Sorry for the double post but it's hours between.
Title – School Days
Part 24 – What’s a Slayer
Author – JustSkipit - Debra
Spoilers – Geez! Even in Europe, the show has been off the air for a year. If you haven’t seen any given episode, you aren’t really trying. Nonetheless…
Rating – Part 24 – PG
Note – I got Giles’ speech from
http://www.buffyworld.com/Disclaimer – Guess what… I don’t own W&T, Buffy or the rest of the BtVS crew. Any similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental and fortunate.
Thoughts in italics “What’s a Slayer?”
The words hung in the air for a second before Buffy responded. “I thought you were a witch,” she sneered at Tara before the sensation of steel digging a little deeper into her throat turned her attention back toward Faith.
“Why don’t you explain why you set off the demon alarm,” Faith ordered the blonde.
“Do you think we can all dial down the aggression and just talk about this?” Willow offered hopefully. “You maybe, take seats,” she glanced around noting the beat-up couch and two folding chairs in the kitchenette. “Or,” she continued suggesting, “we could go to the Expresso Pump?”
Buffy rolled her eyes at her best friend. “How about a better idea,” she suggested, “we go to the Magic Box and let Giles explain.”
“What d-does Mr. Giles have to d-do with anything?” Tara asked.
“Forget that for now,” Faith declared. She took a step back lowering her sword but making it obvious that she was keeping it at the ready. “What kind of demon is a Slayer?”
“I’m not a demon,” Buffy argued, “I’m the Slayer. Slayer comma The. Look it up.”
“Buff,” Willow said, “I don’t think your attitude is helping and Faith is still holding a pretty sharp sword.” She took a few steps toward Tara seeing that the blonde, while cautious wasn’t making any defensive moves. “Sweetie,” she pled, “we’re the good guys. Why don’t we go to the Magic Box and let Giles explain?”
“Yeah,” Buffy muttered, “he lives for this part.”
Faith and Tara glanced at each other for a moment. Subtly Faith nodded at the witch as if to say, “You decide.”
“Willow,” Tara started, “can you two wait outside for a second?”
“Absolutely,” the redhead agreed, glad to see the easing of the tensions in the room. Faith and Buffy eyed each other warily as the two visitors made their way from the room.
Tara shook her wrist as the vibration ceased. She hadn’t really noticed how hard it had continued shaking throughout the confrontation but now she was eminently aware of its absence. Quickly she crossed to her altar, lit a candle, and whispered an incantation to suspend the spell. “Well, T,” Faith started, “what do you think?”
Tara exhaled slowly. “Let’s go hear what they have to say,” she said.
“You think they’re the good guys?” Faith asked as she crossed to place a dagger in her backpack and replaced the sword in the corner. She held out a weapon in offering to Tara.
“A few of them perhaps,” Tara agreed, “let’s go hear what they have to say.” She shook her head to decline the weapon but pulled two weathered journals from the used bookcase leaning against the wall and stuffed them into her own backpack. The two girls started toward the door and pulled it closed behind them.
Faith locked the door and then looked around to see Buffy and Willow leaning on Willow’s car. “Nice wheels, Red,” Faith said as she pulled open the back door. “We’ll sit in back.” Buffy rolled her eyes and climbed in the passenger seat.
The foursome rode in silence until they reached the magic box. As they entered Anya greeted the group: “Hello. We are closing in 15 minutes so please spend your money quickly.”
Faith quirked her eyebrow at the clerk before declaring, “You’re very peculiar you know.”
“Faith,” Tara admonished, “be nice.”
“Giles,” Buffy called to the watcher who was at the tea service by the table, “we need your classic Watcher explanation.”
Giles looked exasperated at the blonde. “Buffy Summers, why don’t you speak more loudly? Now what is going on?” He continued pouring himself a cup of tea before indicating that everyone else should take a seat. Tara and Willow sat at the table but Faith and Buffy glared at each other and leaned against separate bookcases.
Seeing the looks on the other two girls’ faces and not wanting this to degenerate into a fight, Willow decided to summarize the afternoon: “You know Tara and Faith. Tara set a protection spell on Faith’s apartment and Buffy set it off. They think she’s a demon.”
“Buffy a demon?” Giles exclaimed, “well how preposterous.”
“She’s a m-m-mystical being,” Tara argued. “I can feel her power s-signature except when she’s in the workout room.”
“Yeah,” Faith added, “Tara and I aren’t all that fond of demons.”
“First off,” Giles spoke, “you two shouldn’t have anything to do with demons.” He took off his glasses and cleaned them, not noticing the eye roll the two girls shared. “Second, let me see if I remember the speech.”
“This world is older than you know…,” Buffy started for him in a sarcastic tone.
“Ah yes,” Giles interrupted before launching into his standard “what’s a slayer” spiel:
This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their... their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures...
“And vampires,” Buffy commented as she always seemed to do.
Giles continued his explanation:
The books tell the last demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed, infected by the demon's soul. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the Earth, feeding... Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out, and the old ones to return.
For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One.
“He loves doing this part,” Buffy interrupted again.
