From: Christy Montgomery <CHRISTYM@trex2.oscs.montana.edu> Subject: BUFFYFIC: Buffy fic: If I Were Brave 8/?
IF I WERE BRAVE PART 8/?
BY NERISSA
ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY
DEDICATIONS: Thanks to Chad and my beautiful, talented Irish kindred spirit for giving me faith in doing this. And to Kendra da lamp slayer and Danish for giving me all their input. What would I do without you guys?
"I mock you with my monkey pants!"
-Oz
If I Were Brave
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Part Eight~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Buffy walked around sunnydale until it got dark, jumping at every sound, including the sound of her own footfalls. Her knee had begun to throb in pain, so Buffy headed home.
She reached the walkway to her house and stared. It looked so dark and lonely, so...vulnerable. It didn't have her mother's welcoming lights or her safe and comfortable presence that awaited her return.
Instead, it reminded Buffy of the movie Scream. Only shouldn't be as lucky as Sydney. Her house was silent and dark, the perfect place for an assassin to hide.
Buffy felt herself shiver as an owl called above her. She turned away from her house and to the only place she could think of that was safe...Angel's. She haeded towards the Bronze, her arms wrapped about her, wishing that they were Angel's arms; wishing that he'd just hold her and tell her that everything would be alright.
Buffy reached his apartment and hesitated. It was late. Maybe Angel wasn't home? Maybe he didn't want her. I mean she'd never come here before. Maybe he didn't want her here and that's why he'd never invited her.
She knocked on the door softly, but no one answered. *Oh God, he's not here. What do I do now? I don't have anywhere else to go* she thought franticly.
"Angel?" Buffy called his name softly. Maybe he hadn't heard her knock. But Angel still didn't answer. Buffy could feel the panic creeping in the shadows, ready to pounce. She tried the doorknob, but it was locked.
Buffy felt the tears begin to well in her eyes as she tried to think of her other options, but there weren't any. She twisted on the doorknob again, this time hard enough to splinter the lock, and walked inside.
The moment she stepped over the threshold, she took a deep breath and felt herself beginning to lose the tension in her body. Even though Angel wasn't there physically, he was there in spirit. The entire apartment was filled with his presence; his strength, his caring, and his warmth.
Buffy looked around th eapartment and tried to smile. She'd never been here before and yet somehow this was what she'd expected. It was a little vogue, a little artsy, and a lot Angel.
She wandered around the room, memorizing each detail, forcing herself to calm down, finally allowing herself to succumb to the fatigue she'd been feeling for the past few hours. Her knee was throbbing now and Buffy walked carefully over to Angel's bed.
It was unmade, the covers rumpled. *I guess even vampires don't always make their beds* she said silently, trying to smile and let the fear subside. Buffy sat down on the bed tentatively, hoping to somehow have the ability to lay down and fall asleep.
She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She could feel Angel in her mind; feel his assuring presence as she lay down and curled herself into a tight ball.
Angel would be home soon and then he'd curl up beside her. He'd hold her close and whisper in her ear that everything would be okay, that he'd watch over her and keep her safe.
Buffy clutched his pillow tightly and let a tear stream down her face. She'd never felt so alone and scared, not even with the Master. It just wasn't fair. As soon as her life had finally started to regain some sense of normality, she was once again thrown back against the wall of wierdness.
Buffy let the tears fall freely now. Why couldn't she just wake up from this nightmare. Why couldn't she just be a normal teenage girl.
She didn't ask to be the Slayer, didn't ask to be hunted down like the vampires she killed. It just wasn't suppose to be this way.
Buffy let outa ragged breath and closed her eyes again. *Oh God Angel, I wish you were here* she thought. *I need you*. She thought of him then, of his handsome face that was always full of love when he looked at her. Buffy thought of the way he always seemed to make her smile, no matter what mood she was in.
And suddenly, Buffy felt safe again as if Angel were in the room with her, curled up beside her. And finally, she let the exhaustion overwhelm her and dreamed of her and Angel in a perfect world.
************************************
Buffy vaguely heard the door open a few hours later and she smiled dreamily. Angel was home. She started to emerge from her half sleep, wanting to see the look on his face when he found her in his bed.
She opened her eyes just in time to see the blade of a hatchet plummeting towards her face.....
Buffy rolled off the bed just in time to watch the blde slice through the pillow where her head had just been. Feathers flew into the air as Buffy stared wide-eyed at her attacker.
She was tall and exotic, maybe from Africa or the Caribbean and she was definitely not happy to see Buffy. The feeling was mutual.
Buffy vaulted over the girl, as her attacker made another deadly swing with her hatchet, but thankfully missed...again. Buffy spun around to face her and fell into her fighting stance.
"You must be number two," Buffy told the girl, ducking as her weapon swung past her head. The girl overrotated though, allowing Buffy to grab the bed curtain surrounding Angel's bed and throwing it over the girl. Buffy shot her leg out, sending her attacker flying to the floor in a blind heap.
"Thanks for the wake-up," Buffy said, as she walked over to the girl, ready for her next attack. "But I'll stick with my clock radio," she finished snidely.
The girl recovered quickly, tossing the curtain aside and jumping to her feet. She raised her hatchet, ready to strike, but Buffy was ready as well.
