to begin with..."

 "Oh, well, I'm on vacation."  When he received skeptical silence and strange looks from the others, he continued defensively, "Well, you all should know why I'm here.  After all, it was Buffy here that mentioned the Papers to me in the first place."

 The boy--Xander--threw his hands up in the air.  "I knew it!  Five bucks said the guy had something to do with the prophesies!  And none of you would take the bet," he finished mock-sulkily, glancing darkly at Buffy and Willow.

 Ignoring this, Giles lowered himself into a chair, looking at Gary carefully.  "So you--you <do> know about the Foresight Papers."

 "Well, yeah--but I've, I've never called them that."  Gary unzipped his coat, reaching in for the Paper.  "I normally just call it 'the Paper'--d'you mind telling me how you all know about it?"  He pulled out the Press, but kept it folded in his hands.  "'Cause as far as I know, w--I'm the only one."  He decided to keep Chuck, Marissa, and his parents out of this as long as he could.

 The other three exchanged looks, then Giles reached down and picked up a thick, old-looking book.  "The Foresight Papers," he said simply, setting it down nearer to Gary.  "Can you translate it?"

 "Translate--" Gary looked at the tome, furrowing his brow.  "But what does that have to do with the Paper?"  Now he unfolded the newsprint and dropped it on the table, beside the book.

 Buffy leaned closer to look at Gary's contribution, then glanced up at him, then at Giles, confused.  "The Press?" she asked.  "Why do we need the Press?"

 "Because that's the--the 'Foresight Papers', or whatever you called it!"  Gary reached over and jabbed a finger at the masthead.  "See?  Tomorrow's paper.  Now, I don't know what that book has to do with anything--the only book I've ever seen that goes with the Paper is 'Lost Chicago'--and then there's the Cat, of course, but..."  Realizing that he was babbling and that everyone else was staring blankly at him, Gary shut his mouth.

 "Did you..."  Giles reached up, took his glasses off, and began polishing them again.  "Did you say that this is <tomorrow's> newspaper?"

 Gary nodded, slowly.  "You must've known about it.  I mean, the--the Foresight Papers?"  He folded his hands, watching the small group carefully.  "That name kinda does sum up tomorrow's paper, don't you think?"

 "Wait a minute."  Willow stepped into the conversation, reaching hesitantly for the Press.  She picked it up and read the date, raising her eyebrows.  "Why do you get tomorrow's Press?"

 "Well, I don't really know--and I normally get the Chicago Sun-Times."  Looking around at each of their faces again, Gary took a deep breath.  "You really don't know about it?"

 "Uhm--no."  Giles replaced his glasses on his nose.  "The...Chicago Sun-Times?"

 "Yeah--it's a bit of a long story.  The Paper, I mean."  Gary sighed.  "I'm from Chicago.  Normally, I get the Sun-Times, and I read it, and try to--to stop some things that I read about from happening.  Now, a few days ago," he hurried on when he saw Buffy open her mouth, "I got the Sunnydale Press instead.  And, well, there weren't any disasters or homicides or anything reported, so Mar--uh, I thought that maybe this was the Paper's way of--of letting me have some time off.  So I came here.  But once I got here, I read about a--a person getting murdered at Cordelia Chase's party last night, so I...tried to stop it."  Finished, he sat back, watching their reactions, ready to receive the disdain and disbelief he was sure was coming...and then was totally surprised when it didn't come.

 "So that's why you came to talk to Cordy."  Willow stated, paging curiously through the Press.  "And that's why Buffy found you in the alley.  She told us," she added when Gary gave her a look.  She smiled a little, and he nodded, smiling a little back.  "You were just trying to...save this person."

 "Well--yeah."  His smile faded, and Gary glanced at Buffy.  "I think...it was maybe going to be you," he told her.  "The Paper didn't say," he rushed on when she looked back with wide, startled eyes, "But you were the only one that I saw come in late.  And once you'd left--before the, uh, attack--the story changed."

 "Goodness."  Giles spoke up, raising his eyebrows, "I guess it was a good thing you were there, Mr. Hobson, otherwise the world would be in...some trouble."

 "Hang on a minute."  Xander spoke up before Gary could ask about the other man's statement.  "If you get <tomorrow's> paper, then doesn't that mean that you get tomorrow's sports scores, and stock stuff, and...potential lottery numbers?"

 Gary's eyes widened, and he pulled the Paper out of the boy's reach.  "I don't use it for that."

 "Oh, no, of course you don't."  Xander looked innocently at the folded newsprint in Gary's hands.  "I was just wondering.  Just <wondering>."  He turned to give Willow an exaggerated look.

 Clutching the Paper possessively, Gary looked back at Giles.  "So, um...this book you found...?"

 Buffy answered, picking up the Foresight Papers.  "I guess I was wrong when I thought that you had something to do with this," she mused, opening the book carefully.  She frowned at the yellowed pages.  "But I was so <sure>..."

