Chapter Three - Revelations

As Buffy was waiting to reclaim her luggage, her cell phone rang. She eyed the Caller ID and with some satisfaction, let the call go to voice mail. Giles will not be interfering. Hadn’t he learned in Sunnydale? With a sigh, she realized that perhaps her former Watcher hadn’t learned anything…nothing at all. After the cell buzzed announcing that she had voice mail, Buffy decided just to turn it off. No well-intentioned but misplaced Scooby friends would be butting their noses into her business. Not this time.

Finally her one checked bag circled around the carousel, and she hefted it off the conveyer belt. Stopping only to make sure she’d gotten the right bag, she headed for the rental car booth to procure herself a car. However, the long line at the stand dissuaded her from waiting.

Seeking her cell for one call only, she turned it on and scroll through her phone book. Finding the number she wanted, she pressed send. After only a few short sentences, Buffy hung up and started walking toward an exit. The recipient of her call had said he’d get her a special taxi. No problems.

Before her foot even got near the curb, a green Mini pulled next to her. “You Buffy?” the driver asked.

“Yes.”

“Get in.”

Buffy entered the vehicle, and the car sped away from the curb.

A bit later, the green Mini stopped in front of a warehouse not far from where the Hyperion stood. Buffy thanked the driver and asked, “How much do I owe you?”

The driver waved her off, his skin flapping as he did so. “Your fare has been paid. If he says you’re like family, then welcome to the family.”

“Thank you,” Buffy said, giving him a genuine smile. Still, she pulled out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to him, “As my thanks, here’s a little something that should help you get a few kittens.”

“Appreciated. You know, you’re exactly how he said you would be.”

“I’ll take that as a good thing. Again, thanks.”

He handed her a card. “Just in case.” She nodded, and the driver pulled away.

Buffy knocked on the warehouse door, and it immediately was opened to reveal a lavish tavern. “Welcome to Sanctuary.”

“Buffy!!!!” Her name was heard over all the music and conversation.

“Clem!!!!” Buffy rushed heedlessly through the demon clientele, hearing snorts of ‘Slayer’ in her wake. She grabbed Clem into an enormous hug.

Clem’s skin started to pale slightly, and he said, “Easy girl, I need those glands.”

Releasing him immediately, Buffy apologized. “I’m so sorry. I’m just so happy to see a friendly face.”

“You’re looking good, Buffy. It’s been awhile.”

“Since that day,” Buffy reminded him.

Clem looked sort of uncomfortable. “Yeah. You know congratulations and all that. Knew you could do it.”

“I know, Clem. I know.”

“So, tell me, what brings you to LA? Dish, girl.”

“Spike.”

*********************

Using Clem’s connections and after talking to a few customers at Sanctuary, Buffy knew where Andrew and his gaggle of Slayers were staying. She wanted to track them without them getting wind of where she was. She had paid for her plane ticket with cash and had used one of the fake passports that Spike had long ago gotten for her.

The passport had a funny story behind it. During that whole time of Glory, Spike had secretly been making plans to take Joyce, Dawn, and her out of Sunnydale if the need arose. Buffy hadn’t known of his plans at the time, and that was probably a good thing. She would have refused. Sometimes she wondered whether if Spike had taken them away, would her mother still be with them?

So, Spike had obtained multiple passports for each of them. She didn’t know how he got them or how he paid for them, and she didn’t care. They just represented to her just another thing she’d overlooked all those years.

He’d finally showed them to her one night after she’d come back from the dead. In the heat of the moment, she’d told him she wanted to be able to disappear from all her friends. He’d gotten out of bed to retrieve a box. Warily, she’d opened it and discovered the passports.

A little while later, before the bathroom incident, Spike had told her that he’d secured them in a safe deposit in LA for her, if she were ever to have need of them. His foresight amazed her. Buffy had reclaimed them after she’d spoken to Angel at Wolfram & Hart. No one else knew about them.

For now, she was in the country as Joan Williams. It hadn’t been one of the original passports. After retrieving them from the bank, she’d found that Spike had made this one probably in honor of that time when he was Randy and she was Joan.

Ready, Randy? Joan’s coming for you.

Clem had arranged help with surveillance. He never questioned her about how she knew a new Slayer would be making herself known soon, for which she was grateful. Buffy just wanted to prevent what Tara had shown her.

***********

Buffy stood beside Senaya in the desert, but they were no longer alone. Once again clad in a beautiful sari was Tara.

“Tara?”

“I’ve been granted this time by the Powers to give you some wisdom of the things to come,” the vision of Tara spoke.

Tears rolled down her cheeks in happiness to see her very missed friend. “Tara, I miss you. I’m sorry you died.”

“My death, my life…all part of the cycle. Do not be sorry that I died, rather be happy that for a short time, I lived and was a part of your life,” Tara replied.

“Oh, I am. I am happy that you were. Thank you.” Buffy paused to take a deep breath. “I never really thanked you while you were alive for taking such good care of Dawn. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Buffy.”

“But that isn’t why you are here. What do the Powers want to tell me? Usually they send Whistler,” Buffy said.

“I’ve been chosen because of my connection to you, to the Goddess, to the Guardians, to the Slayers, and to our Champion. Our Champion needs you, Buffy,” Tara announced.

“Angel? No way. I’m sorry. I have to disappoint the Powers,” Buffy responded, more than a little irked.

“Not Angel. Angel is not our champion. Buffy, I’ve told you little about my family. Remember, I told you about my mother dying when I was young?”

“Yes?” Buffy answered, now completely confused.

“I, myself, did not know until it was revealed to me, but my mother and I were part of a long line of descendants of those who watched the ones who watched.”

“The Guardians!” Buffy exclaimed in a whisper.

Tara nodded. As she did so, Senaya moved to stand beside Tara. Touching her heart and then touching Tara’s, Senaya said, “Sister.”

Buffy reached out with her senses and there it was. Very faint, but very much there. Buffy declared, “You were a potential Slayer!”

“Yes, Buffy. Had I lived at the time of Willow’s spell, I would have also been ‘activated’ as Mr. Giles put it,” Tara answered. “So, not only am I a Guardian, but I was also of the line.”

“When I speak of our Champion, I mean the Champion of the Guardians and of the Slayers. The one who will help our line and our way. The one who will…well, that I cannot reveal just yet,” Tara added.

“Okay, so Angel’s obviously not our Champion. The only other one I can think of is dead.” Buffy’s mind drew a big blank as to the identity of the Champion.

“He’s dead, but not dead; alive but not alive. He is like a phoenix arisen from the ashes. He had form, but was formless ‘til it was restored to him. By trials and by fire he cleansed his soul, though he does not know it. He is love and is loved, but yet does not know it. He has returned to be once again our Champion.” Tara stopped and waited for Buffy to get her meaning.

It didn’t take long.

Once again in tears, Buffy cried out for her lost lover, her lost love, and her once chance at true happiness.

“Spike!!!!”