Giles sighed at his Slayer. “Yes, this is one of my favorite parts. The Slayer hunts vampires, Buffy is a Slayer,” he concluded.
“So Buffy’s the one girl in a-all the world to fight the forces of darkness and v-vampires?” Tara confirmed. She and Faith again shared a look.
“Ooh,” Willow piped up looking across at Tara, “that’s who we were looking for yesterday: the second slayer.”
“Wait a second there, Red,” Faith argued, “G-man just said how there’s one girl in all the world doing the whole vampire slaying thing. If that’s so what’s the second slayer business?”
“It’s a long story,” Buffy started.
“Buffy died, I brought her back,” Xander stated. Everyone looked up as they realized that he had joined the discussion.
“Not that long,” Buffy concluded.
“I came to pick Anya up for dinner and saw you all here. I figured it was either a Scooby meeting or Giles trying to get lucky with four totally hot…” The man never saw the slap from Buffy on the back of his head or the punch from his girlfriend that landed on his arm. “Yep, Scooby meeting,” he said as he shook his arm.
“So Buffy died?” Tara repeated trying to keep the conversation on topic.
“Four years ago,” Giles answered, “much to our surprise another slayer was called.”
“So you’re l-looking for that slayer?” Faith confirmed.
“Well,” Giles said, “not exactly. That slayer was killed a little over two years ago. We assume another rose but the watchers council hasn’t been able to find her.”
“Yeah,” Buffy elaborated, “whoever she is, she likes to travel: Cleveland, Chicago, New York…”
“Don’t forget Florida,” Willow added.
“So you are super strong and fast,” Faith said to Buffy, “and you … what… stake vampires through the heart and they like poof into dust?”
“Sometimes she beheads them but usually it’s staking them,” Xander confirmed.
“O-ok,” Tara looked around the group, “so you all believe this? That v-vampires exist and that Buffy is one girl in all the world meant to battle them?”
“One girl except for the missing other girl,” Anya answered sarcastically.
Faith and Tara looked at each other before Tara subtly nodded at the dark-haired girl. Faith turned to Willow and said, “I think I know why your spell didn’t work.”
Giles looked between the two girls and the rest of the Scoobies. “Bloody hell,” he hissed at Tara, “you cast a masking spell on her.”
Surprising everyone Anya added, “And when you tried the locator spell Faith was in the back room sparring with Buffy.”
“Where the locator spell couldn’t work,” Willow concluded.
“But you aren’t quite fast enough or strong enough,” Buffy argued.
“Faster and stronger than you,” Faith argued.
“You’ve both been holding back,” Giles announced.
Buffy was moving toward the back room almost before her words came out of her mouth: “Let’s go see if you’re a Slayer.”
Faith followed immediately and Xander was right behind her. “Where are you going Alexander Harris?” Anya shouted as she saw her boyfriend following the two girls.
“Two Slayers are going to fight,” he explained, “I’m not missing this.”
Anya followed the young man but Willow, Tara, and Giles didn’t move from the bench. “What’s a W-watcher?” Tara asked as she looked at the other two.
“Giles is Buffy’s watcher,” Willow explained, “he trains her and advises her.”
“Oh,” Tara responded, “w-w-well… maybe you sh-should have …” She reached into her bag and pulled the two journals she had quickly packed from them. All three could hear the sounds of a fierce sparing match coming from the back room. “Th-th-this is…” Rather than hand them directly to Giles she passed them across to Willow as if hoping the redhead could interpret the books.
Willow handed one to Giles while opening the second and looked at the first few pages for a minute. “You kept track of everything?” she confirmed.
“Bloody hell,” Giles exclaimed as he began looking at the journals, “these are brilliant.” He quickly rose to pull out a few blank journals from a shelf under the cash register. “Spells, counts, training schedule,” he muttered. Suddenly he looked up and asked, “How did you make the masking spell permanent or did you keep refreshing it?”
“There w-w-were demons and then m-men looking f-for h-her all the t-t-t-…,” Tara started but couldn’t finish. Willow reached over to take the blonde’s hand realizing that it was the first time she had touched her since the day before. It didn’t escape her notice how perfect the fit seemed even in the stressful situation.
Giles sat down at the table. “I’m not questioning why you cast the spell,” he attempted to reassure her. “I just wanted to know how you kept it up. Particularly since you also apparently had an active alarm spell on Faith’s and I assume your apartment.”
“How did you maintain the spells, sweetie?” Willow pushed as she stroked Tara’s hand.
“Check it out,” Faith called as she pulled up her shirt and showed the expansive tattoo on her lower back. Giles, Tara, and Willow looked up as they realized that the other four had entered the room.
Tara stood and moved quickly over to face Faith asking, “S-s-so?”
Faith eagerly nodded. “She’s the real thing,” she answered excitedly; “I guess I’m a Slayer.” She turned to the rest of the group and explained the tattoo: “The spell’s in the tattoo.” Simultaneously Faith and Tara looked at the windows of the shop to see that the sun had set in the last few minutes. “Well,” Faith said as she looked toward the door, “this has been enlightening but we have work to do.”
“Wait,” Giles said eagerly, “why don’t you and Buffy patrol together?”