 "Perhaps you're not wrong, Buffy."  Giles stood up, then headed into his office.  He emerged a few seconds later carrying the remnants of the crate the book had arrived in.  "When I was unpacking the shipment," he explained, lifting a few broken boards off the top of the crate, "I thought I might've received the wrong box.  You see," he continued, pulling out a bundle of neatly tied papers, "The books were wrapped with back issues of the...the Chicago Sun-Times."  He dropped the bundle on the table, looking from it to Gary.  "I thought nothing of it then, but now...perhaps there's a significance to those specific papers being used."

 "Um..."  Leaning forward again, Gary looked carefully at the old papers, then at the book.  "Um, what's <in> that book?"

 "Prophesies,"  Willow answered promptly.  "Some Scottish fortune tellers wrote them down about four hundred and fifty years ago.  And, well...one of them has to do with Buffy."

 "With the Slayer," Giles was quick to correct her.  "We...haven't yet been able to put a date on that specific prophesy.  I was, well, rather hoping you might be able to shed some light on the subject."  The British man looked seriously at Gary.

 "Well, I'd like to help out," he replied, glancing around at the trio, "But I'm afraid I don't know anything about Slayers, or whatever.  The Paper doesn't come with a table of Other Weird Stuff that Happens In the World."  He furrowed his brow, then added, "My first encounter with--um--vampires, was last night.  And I didn't know about them until then, either."

 Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles all exchanged looks.  Then Giles glanced over at Gary again.  "I believe," he began slowly, waiting for Buffy to nod in confirmation, "I believe that, if we are to work together on this Foresight Papers issue, there will need to be some explanations.  On both sides," he added with a wry smile.  Then he turned serious again.  "My only concern is...how are we to know we can trust you, Mr. Hobson?"

 Gary raised his eyebrows, thinking.  "Well, I've told you most of my secrets," he began bluntly, "So I guess you could say that I trust you as much as anyone.  And as for you trusting me..." he paused, playing with the paper in his hands, then continued, "I'm not sure what I'm doing here, but a friend of mine says that the Paper makes me do things for a reason, and I've learned to--to trust that she's right.  So, since the Paper brought me here, I guess I'm supposed to help."  He looked back at Giles just as seriously.  "Does that help?"

 Giles opened his mouth to answer, but Buffy beat him to it.  "I think we can trust him.  It's a feeling."  She smiled a little, then turned to the others.  "Should we go first?"

 "Sure."  Xander jumped in, still looking thoughtfully at the Paper.  "See, Mr. Hobson--does anybody mind if I start?" he asked suddenly, tearing his gaze away to look inquiringly at Giles and Buffy.

 Giles waved his hand, slightly amused.  "By all means, Xander."

 "Great."  Pleased, the boy began speaking again in a deep, tourist-film voice.  "Welcome to Sunnydale, Mister Hobson--"

 "Gary, please."

 "--Gary.  One of the town's major 'night-life' attractions is the Hellmouth, located under your very feet..."

 Buffy, Willow, and Giles sighed.  Gary listened to the bizarre tale carefully, not sure if he should believe what he was being told or not.  *Then again,* he thought  as he heard about how Buffy came to be the Slayer, *I get tomorrow's paper.  'Gee, aren't you kids looking kinda blackened?' asks the pot...*

 Soon, explanations were flying.
* * * * *
 Gary walked slowly down the sidewalk, thinking over the fantastical stories he'd been told in the library earlier.  The whole thing was a little much to take in; one girl in the whole world who was strong enough to fight and kill vampires?  If he hadn't been attacked by one such demon last night, he would never have believed it.

 *And what a girl to be Chosen,* he thought wryly, thinking about the girl herself.  Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  It seemed ridiculous, that in this age of technology and science--not to mention names like 'Buffy'--there were still superstitions and magicks that couldn't be explained away.  *Poor Buffy.  To have this whole tradition thing dropped on her like that...*

 Gary realized with a start that he could just as easily be thinking about himself.  "But at least mine got dropped on me when I was old enough to handle it," he told himself under his breath.  "Buffy, she--she's <young>.  And she knows that the whole world is counting on her to keep it, well, <here>.  And her <mother> doesn't even know!"  Unbidden, his thoughts skidded to his own mother's comments for him when she'd found out about the Paper.  "But we're different," he told himself stubbornly.  "Blood-sucking vampires and tomorrow's newspaper--can't even be compared!"

 Gary shivered a little and walked on, trying to convince himself that he was right.
* * * * *

 "So, what do you think of Gary?"

 Willow raised her eyebrows at Buffy's point-blank question.  "What do you mean?"

 Buffy smiled at her too-shy friend, nudging her with her elbow.  "All this future, I-get-tomorrow's-paper stuff.  Do you think he's telling the truth?  I mean, for all we know, that just might be a printing error in the Press, and Gary might be some crazy guy who thinks he's actually got something weird."

 "Maybe."  Willow gave Buffy a look, then continued, "But then, why did he know about you coming late to Cordelia's party?  And, he said he's been getting it for two years by now.  If the date was a fluke, somebody might have noticed by now."  She smiled back, impishly.  "Also, you have that 'feeling' about him.  That probably wouldn't happen if he was, say, a crackpot."

 "Yeah."  Buffy nodded confidently.  "I was just, you know, doing that demon's lawyer thing that Giles pulls sometimes."

 "The Devil's advocate,"  Willow corrected absently.

