Ordinary Life

Buffy was patrolling. Well, at least she was trying to. But there was a problem. Not really a problem, just a nuisance. For example, at that exact moment, she was kneeling on the ground, her head in the bushes, watching as her dinner made an encore.

She sat back and put her head between her knees, swallowing down the sour taste in her throat. I thought morning sickness was supposed to be in the morning, she lamented. This sucks. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, fighting the wave of nausea that washed over her. She leaned against a headstone and tried to concentrate on not throwing up.

She had never had the displeasure of experiencing morning sickness before. This was her third pregnancy and it had been smooth sailing with the first two. No side effects. Well, no physical ones at least. Granted, when she was pregnant with Michael, she hadn’t exactly been of this world. But still. She hadn’t been sick with Emma either. Good thing, because she had had plenty of other things to deal with back then.

Oh well. She was going to have a baby and that’s all that mattered. She knew that when she saw her baby’s face, she wouldn’t even remember all the nausea and fatigue. And swollen ankles and fingers. And weight gain. And cravings. And hormones.

Shaking her head firmly to rid her mind of all the things she had to look forward to, she took a deep breath. Which turned out to be a bad idea because she quickly had to duck back into the bushes for another round.

She coughed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She hoped this didn’t continue for the next seven months. She was already tired of it and it had only been a week.

Again, she started to stand up. She was a little woozy, but she was alright. But as she got her bearings and began to stroll through the cemetery, she was ambushed. Two vamps jumped out of the shadows-one in front and one behind.

“Looks like you’re outnumbered,” the one in front said, showing his fangs. He took a step closer.

The one behind grabbed her around the shoulders and tried to sink his teeth into her neck. But Buffy quickly flipped him over her head and used him to knock his partner to the ground. She watched uninterested as the two vampires clawed at each other, scrambling to get up.

“Sorry boys,” she said sarcastically as they both came running at her. She pulled out two stakes, grasping one in each hand. She dusted both of them easily, shoving the stakes into her back pockets and wiping her hands on her jeans. “But the only thing worse than a Slayer is a Slayer with morning sickness.”

As she looked around the cemetery, all seemed quiet. She took another sweep of the immediate area, decided it was safe, and began to walk home. She was tired and all she wanted to do was take a shower and climb into bed next to Riley.

***

From the shadows, a pair of eyes widened in interest as Buffy fought the two vamps and made easy work of them. They followed her as she made sure that the place was quiet. And they followed her as she called it a night and made her way home to her family. They watched her until she was out of sight and continued to stare after her for a few moments longer. Then they turned away and went their own direction.

***

“How was patrolling?” Riley asked as Buffy closed the front door behind her and made her way to him.

She shrugged. “No biggie,” she sighed. “Only two vamps tonight.” She snuggled against him. She still felt a little queasy, but she was trying to ignore it.

“That’s good,” he said, smiling and putting his arm around her. “How about a kiss?” He leaned down and met her lips in a soft kiss. But just as it began to grow in intensity, Buffy bolted off the couch, her hand clasped tightly over her mouth, and ran to the nearest facility with a drain. Which, as it turned out, happened to be the kitchen sink. She turned the faucet on full blast and washed the mess down the drain, a sour look on her face.

When she emerged from the kitchen, Riley looked at her almost amusedly. “You okay? I’m sorry my lips repulse you so much.” He grinned at her.

“Very funny,” she said, giving him a look. She sat down in one of the dining room chairs closest to the kitchen, just in case she had another emergency.

“You know,” Riley said, leaning forward and grasping a thick book off the coffee table. “I read about this.” He flipped through a few pages until he found what he was looking for. “Here it is.” He cleared his throat and read from the page. “‘A large percentage of women suffer from what is called morning sickness. However, this is a misnomer. Morning sickness does not just occur in the morning. It can happen at any time of day and for some women, it can last all day. The...blah, blah, blah. However, for most women, it rarely continues beyond the first trimester.’” He looked over at his wife, smiling. “See, honey? That’s good news.”

Buffy stood up. “Yeah, great. Only four more weeks. Fun.” She sat down next to him again and took the book from his hand, reading the cover. In her hand she held a hardcover version of the New York Times #1 bestseller, Your Baby and Your Body: From Conception to Birth. She looked up at Riley, a puzzled look on her face. “Uh, Riley? Is there something you’re not telling me?” She looked down at his belly and patted it gently.