The girl brought the blade down, but Buffy caught it between her hands, pushing it away from herself. She grabbed it by the handle as gladiator-girl took the advantage and threw Buffy to the wall, the handle pushed against her petite throat.
Buffy hit the wall hard, her breath almost knocked out of her.
*Damn, this girl is good*, she thought to herself as the girl flipped Buffy and Buffy hit the ground with a thud.
Buffy stared at the girl whose face was set in a mask of determination. She wanted Buffy dead and was going to fight to the death if she had to.
"Come on," Buffy groaned as she fought to keep the blade from connecting with her neck. "Don't make me do the chick-fight thing!"
The girl furrowed her brow.
"Chick fight?" she asked, still trying to force her hatchet down and ending Buffy's life.
"You know," Buffy snarled, challenge flashing benaeth her blue eyes as she dug her nails into the girl's palm.
Buffy's attacker let out a scream of pain and loosened her grip on the hatchet slightly. Buffy used the window of opportunity and reached up to grab hold of the girl's long, black tresses. Then Buffy yanked yard; hard enough to send the girl backward and off of Buffy.
Buffy scrambled back onto her feet and sent a roundhouse kick flying at the girl's hands, knocking the hatchet from her grip. The girl responded witha kick of her own, but Buffy blocked and then ducked.
Buffy could feel herself tiring and her knee had started to throb again. Her attacker saw this and managed to flip Buffy. Buffy hit a wooden table hard, feeling the wood splinter and collapse with her impact. Buffy groaned in pain, but refused to give up. She sent both of her legs up and back, hitting the girl in the face and sending her to the floor. *Give up already*, she yelled at th egirl silently.
Buffy jumped to her feet again beating street-fighter girl and sent another high kick flying into her face. The girl hit the floor again, but kicked herself back onto her feet and into a fighting stance.
Though the girl was as breathless as Buffy was, she had a look of determination on her face.
"Who are you?" the girl asked breathlessly.
"Who am I?" Buffy answered incredulously. "You attacked me. Who the hell are you?" she shouted back.
The girl looked at Buffy and raised her chin defiantly.
"I'm Kendra," she said, her voice carrying an accent that was faintly Jamaican," da Vampire Slayer."
Buffy made a face of suprise, her eyes wide and brows set in a deep frown. *Excuse me?!* she screamed silently.
"Okay, one more time," Buffy said as she fought to catch her breath. "You're the *who*?"
"I am the Slayer," Kendra repeated.
"Nice cover story," Buffy shot back. "But here's a tip-you might want to try it on someone who's not the real Slayer."
"You can't stop me, even if you kill me. Another Slayer will be sent to take me place," Kendra said.
"Could you stop with the Slayer thing? I'm The damn Slayer!" Buffy shouted, gesturing towards herself.
"Nonsense. There is but one and I am she," Kendra stated as she stared at Buffy, her eyes still full of defiance.
Buffy raised her hand for Kendra to relax and back away.
"Okay, a scenario...," Buffy suggested. "You back off. I'll back off. But you promise not to go all wiggy until we can go to my Watcher and figure this out."
Kendra looked at her blankly.
"Wiggy?" she asked confusedly, staring at Buffy.
"You know, no kicko, no fighto," Buffy answered.
Kendra gave her a quick asessment, looking her up and down. Then she straightened and crossed her hands in front of her chest. She shot a look at Buffy that clearly said 'you're lucky'. Buffy was unphased.
"I accept you scenario," Kendra told Buffy.
"So...you were sent here?" Buffy said, relaxing as well and giving her own asessment of her opponent.
Kendra was pretty enough in an exotic way and built much like Buffy except that she was taller and not as petite. She was wearing loose fit pants that looked like satin and a long sleeved mid-driff.
*Definitely in need of some fashion pointers,* Buffy thought to herself.
"Yes...by my Watcher," Kendra answered.
Both girls still glared at eachother, neither one allowing themselves to show any emotion except for total and complete disdain for the other's presence.
"To do what exactly?" Buffy asked with a nod of her head.
"To do my duty," Kendra answered, her tone mildly patronizing.
"I'm here to kill vampires."
Buffy continued to glare at her while she tried to organize her thoughts. *What the hell was going on?* she thought silently. *Hello? But I'm the Slayer, thank you.* Giles would know what to do. Buffy didn't trust this girl. There was only one chosen and Buffy was pretty damn sure it was her. And not Ms. maniac-I'm-going-to-kill-you-in-your-sleep-with a-little-ax-girl.
Buffy heaved a sigh and threw her hands up.
"This is *so* not possible," she said aloud, walking past Kendra towards the front door. She turned around and shot Kendra a look that said 'let's go'. But Kendra atill didn't move.
"I'm not liking this any more than you are, okay?!" Buffy told her, as she leaned against the door. "But we'll never fix it so you can go back to where you came from, if you don't trust me and follow me out of this door."
Kendra nodded her head. *I guess she approved of *this* scenario as well,* Buffy growled silently.
Buffy opened the door and motioned for Kendra to walk out the door. Kendra did so, but with reluctance. *Imposters first,* Buffy thought as she swept her hands towards the hallway. Kendra glared at her, but Buffy only smiled blandly and followed behind her, slamming Angel's door shut behind her.
They walked towards the school library, each still very wary about the other.
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