 "Whatever."  Slowing to a stop, Buffy turned to face her friend.  "It's too bad he's a mystical thing, though," she commented casually.  "For somebody that was drawn to Sunnydale because of the hellmouth, he's a hottie."

 Willow's cheeks flushed almost as red as her hair, and Buffy grinned.  "You noticed!"

 "Mm-hmm."  The red-faced girl murmured her reply, then turned resolutely back to face forward.

 "Okay, okay, we won't dwell on News-Boy."  Linking her arm through Willow's, Buffy resumed walking.  "As much fun as it was hearing my life story rehashed for him, I kinda wish we'd been able to do something more about the Foresight Papers," she went on, changing the subject.  "I thought Gary could help us with that prophesy."

 "Maybe he still can."  Willow angled her head to the side, thinking.  "Giles must've got those Sun-Times for a reason.  And, like he said, Gary must've been sent here for a reason."  She thought a little more, then nodded resolutely.  "He'll be able to do something soon.  We just have to be patient."

 Buffy raised her eyebrows, sighing.  "You're probably right.  I just hope whatever it is doesn't get him in trouble again."
* * * * *
 "Meow!" *Thump!*

 "Aw, come on!"  Gary rolled over, squinting against the light that came through the blinds.  "Vacation, shmacation," he muttered, tossing his pillow on the floor and climbing ungracefully out of bed.  "Whatever happened to letting me sleep in, huh?" he asked the Cat as he opened the door and watched it run past him.  "You're back to getting me up at six-thirty.  Think I'm rested already?"  He bent down, picked up the Paper, and turned to go back into his room.

 As soon as the door closed behind him, he unfolded the Paper and looked down at it, reading carefully to make sure he didn't miss anything.

 The article, when he found it, was on page four.
 "School Library Ransacked
  --Valuable books stolen
 The Sunnydale High School library was vandalized yesterday evening shortly after nightfall, and some very expensive textbooks and dictionaries were stolen.  Police do not have any leads as of yet, but are cooperating with Rupert Giles, librarian at the school, to find a complete list of what was taken.  'It's all quite upsetting,'  Giles stated.  'Students who use the library are understandably angry, as am I.  Whoever did this must be found and punished.'  Police Chief Robert Humphrey is asking for anyone with information on the break-in to come to the station immediately."

 Gary looked at the Cat.  "What do I do?" he asked it.  "Do I go to the police?  Or should I go talk to Giles, 'cause knowing the kinds of books he keeps there, I'm guessing that those 'textbooks and diccionaries' aren't exactly school-related."

 The Cat meowed softly, then rolled onto its side, stretched, and began purring.

 Sighing, Gary reached for his jeans.  "Some help you are," he muttered.
* * * * *
 "And you--you're certain this will happen tonight?"

 Gary sighed, unfolding the newspaper and handing it to Giles.  He'd tracked the Watcher/Librarian down through the phonebook, and had gotten him out of bed at eight o'clock.  Right now, the Brit was sipping carefully at some hot tea, still looking bed-rumpled.  "It's in the Paper.  And I thought, since most people don't go out of their way to steal <books>, maybe it had something to do with the...uh...vampire population."

 "That was probably a good guess."  Having found the article, Giles read through it quickly, blinking a couple times when he came to his statement.  "Vampires have broken into the library before, and taken a book which they used to perform a ritual--" he broke off, then looked up wryly at Gary.  "Spike and Drusilla were behind that particular robbery."

 "Spike and--"  Gary furrowed his brow, then remembered a passing reference from yesterday.  "You mean the one in the wheelchair and the crazy girl?"

 "Precisely."  Giles took a sip of tea, then closed the Paper and handed it back.  "It seems I should tell Buffy to patrol around the school this evening," he mused.  "I've found that it's better safe than sorry when it comes to the books I keep in the library."

 "Yeah..."  Gary agreed half-heartedly.  He looked up to see Giles watching him curiously, and he continued, "Buffy...she's okay with this whole Slayer thing?"

 The Brit looked down at his teacup, then sighed.  "She is as well as can be expected.  She had some moments last year, and things have not been easy lately..."  He trailed off, then took off his glasses and began polishing them.  "The vampire that attacked you--Angel--was not always evil," he began slowly, "About a century after he'd been turned, he killed a gypsy girl, and her...tribe...cursed him.  Brought back his soul, gave him his conscience."

 Gary waited patiently as Giles paused.  The group had touched on the subject of Angel the day before, but before any detail could be gone into, the four had exchanged glances and quickly backed away from that topic.

 "For another hundred years, Angel was truly cursed; tormented by the memories of all the horrible acts he had committed while his demon--the vampire in him--had free reign."  Giles spoke slowly, carefully, as if measuring the words before they left his mouth.  "Then when Buffy moved to Sunnydale, he began...helping her.  Warning her of threats, giving her access to knowledge that he, as a vampire, was priveledged to, and that I could not provide."  He stopped for a sip of tea, then continued, "Angel became one of our trusted friends--he added fighting power when we needed it, he gave me a book that prepared us thoroughly for the opening of the hellmouth last year--we all counted him as someone important to the Slayer's cause."  Giles sighed, then said quietly, "Angel and Buffy became quite close over the time he spent with us.  We all saw him as just another member of the gang.