He laughed. “Yes, Buffy. I’ve been meaning to tell you. I’m pregnant.” He winked at her. “No, but seriously. I’ve been reading that book for the last week. It’s really quite interesting. I figured since I have no idea what it’s like to be pregnant, that I would at least try to learn about it as much as possible. You know, try to see things through your eyes. For instance, now I know what to expect when those hormones of yours start raging. I’m building a shelter for me and Mikey in the backyard as we speak.” He grinned.

Buffy punched him in the arm and smirked at him. “Does that book say anything about how to deal with smart-ass husbands that tease their pregnant wives when they are sicker than a dog?” She smiled evilly at him.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten to that chapter yet,” he said, laughing.

She leaned into him and closed her eyes, sighing contentedly. “You know,” she said, teasing him back. “I really should look into getting you a book that you can really use. Like Fatherhood for Dummies or The Idiot’s Guide to Parenting or something.” She bit her lip to keep from smiling, keeping her eyes closed. But Riley began tickling her mercilessly until the tears were rolling down her face. “Uncle! Uncle!” she cried between breaths. “I give up!”

But she suddenly stopped and ran into the kitchen again. This is really getting monotonous, she thought wearily.

She felt her hair being pulled back gently from her face and a warm kiss on the back of her neck. “I’m sorry, Buff. Really. I wish I could make you feel better.” Riley’s voice was soft and soothing in her ear.

She turned on the water and cupped her hand under the stream, bringing the water to her mouth. She swallowed and looked up at him. “I know, honey. But you’ve already done so much.” She smiled slightly and her eyes glittered mischievously. “I want you to know that I am holding you solely responsible for all of this.” She looked directly in his eyes and began backing away slowly.

Riley grinned slightly, following her lead and taking a step towards her. “Oh you are, are you? I seem to remember you being there as well. And I also remember that you were thoroughly enjoying yourself.” They continued their ultra slow walk through the kitchen.

“I was trying to be nice. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” And with that, she turned quickly and bolted up the stairs.

Riley was in hot pursuit. He finally caught up to her at the top of the stairs and grabbed her, pulling her into the bedroom and throwing her down onto the bed heavily. He hovered over her, staring down into her face. She giggled, out of breath.

There was an intense silence between them as they both stopped laughing and just looked into each other’s eyes, breathing together.

“Buffy,” he whispered, lowering his face to hers.

She nodded silently and wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting her lips to meet his. They were lost in each other for a few moments before Riley broke away. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, looking into her eyes.

Smiling, she answered, “So far, so good.”

“Good,” he said, leaning down and picking up where they left off.

***

She sat in her bedroom, her legs crossed under her on her bed. Downstairs, her mother was curled up comfortably in a chair, reading a book. Her father was in the study doing some paperwork. She thought briefly about how, on the surface, her life seemed so normal, if one considered having two parents who were still married normal these days. To anyone on the outside looking in, they seemed like the typical nuclear family-mom, dad, 2.3 kids (if you counted the dog). But she knew better.

Tonight, she had come home smiling. She told her mom that she had gone to the movies with one of her new friends from school and that they had had fun. But the real reason she had been smiling was because she had seen what she hoped was the answer to her prayers. For the past year, she had been hoping that something like this would happen, that she would finally get the one thing she wanted most in the world.

But she didn’t want to get her hopes up. She needed to make sure that what she saw tonight in the cemetery wasn’t a fluke. She couldn’t afford to jump to conclusions. Not when so much was at stake. No, she had to make certain that what she saw was real.

She smiled again to herself, trying hard to keep her heart from pounding with excitement. But she couldn’t help it. Her breathing quickened just thinking about it.

She was almost free.

***

“I’m hungry.” Buffy pressed up against Riley, throwing a leg over his.

Riley tightened his arm around her. He glanced over at the clock. “Buffy, it’s almost two o’clock in the morning. How can you be hungry?” He looked down at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Well, let’s see…” she said, pretending to think about it. “Maybe it’s because I left the contents of my stomach somewhere between the cemetery and the kitchen sink. And maybe it’s because we just got finished burning a few calories.” She smiled slightly and kissed his chest.

