Title: Now And Again
Summary: Buffy Has Her Own Personal Groundhog Day
Author: slayer_uk (Dave A)
Rating: PG-R
Feedback: PLEASE
Spoilers: Season 5 Characters. They haven’t found out Dawn is the key yet.
Disclaimers: Joss is the man, everything belongs to him. The idea of Groundhog Day is not mine, except in the context of this story.
Distribution: The Buffy guide, The Hellmouth And Beyond and A Slayer’s World. If you want it just ask.
Notes: Please send Feedback. I thrive off it.
Dedication: To Terry Pratchet. I love your Discworld Books.
Summary Of Chapter One
Well the first chapter started out badly. Buffy died.
This was definitely not good. But then she was in the magic box arguing with Giles about patrolling. And later she was helping her mum get ready for Dawn’s birthday party. Then she was in the graveyard fighting a vamp. Then Buffy died. Again.
Are you detecting a pattern here yet?
This continues for a little bit, the only difference being that people seem to be getting major Déjà vu vibes.
Then Buffy had a slayer/prophetic dream thing while arguing with Giles and now it all made sense.
To her at least anyway. . .
“What is it Buffy?” Giles asked.
“I know what it means.” Buffy said. “The Déjà vu, everything.”
“What?” Giles asked again.
“We’re living the same day over and over again.” Buffy said. Giles sat back in his chair and stared at Buffy. She continued quietly. “And that’s not the worst bit.”
“What is.” Giles asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m going to die tonight.” Buffy whispered.
Chapter Two
“Are you sure Buffy?” Giles asked. He didn’t want to sound pessimistic but it seemed very unlikely.
“Trust me on this Giles.” Buffy said quietly, she was close to tears. “Tonight. At Shady Hill.” She looked straight at him “Vampire.”
Giles looked at Buffy and saw the hurt there, and the fear. She definitely believed what she was saying. “Now we know about it, can’t we stop it?” Giles asked
“I don’t know.” Buffy said. She had calmed herself down. She had too. “Get the guys here, we have to figure this thing out.” Buffy got up and walked towards the books.
“What about tonight. What about the vampire?” Giles asked.
“That’s tonight, we’ve got hours yet.” Buffy stated.
“Thanks for coming guys.” Buffy said, smiling.
“No problem.” Xander said. He sat down at the research table and waited for the problem.
Buffy looked from one to the other. From Xander to Willow, to Anya to Tara. They were her friends, they’d help her. She took a deep breath and explained the situation to them.
“And were all living that day over and over. Today.” Buffy finished.
“Huh?” Xander grunted.
“Oh” Willow said.
““ Tara never got round to saying.
“But you remember the day every time? That’s not right.” Anya said calmly.
Everyone turned to look at Anya. “What?” she asked innocently.
“That’s not right?” Buffy asked incredulously.
“Yeah. You live the day over and over but you don’t remember.” Anya explained. “Must be because you’re a Slayer.”
Xander stepped in before Buffy got violent. “Anya hunny. . . umm . . . explain.”
Anya sighed. “Look it was back in the old days. “ Anya paused to think “about 1500, I think. I was called to this village in China. I was there to give vengeance for some peasant girl. Her boyfriend was cheating on her and she wanted him to lose all the important bits. It was so funny because . . . “
Anya looked around at the impatient faces. “Anyway. I did the vengeance bit and stuck around to see what happened. The next thing I know I’m being called by the same girl again. The same day was repeating over and over.” Anya sighed “It got so boring.”
Buffy leaned over the table menacingly. “And?” she asked. Her voice filed with impatience.
“And. No-one remembered anything. Except for lots of Déjà vu and stuff.” Buffy sat back. “Except me of course.” Anya finished.
“But why was it happening?” Giles asked.
“Well it turns out this woman in the village was getting killed by her husband. And everytime she died. The day would start over.” Anya said.
Buffy looked at Giles meaningfully. “So how did they stop it?” Giles asked. They all knew the answer, but it had to be said.
“They killed the husband, and it stopped.” Anya said quietly.
Buffy got up and paced around the table. “So all we’ve got to do is kill the vamp who kills me and it should stop?” Buffy asked.
“Good a theory as any.” Giles said.
Buffy nodded. “Right, this is what were gonna do.”
The vampire was very strong. No matter how many times Buffy knocked him down, he kept getting up, and Buffy was getting very tired.
“Slayer” The vamp said.
“Surprise” The Slayer said.
Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara all popped up out of various hiding places. All of them had loaded crossbows.
“Oh sh-“ The vampire said as five crossbow bolts pierced his heart. The vampire turned to dust.
“Excellent.” Buffy said.
“Giles I don’t want to patrol tonight.” Buffy said sulkily.
Buffy sat forward in her chair. “Not again.” She groaned.
“I’m sorry?” Giles asked absently.
Buffy explained the situation to him.
“I didn’t die.” Buffy said. “Why is it still happening?”
“I don’t know Buffy. We’ll gather the group and do some research.” Giles soothed.
After the gang had been informed of the situation they began the deep research.
“You know what this reminds me of?” Xander asked.
“Umm?” Buffy asked absently.
“That film. . . umm . . . Groundhog day.” Xander laughed. “Man. That would be so cool, you can do anything you want, and there’d be no consequences. You’d be truly free.”
Buffy stared at him for a moment.
“What?” Xander asked, confused.
Buffy got up from the table and grabbed her coat. She left the magic box without saying a word to anyone.
“What I say?” Xander asked, still very confused.
Buffy broke down the door to Spike’s crypt and walked straight in.
“Slayer” Spike said annoyingly.
Buffy ignored him and walked straight in front of him.
“What?” Spike asked suspiciously.
Buffy pulled a stake out of her bag and staked him.
“Bloody Hell.” Spike said as he turned to dust.
“I’ve so wanted to do that.” Buffy said.
She turned and walked out of the crypt.
Buffy stopped and looked around herself. She could do anything. To anyone. She could rob a bank. She could strangle Dawn slowly the next time she’s annoying. She was truly free.
Buffy smiled. ‘I can have some fun with this. . . ‘ She thought.
To Be Continued. . .