 "However, a few weeks ago, the gypsy's curse was lifted."  Giles was focussed on a spot just over Gary's shoulder, and he shook his head slightly.  "Circumstances had seemed to spiral out of control, and...things happened that had consequences.  Angel reverted to being Angelus, and began killing and destroying again.  He now lives with Spike and Drusilla, in a factory across town."  He sighed, then finished softly, "His turning back was quite a blow to Buffy."  Coming back to the present, Giles turned his eyes to Gary's, frowning slightly.  "I tell you this only because I think you may come up against Angel again while you're here.  It would be...appreciated if this information went no further than this room."

 Gary nodded, clear now on why the kids hadn't wanted to talk about him.  "I understand."  He watched as Giles took another drink, then asked hesitantly, "Are you...you and the kids, are you the only ones that know about all this Slayer-vampire business?"

 Giles blinked owlishly, then attempted a slight smile.  "You want to know so you won't feel like you're watching what you say to everyone," he stated.  Gary nodded, and the Watcher continued, "There are a few others.  Cordelia Chase knows, however lightly she decides to take that information.  A friend of Willow's, Oz, knows, as does the computer science teacher--Miss Calendar."  Giles paused slightly before saying her name, and Gary wondered at the slip.  "Most other people tend to ignore any strange happenings," he continued quickly.  "They see things that they do not want to believe are real, and so pass them off as being fictional, or a dream, or some such self-delusional clap-trap."

 Gary nodded.  He'd tried that when he first began receiving the Paper, and knew that it never worked for long.  "Thanks.  And--I promise."  He gave the Brit a reassuring smile, then picked up the Paper and stuffed it into his back pocket.  "So, um...you'll be watching the library tonight?"

 "Yes.  Thank you for telling me as soon as you--uhm--found out."  Giles returned the smile, obviously relieved that the conversation was back on a "safe" topic.  "And if you want to look at the Foresight Papers, please don't hesitate to ask.  I admit, I could use some help in finding a date for that Slayer prophesy."

 "If the Paper tells me anything, I'll be sure to tell you."  Gary nodded, then headed for the door.  "Sorry to have wakened you," he said formally as he opened the door.

 Giles waved it away.  "No apology necessary.  The information was invaluable."

 "Well, all right."

 The two men nodded again at each other, then Gary left the building.
* * * * *
 "This is <hopeless>!!"

 Drusilla looked up from her doll, a slow smile spreading across her face.  "Poor Angel," she commented, her lower-class accent colouring the sound of his name.  "All lost in his storybook.  I wonder what's so in'tresting?"

 Angel looked up from the Foresight Papers, meeting Dru's eyes.  "It's nothing, baby.  The stories just aren't <cooperating>."

 "Awww."  Abandoning her play, the vampire stood up and waltzed over to her sire, picking the book up out of his lap and seating herself there instead.  Twining her arms around his neck, she nuzzled his throat and murmured, "There are easier ways to get the stories.  You just 'ave to go and look for them."

 Angel ran his hand through Drusilla's hair, then felt her smile against his skin.  "It's just so frustrating.  Those damn Scots--always too drunk to write things down clearly."

 Dru pulled away, then looked him in the eyes.  "But the stories are important," she whispered, still smiling shyly.  "And other people are trying to read them, too."

 "Other people..."  Angel blinked, then sat up straight. "Oh, why didn't I think of that myself!  Dru--" he pecked her quickly on the cheek, eliciting a giggle of rapture from his vampire daughter, "You are a genius.  How can I <ever> repay you?"

 "Oh," Drusilla slid off his lap, letting her hands slide over his face and chest, "You'll find a way.  My Angel <always> knows how to make things up to a girl."  Suddenly, her smile faded, and she crossed her arms over her stomache.  "But what's this?" she asked softly.

 "What's what?  Dru?"  Angel watched her carefully; this could be <any> psychic vibe she was getting now.

 "There's someone else here, now."  She tilted her head, looking for all the world like she was listening to someone whispering in her ear.  "Someone...new..."  She jumped, and focussed on Angel again.  "A kitty!  He's brought a kitty!"

 "A cat."  Sighing, Angel stood up and took her hand in his.

 "I heard it mew.  It's a kitty, all for him..."  She squeezed his fingers, then looked into his eyes.  "He knows about things..."

 "Don't worry, Dru.  I'll be careful."  Kissing her one last time, Angel let go of her hand and watched her go back to her doll, making faint, high-pitched mewling sounds.  "But first, I need to know what Giles knows."  Raising his voice, the vampire shouted through the building, "Boys!  We're gonna make a raid tonight!  Anybody interested?"
* * * * *
 It was seven-thirty when Buffy arrived at the school, a backpack filled with stakes slung over her shoulder.  "Watch this whole thing not go down," she muttered angrily as she paced from one end of the courtyard to the other.  "The least Giles could've done was let me into the library so I could catch whoever gets in there!  But, no.  I'm stuck guarding the <outside> for now."