Faith and Tara looked at each other for a few minutes before stepping aside. Tara could see the conflict in Faith’s eyes. On one hand she obviously wanted to try out her skills with a partner who could keep up with her. On the other, the two girls had been working and living together for over two years. Faith didn’t want to betray all that they had shared. “Go ahead,” Tara whispered.
Faith smiled brilliantly before hugging her friend. “Get Red to take you home, ok?” she instructed the blonde. Tara nodded and watched the two slayers leave the shop.
“Well,” Anya announced, “I’m sure they will enjoy killing vampires and demons and sharing orgasms together.” She looked around at the shocked looks on everyone’s faces before adding, “Xander take me home.”
Willow and Giles shared a “don’t even ask” look before burying their noses deeper in the books. A moment later the phone rang. “I’m off the clock,” Anya called as she and Xander went out the door.
“Of course,” Giles said as he stood to answer the phone. “Oh, hello Dawn.” He waited a second before answering, “Buffy’s gone out to patrol but Willow is here.”
Willow crossed to get the phone and quietly spoke with Dawn. Without intending to eavesdrop, Tara heard the redhead apologizing to the other girl but it didn’t sound like the younger girl was forgiving her friend. Finally Willow hung up the phone with a loud sigh.
“Is everything ok with Dawn?” Giles asked.
“She’s mad at me for something I did earlier,” Willow explained glancing at Tara.
“I’m sure she’ll get over it,” Giles assured the witch, “we know how emotional Dawn can be.”
“Quite,” Willow answered drolly. She looked at her watch before telling both Tara and Giles. “I should take her some dinner and it’s getting late.” She looked directly at Tara before reminding the girl, “And I need to be at school early for a meeting.”
“Right, the m-m-meeting,” Tara answered. During the crisis with Buffy and Faith she had been able to forget her appointment with disaster. But now Willow was reminding her of it. Goddess, if she could just forget about it and say, “won’t happen again” but she couldn’t.
“Do you want a ride home, Tara?” Willow offered, knowing that Tara’s bicycle was still at Buffy’s house.
“Actually, I’d like to visit with Tara further if that’s ok?” Giles answered. “I could give you a ride home when we are done if that’s acceptable.”
“S-s-sure,” Tara stuttered. It was obvious that Giles was nearly salivating over the journals she had kept of Faith’s history and she knew that he would have questions.
“Oh,” Willow answered somewhat deflated. She had been looking forward to spending the few extra minutes driving Tara home. Even facing disciplinary action for her behavior with the blonde first thing in the morning, she couldn’t help wanting to spend more time together.
Seeing Willow’s consternation Tara got up and walked with her to the door. “I’ll w-walk you to the c-car,” she offered, obviously concerned about Willow’s being outside at night. Each girl clasped a cross in her hand as they went out the door of the magic box. “So I’ll s-s-see you in the morning?” Tara asked tentatively.
Willow nodded to Tara’s question. “Yeah,” she answered with a long exhalation. “Is it the right thing?” she asked nervously.
Tara looked at the ground before nodding. “If you w-want I can d-do it by myself,” she offered.
Quickly Willow reached out to take the blonde’s hand. “No,” she countered, “let’s stick with the plan. I’ll see you at 8:00?”
“Yeah,” Tara agreed. “Oh,” she suddenly answered, “can you bring my bike?”
“Definitely,” Willow answered. She got in the Jeep and started to close the window before teasing, “Have fun with Giles and try not to turn British.”
Tara laughed her rich laugh at Willow’s teasing. “I’ll be careful,” she agreed before walking back into the store.
By the time Faith and Buffy returned to the Magic Box, excited by their evening of patrolling, Tara and Giles had been reviewing her journals for a few hours. Tara agreed that Giles could keep the journals for a few days and the Englishman drove all three girls home for the night.
MoveOn.Org
American Civil Liberities Union
Human Rights Campaign
I love this update partially because I kind of knew how the conversation was going to go, but mostly because somebody finally knows!! Okay, it is Dawn and quite honestly in the scheme of things (especially after Willow yelling at her) not the best person to know, but it is something. 
And first person, was great actually.
too...and this time it's because of Dawn...
why was Willow so 
why do they need to tell to an "authority figure" about it? I agree with Faith, say it won't happen again and that's it, but if they go together to the principal's office, we could get some clues for these two blind girls, their love for each other doesn't let them see what is in front of their noses.
and you won't let them to figure out everything in one conversation, so, I'm trying to prepare myself for what's coming, I'm a very patience person, but 
give me some 
can't wait for next chapter.
ray pleaase wont you end my many many days of mental disstraught? or just kill me already.to let me live and toture me uodate after update is cruel and very very bad punishment. and punishment for a crime i havent done.
. Well at least Tara will have something to be truly sorry about, though I doubt this can be filed on any report.
). They know that there is something strange about her and that 
Glad you liked. 
Yes the report will be pointless. Thanks. 
. I've just got back from holiday and hoped there would be more updates. Suppose i'll have to wait like everyone else!
I can take it… for about a minute or two more. 
................
's want smoochies and gay love!!!!! 