Riley smiled back. “Oh, okay. Well, you know where the kitchen is,” he said playfully, rolling over on his side and stifling a laugh.

But Buffy began assaulting him. “Riley Matthew Finn! You are so insensitive!”

“What?” Riley turned over and faced her, her expression making him laugh. “What did I say?”

“You are supposed to ask me what I want and then offer to get it for me. Not roll over and go to sleep!” She sat with her arms crossed, like an indignant child.

Riley was still smiling. “Is that right? Well, you’re not helpless. You don’t need me to wait on you. Besides, I’m not the one who’s hungry. Why should I get up?” He was really enjoying this.

“Because,” Buffy stammered. “Because I’m having your child-for the third time, might I add-and you are supposed to fulfill my every need. That’s why!”

“Alright, fine,” Riley said, sitting up in feigned surrender. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his shorts. He pulled them on as he stood up. “But it seems to me that my fulfilling your needs is the reason why you’re having my child in the first place.”

His comment was met with a flying pillow to the head. “Very funny,” Buffy said.

Riley laughed. “Since I am now up and in full waiter mode, what shall I bring you, fair lady?”

Buffy thought a moment. “How about a glass of milk and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” she said, smiling in anticipation.

“What, that’s all? No pickles and barbecue sauce? No rocky road ice cream and ketchup?” he teased.

Buffy turned her face up in a sour expression. “Yuck! Did you read that in that big book of yours?”

“Just wait and see, Buffy. Those days are coming,” Riley replied, wagging a finger at her.

“Well if my food doesn’t come soon, someone I know will be sleeping on the floor tonight,” Buffy said, her eyes twinkling.

“I’m going, I’m going. Geesh. Slave driver.” He turned towards the door, stopping to look over his shoulder at his wife, getting one last dig in. “I don’t know why I keep taking this abuse from you. I mean, you can’t cook, you can’t iron. I don’t know why I stick around.”

Buffy leaned provocatively back against her elbows and turned her face towards his, her lips curled up in a seductive smile. “Because you adore me. And you would be lost without me.”

Riley stared at her for a long moment, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “Oh, yeah. That’s right.”

***

“Christina! Time to get up! You’re going to be late for school!”

She opened her eyes, squinting at the morning light streaming through her window. She was all prepared to go through her usual routine of griping and stalling when she remembered.

She rolled out of bed quickly and ran to the shower. A smile lit up her face as she showered and dressed, and she noticed that she looked different, more relaxed, as she combed her hair in front of the mirror.

“That was fast,” her mother commented as Christina rushed down the stairs.

“Don’t want to be late,” Christina replied cheerfully. “I might miss something interesting. Must learn, you know.” She smiled and kissed her mom on the cheek lightly. “Catch you later!” she called behind her as she headed out the door.

Her mother watched, puzzled. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her daughter in such a hurry to get to school. But she wasn’t complaining.

The high school was only a few blocks away. As Christina walked, she started to hum happily. Today is going to be a great day. The sooner it starts, the sooner it’s over. And the sooner I can confirm my suspicions.

One step closer to freedom.

***

“Hang on. She’s right here.” Riley nudged his half-asleep wife and pushed the phone into her hand. “It’s Giles.”

Riley rolled over and pushed himself out of bed. It was time to get up anyway. Time to get Michael ready for school. He stretched and yawned, smiling slightly when he heard Buffy say roughly into the phone, “Giles. If you’re calling to say anything but good morning, I don’t want to hear it.” She rolled her eyes and slumped back onto the pillow, sighing heavily. She shot a frustrated look towards her husband, who just smiled and shook his head.

“Uh huh,” she muttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Uh huh.”

Riley continued to get dressed, listening to Buffy’s end of the conversation, which contained several more “uh huh”s and a few “yeah” s. He was tying his shoes when he heard Buffy say, “Thanks, Giles. Bye.” Buffy hung up the phone and sighed heavily.

“Don’t tell me, “ Riley replied. “Bad guys.” He looked over his shoulder at Buffy.