 It was just starting to get dark, but Buffy strode with her head up, her eyes searching the shadows thoroughly for intruders.  She had a stake in her hand already, but she kept it at her side, flicking it with her fingernails.

 "Oh, yawn."  She sat down on the edge of the fountain, crossing her arms and slouching forward.  "I could've at least come when it was actually <dark>.  There's nothing to slay during the day."  Sighing monumentally, she whined, "And it's <Sunday>.  Like anybody's going to be able to keep me company..."  Willow's family always had a Sunday dinner, and Xander liked to see how annoyed he could make his parents, because Sunday evening was the only time during the week that they were ever in the same room together.  Giles, a professed almost-atheist, <could> have joined her, but he was being forced to do some kind of staff function.  He'd given Buffy plenty of advice before he left, though.

 So, she waited until dusk had completely enveloped the courtyard, then resumed her back-and-forth pacing, searching carefully.  She was just about to head around to the front doors when she heard a slight rustling of one of the bushes surrounding the area.  "Hello, what have we here?" she muttered, pushing away a wave of fear.  *Angel...*

 Slowly, holding the stake at the ready, Buffy crept toward the bush, her senses alert and searching.  "Come out, come out, whatever you are..."

 Suddenly, the bush exploded outwards, and a vampire stood before her, growling and in full game face.  He snarled at her, but kept his distance.  She was about to step forward and start fighting when she heard a similar sound behind her.  Whirling around, Buffy came face to face with another, female vampire, who stood uneasily on the ledge of the fountain where Buffy had been sitting not long ago.  Behind her, Buffy could see one more vamp, heading for the door of the library.

 "Too scared to come one by one, huh?"  Shaking her head a little to get her hair out of her face, Buffy stood her ground.  "Too bad."

 The female vamp darted forward and the Slayer reacted quickly, turning sideways and slamming her arm into the passing demon's back, making her stagger into the other one.  The two regained their footing easily, and now both hurried forward, arms outstretched, hands grabbing at their opponent.

 Buffy stepped backward onto the edge of the fountain, then lashed out with her foot, kicking one vampire in the face and kneeing the other in the chin.  Both fell back, then began circling her uneasily, looking for an opening.  "Look, I don't have time for you two," Buffy told them matter-of-factly.  "So why don't we get this over with?"

 One of them--the male vampire--was at the edge of her vision, but she didn't dare stop watching the woman.  "Guess I have to get things rolling, then."  Deciding quickly what she was going to do, Buffy leapt off her perch directly at the vamp in front of her.  She managed to knock her to the ground without falling herself, and came at her prey with the stake--but managed only to drive it into the ground as the vampess rolled away.

 Cursing, Buffy jumped to her feet--and was grabbed from behind by the other one in a bear hug.  She quickly slammed her head back into the vampire's forehead, and heard him growl in pain.  But he wouldn't let go.  Squirming desperately, Buffy saw the vampess coming towards her, and, using the one holding her as leverage, she kicked up hard, and felt the tip of her boot connect with the advancing one's chin.  Her head snapped back and she fell, stunned, to the ground.

 *Now I have some time!*  Planting her heels in the soft ground, Buffy wrenched herself sideways, managing to break the vamp's hold on her.  As soon as his hands unclasped, letting go of her midsection, she swivelled around on her heel, stake held at heart level.  She felt it jolt as it penetrated his skin, then was left unbalanced as he blew apart into dust.  Without the support, she fell to the ground beside the vampess--who was getting to her feet, shaking her head a little.

 "Just you and me now, Slayer," the demon hissed, her eyes glowing madly.  Without waiting for a response, the vampire lunged at Buffy, pinning her to the ground.  She had her hands around Buffy's throat and was beginnig to squeeze.

 Buffy stared up at her assailant's deformed face, then reached up under her and tore the vamp's hands off her throat with her forearms.  She felt the vamp's nails scratch through her skin as her hold broke but ignored the pain as she clasped her hands together and drove the double fist upwards into the demon's face.  The vamp fell backwards, and Buffy was on her feet, gasping for breath.

 The vampess didn't waste any time getting up either, and Buffy spun around on the ball of her foot, kicking out in a wide arc.  The vamp stumbled, but this time she stayed on her feet.  Growling angrily, she rushed forward again, but Buffy had her stake ready, and she lunged forward to meet her, jamming the wood into the vamp's heart.

 Another implosion of sound and ash, and that one was gone, too.

 Still gasping, Buffy leaned heavily on the stone fountain, scrabbling in her bag for another stake.  "There's still one more..."  Her hand closed around the smooth wood, and she turned around to head for the door to the library--then stopped cold as she saw who was already there.  "Gary?"

 The man stood in front of the door, his eyes wide, and Buffy realized that he'd probably just seen the entire fight.  He looked straight at her with such an expression of surprise and fear on his face that she would've laughed, if she'd been able to get enough air.

 Instead, she breathed in a loud yell of warning as the door beside him blew open and the third vampire came running out.  "Gary, look out!"
* * * * *
 Gary was stunned and shocked by the scene that greeted his eyes as he arrived at the school.  Even though he knew that whatever was happening would most likely have to do with vampires, and as such he should probably stay as far away as he could, he wanted to know that whoever was dealing with it wasn't in trouble.

 He'd been completely thrown off-guard when he saw Buffy fighting with two hideously deformed monsters.  He'd wanted to help, but both sides were so vicious in their attacks that he didn't know how he could.  So, he just stood out of the way, watching with terrified amazement as Buffy countered every move and eventually reduced the vampires to dust.

 Then she'd turned to look at him, blood oozing from scratches on her neck and bruises already visible on her arms and face, and he'd been too stunned to say anything.  *<This> is the girl that parties at the Bronze and needs help with her homework?*  The Buffy he'd met two nights ago and the one he faced now seemed so entirely separate from each other that he finally understood what the Slayer was about.

 Then she yelled at him, her voice harsh and raspy, and he was jolted out of his surprise by another vampire rushing at him from the door he stood beside.  Feeling the collision as if he'd been run into by a freight train, Gary fell to the ground, buried under the heaviness of the demon above him.  He looked up into yellow eyes, a ridged forehead, and sharp, snarling teeth, then rolled over, his survival instinct kicking in like mad.  Using his own weight and adrenaline to keep the thing pinned to the ground, Gary looked around frantically for something to fight it with--and saw a stake, probably one Buffy had dropped, lying on the ground not two feet away.  He reached for it quickly, then shifted his weight and drove the sharp wood into the monster's chest, recoiling at the sickening, wet sound the action produced.

 The vampire howled angrily, but did not blow into dust.  Gary looked down at the stake protruding from its chest in horror.  *What did I do wrong??*

 Suddenly, he was pushed aside, and Buffy was kneeling on the ground, pulling the stake out.  Completely focussed on her duty, she raised her arm, angling the stake a little differently, then plunged it in again.  This time, there was no moist shudder, and the vampire blew to bits.

 Breathing heavily, Gary looked up at Buffy, who still knelt beside him, also gasping for breath.  She looked down at his expression, and almost smiled.  "It...has to be...directly through the heart," she told him between wheezes.  Then she coughed, the dry sound grating his ears.  "Not bad--for a first try."

 Gary smiled, feeling a little giddy as he forced himself to his knees.  He took Buffy's arm, and together they helped each other up.  Once they were standing, he reached over and tilted her head a little, exposing the scratches on her throat.  "Are you okay?"

 "I'll be fine."  Buffy waved his hand away, then almost fell again, and latched onto his arm.  "In a minute."  Then she became serious, and she began looking around them.  "Did you see what he took?"

 Gary frowned, then saw a thin book laying in the grass where the vampire had been.  "There."

 Sinking back to her knees, Buffy reached out and picked it up, flipping it open to the first page, then snapping it shut.  "Melois' Watcher diary," she muttered, then explained, "It has most of what's been translated from the Foresight Papers in it."

 "The vampires want translations?"  Gary shook his head, worried.  "But they don't have the book."

 "They might have a copy."  Now Buffy sounded worried, and she stood, unsteadily.  "We need to tell Giles about this."

 "Now?"  Gary looked at his watch--it was almost ten o'clock.  "Isn't it kind of late?"

 "Slayers and Watchers don't punch a time clock," Buffy replied.  Then she relented, "But he has a teacher thing tonight.  He's probably not back yet."  She turned to Gary and raised her eyebrows.  "Tomorrow at school."

 "Tomorrow..."  Gary's eyes widened, and he reached for the Paper.  Flipping wildly to page four, he scanned quickly for the headline, then sighed with relief when he saw it had changed.  "Guess this won't be reported after all," he told Buffy, then explained about the article.

 "Lucky break that Giles took you seriously."  The Slayer smiled up at him, then winced as she felt the gashes in her throat.  "I should probably get home and fix these up," she commented, then sighed.  "I just have to get past Mom..."

 Gary started.  He'd completely forgotten that Buffy had a parent that knew nothing of what her daughter had been doing.  "You could--that is, if you want to get that cleaned up before you go home, you could come to the hotel," he offered.  "I have a whole first aid kit that's seen some neck injuries pretty recently."  He smiled down at her, and she smiled back, checking out his own small scar.

 "Well, I do need to get home--but if it's not too out of the way?"  Buffy seemed anxious to stay away from home, and Gary shook his head.

 "It's not far.  Fifteen minute walk."  He folded the Paper and held out his hand.  "And I promise not to bite."

 Buffy laughed a little at that, but still hesitated.  She looked at his outstretched hand--then her eyes focussed behind it, and she grinned.  "I think that cat wants me to go with," she commented.

 Gary spun around--sure enough, there was the Cat, sitting serenely on the ground, watching them with wide green eyes.  "It probably does," he replied wryly, looking back at Buffy.  When she gave him a look, he explained, "That's my Cat.  The one that comes with the Paper every morning."

 Buffy's eyes widened, and she looked at the beast more intensely.  "Does it usually show up when you're just talking to people?"

 "When it wants me to do something, it'll show up anywhere."  Gary stooped down and scooped the Cat into his arms, then held it against him, feeling it purr.  Then he turned back to the Slayer.  "So?  You coming?  Those scratches should really be fixed up..."

 Shaking her head, Buffy linked her arm through his and petted the Cat's orange head.  "If the Cat wants me to, I'll come."

 "Great."  Shifting his burden so he could hold it with one arm, Gary turned to the road, the Slayer on his arm, the Paper in his pocket.  "Let's go."
* * * * *
 "So you came here for a <vacation>??"

 Gary laughed a little as he let himself and Buffy into his room.  The Cat jumped out of his arms and headed sedately for the bed.  "Yeah.  Chuck and Marissa thought it'd be such a good idea.  I mean, look at the Press.  It's <yellow>.  Places with <yellow> on their newspapers don't really inspire thoughts of the undead."  Tossing his key on the dresser, he headed for the bathroom, going directly to the drawer with the first aid kit in it.

 "I guess.  Actually, that's why Mom and I moved here in the first place."  Buffy looked around at her surroundings, then sat down on the edge of the bed.  "She'd heard how Sunnydale was such a safe, wholesome place.  And the houses were cheap."  She smiled at Gary as he came back, rummaging through the kit.

 "Well, if vampires keep attacking the newcomers, no wonder real estate's inexpensive."  Seating himself beside her, Gary instructed, "Okay, just tilt your head a little--"  He looked in surprise at the scratches on her neck.  "That's weird.  They look thinner."

 "Yeah, it's part of the whole Slayer thing.  I heal quicker than other people,"  Buffy explained casually.  She looked at Gary's face and grinned.  "Don't worry, they still need a band-aid or something.  They hurt."

 Shaking his head, Gary pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and some bandages and got to work.  "So...you're sure your mom won't worry that you're out so late?"

 "I'm sure.  She doesn't really notice half the time, anyway."  Buffy sounded a little bitter, and Gary studiously avoided her gaze.  "Not to sound like she's a bad mother, or anything, 'cause she's not," the girl rushed to explain, "But sometimes she can be a little...thick.  I mean, she hasn't caught on to the Slayer thing yet, but she <does> know that I have a weird after-school life.  Do you know," she continued without pausing, "That I burned the gym down at my old school?"  She looked at Gary's expression and smiled.  "Relax, it was full of vampires.  But, it was also prom night.  So I didn't exactly burn it down unnoticed.  I got in heaps of trouble, had to go to court--the whole thing cost my parents a bundle in lawyer fees--but they just chalked it up to my having 'fallen in with a bad crowd'."  The bitterness was back, and Gary shifted uncomfortably on the bed.  "The last excuse a parent can make for their kid.  And since we got here, and Mom and Dad got divorced, Mom's been trying to make stuff up to me, I think.  She watches my schoolwork like a hawk, but she misses the non-schoolwork.  She doesn't seem to find the amount of time I spend at school with Giles at all weird, which is good, I guess...but it makes her seem kinda flaky."

 "It's good that she cares about you,"  Gary spoke up, smoothing a band-aid in place over a particularly nasty cut.  "And she's--she's your mother.  She probably wants to know what happens in your life."

 Buffy chuckled a little, the action forced and brittle-sounding.  "Yeah.  But I don't think she could <handle> what happens in my life."

 Gary was about to respond that he'd had much the same thoughts about his parents and the Paper--but instead there was a soft rapping on the door, and he stood up.  "I'll get that."  He stepped around the edge of the bed, went to the door--and found the Cat sitting in front of it, lashing its tail around wildly.  "Hey--could you move, please?"  The animal stayed in place, and the rapping came again.  "Oh, come on."  Gary slid his foot under the Cat, nudging it away, ignoring its yowl of protest.  "Thank you very much," he muttered, then opened the door.  "Hello?"

 The woman at the door was very thin and dressed all in black.  She had long, black hair that flowed simply over her shoulders, starkly contrasting her pale face.  She looked up at Gary, her dark eyes wide.  "<You> have the kitty," she stated, her voice accented oddly, sounding very childish.  "You're the new one."

 Gary had no idea how to answer, but luckily he didn't have to.  Buffy was beside him in an instant, her hands balled into fists at her sides.  "That's Drusilla," she said angrily, glaring straight ahead at the woman.

 Startled, Gary looked from the Slayer to the caller.  "You mean the vampire?"  He took a step backwards and almost tripped over the Cat, who had its back arched and was hissing softly.

 Drusilla smiled coquettishly, then turned around and headed down the hallway, her hands waving shapes in the air.  "You have the kitty," she said again when she reached the bend in the hall.  Before she turned, she looked back at them, her eyes wide and gleaming.  She curtseyed exaggeratedly, then disappeared around the corner.

 Gary sagged against the doorframe, looking down at Buffy.  "Why didn't she attack?"

 The Slayer was still gazing down the hall, eyes gleaming angrily.  "She couldn't come in.  Vampires need to be invited in, otherwise they can't enter."  She looked up at him, and tilted her head.  "So <don't> invite strangers into this room."

 "I can do that."

 Buffy reached out and slammed the door shut, then sat down heavily on the bed again.  "I left my bag with the stakes in it at the school," she muttered, her hands squeezing the blanket until her knuckles turned white.  "Otherwise, she'd be a pile of ash right now."

 Gary looked at the Slayer uneasily as he packed up the first aid kit.  "I--uhm...you're all fixed up now," he told her carefully.  "Maybe you should head for home."

 The teenager looked up, her eyes blazing.  "I don't need to be patronized right now!"

 Shocked and a little hurt, Gary turned away and took the kit back to the bathroom.  When he came back, he found Buffy standing near the door holding a very satisfied Cat, rubbing its chin thoughtfully.  He cleared his throat, then picked up his coat.  "I can go with you, if you want me to..." he began quietly.

 The Slayer looked up, smiling apologetically.  "I'm...sorry I snapped at you.  Drusilla just--upset me."

 "That's okay.  You had a lot happen to you tonight."  Raising his eyebrows questioningly, Gary repeated, "I can walk you home..."

 "You'd better not."  Buffy looked a little sad as she continued, "Dru found you once, and she and Spike and Angel probably have people watching you.  I'll be fine on my own."

 "You sure?  You said you don't have any stakes..."

 "I'm sure.  Thanks, though."  Giving him one last smile, Buffy deposited the Cat on the bed, then left the hotel room.

 Gary watched as the door slid shut behind her, then jumped as the Cat meowed at him.  Looking down at the orange feline, he sighed.  "That is one girl I feel awfully sorry for."

 He glanced at the clock, then headed off for a shower before going to bed.
* * * * *
 Buffy opened her eyes to the darkness of her bedroom.

 It was still late at night--or possibly early morning--and the moon shone brilliantly through her drawn blinds, the stream of silver light flowing over her bed and onto herself.  But, as light as it made her body, the solitary beam also created deep, forbidding shadows, making her world seem as if it was painted in shades of gray.

 Sitting up cautiously, Buffy strained her eyes to see out her window.  She had the strangest feeling of being watched, and since she knew she was alone in her room, she guessed that whoever it was was outside.  The thought made her shiver.  After all, there was only one person who ever waited on the roof for her...

 Swinging her legs out from under the covers, the Slayer walked slowly to the window, then pulled it open.  Taking a deep breath, she leaned out over the window sill, sweeping her gaze from left to right, trying to find Angel...

 He stood on the ground below her, arms at his sides, face angled up to look at her.  When she saw him, his lips curved into the smile she knew so well--warm, loving, enticing--and he reached his hand up as if to stroke her cheek.  His mouth moved, and she heard him whisper her name.  "Buffy..."

 Smiling back at him, she hurried out her window and quickly shimmied down the tree on the front lawn until she hit the ground.  He waited for her there, his smile widening as she turned to face him, his expression one of pure happiness.  "I've been waiting for you, lover."

 Buffy shivered at his greeting, and her smile slowly melted into a frown.  She looked up at him, searching his face.  It was Angel, standing right there in front of her--

 --But it wasn't.  As she looked closely, Buffy saw the warmth in his eyes melt away to be replaced with cold, sinister pleasure, and the gentle, loving smile turn hard and snarling.  It was still Angel--but it was also Angelus, and as she stood before him, he opened his mouth and laughed, a low, horrible chuckle that echoed through her mind until she could hardly bear it.

 Tearing her gaze away from his face, she searched frantically for a stake, a blade, anything that would let her kill him.  As much as the idea repulsed her, Buffy knew that unless she took this chance, unless she destroyed the demon that he had become <now>, he could continue to kill and torture and destroy.  Her heart quailed at the thought of ending his life, but still her eyes roamed her surroundings, his laugh making her want to cover her ears and scream.  *Something, anything, <anything>...*

 Her gaze rested on the tree she stood beside.  There was a branch, just above her head, that looked thin and brittle enough to be broken off easily.  Without looking back at Angelus, she reached up and snapped it from the trunk, feeling an odd gush of warm sap run over her hands.  She ignored it, and spun around on the ball of her foot, driving forward with the makeshift stake, feeling it crunch through cloth and skin and bone...

 But he didn't blow apart into dust.  Startled, Buffy looked at the wood protruding from his chest, realizing suddenly that the sap was no longer clear, but dark, and hideously red.  Horrified, she looked up to see if the demon even registered what she'd done--and confronted not the cool black eyes and pale skin of the vampire, but the warm brown eyes and tanned face of Gary Hobson.

 He looked at her, his eyes wide in disbelief, then opened his mouth to speak--but no sound came out.  Instead, he looked down at the stake, which her hand was still wrapped around, and she snatched it away, horrified.  Slowly, Gary looked back up, then tipped forward onto his knees, then fell onto his face and lay still.

 "Gary--"  Buffy tried to kneel beside him, but her legs wouldn't budge.  All she could do was stare down at her bloodstained hands, numb...until she heard Angel's laugh again.

 "Too much, Slayer?"  it taunted her cruelly, and try as she might, she couldn't find the demon's shape in the sudden darkness.  "Or is it just another night?"

 The laugh continued, and Buffy felt tears running down her face as she spun in circles, trying to find him, trying to kill him, trying not to notice the blood on her hands...

 * * * *
Continued in  Installment 3
Skip to Installment 4

Go back to Installment 1

Email the author:  Jayne Leitch
 
 

Back Home to McGinty's

Stories by Title

Stories by Author