She nodded. “What else? Giles said something about some kind of ritual thingy. Happens tonight. Supposedly, it’s some kind of vampire Fourth of July. Without sparklers. So in other words, bad guys.”

Riley scooted towards her, giving her a big smile. “No rest for the wicked, my dear.” He kissed her gently.

“Or for the pregnant either, it seems.” She looked into his eyes wearily. “They have no consideration at all!” she said indignantly.

“That’s why they’re called bad guys, Buff.” Riley chuckled softly. “But anyway, Mikey’s staying with Josh tonight. So I’ll go with you. You know, to hold your hair back while you throw up.” He smiled again.

Buffy kissed him. “What a prince,” she said.

“I try,” he responded, deepening the kiss.

***

“What’s up, Billy?” Christina asked, smiling. She knew how much he hated being called Billy.

The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows in disapproval. “The name is William, Christina,” he told her for the millionth time.

“Sorry,” she said casually. “But I’ll call you William when you call me Christy.”

There was an exchange of glances. Christy finally spoke up. “So, William,” she said, stressing his name. “Why did you call me in here?” She looked around his small office. It was pretty plain-a desk and chair, another chair next to the desk for visitors. A bookshelf. That was it. “My, you’ve really done a lot with the place.”

“I did not call you in here to talk about the décor of my office.” He paused, looking at her for emphasis. “Do you know what today is?”

She looked at him, her eyes twinkling. “Thursday. Ooh, which reminds me! ‘Friends’ and ‘ER’ are on tonight. Must-see t.v.!” She winked at him, knowing full well that’s not what he meant.

William took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He will never know what prompted him to become a Watcher. He did not relate well to young people. “That may well be, Christina. But there is something more important going on tonight.”

“More important than ‘ER’?” she asked in feigned shock. But when she saw his annoyed expression, she stopped her teasing. “Don’t tell me. Some big, bad, evil guys are crashing someone’s birthday party.”

“In a way, yes.” William shifted, leaning forward and whispering, “In fact, they are throwing a little party of their own. It’s called the Ritual of Amarok and it involves human sacrifice.”

“Gee,” Christy said. “Sounds like fun. But you’re telling the wrong person, Billy. Not my problem.” She watched him closely, waiting for his reaction.

William’s face went from one of disapproval and annoyance to one of shock. He sat back in his chair. “What?” he said, his voice taking on a high-pitched edge. “What are you saying?”

Christy closed the door quietly. “God, Billy. For the school guidance counselor, you sure aren’t very discrete.” She paused. “What I mean is exactly what I said. Fighting the bad guys is no longer my problem. There is already a Slayer here.”

“What are you talking about? What other Slayer?” William asked, still shocked.

Christy watched him, unconcerned. “Boy, you guys sure don’t do your homework, do you? I saw her myself. Last night. I went to the cemetery to patrol. But when I got there, she was already there.”

William stared at her open-mouthed for a moment. “A-Are you sure?”

“I know what I saw,” Christy insisted. “I’m not sure she’s a Slayer, but that would explain her strength. I saw her take out two vampires with no effort at all.”

“The Council knows nothing about another Slayer. And if they do, they didn’t tell me,” William said absently.

“Whatever,” Christy said, standing up. “Anyway, I’m going out again tonight. I’m sure she knows about this ritual thing as well and will be there with bells on. At any rate, I’m going to find out who she is.”

***

“Demons are so unoriginal,” Buffy lamented as she strolled through the cemetery with Riley. “I mean, to hold a ritual in a cemetery? Big surprise there.”

Riley smiled and draped his arm loosely around her shoulders. “Cheer up, honey. It’s good for us that they are so dumb. It makes our jobs easier.”

“True,” she said, looking up at him. “But still. A little challenge would be a nice change of pace sometimes.”

“Careful what you wish for,” Riley muttered.

They walked in silence for a long time, just listening to their footsteps in the grass and keeping their ears open to the sounds going on around them.

Suddenly, Riley stopped. Buffy turned towards him, wondering why. But then she realized where they were. She had been so wrapped up in her surroundings, she had failed to notice that they were passing by Emma’s grave.

Kneeling down in front of the headstone, Riley bowed his head and closed his eyes. Buffy stood next to him, tangling her fingers through his hair absently, deep in her own thoughts. Instinctively, she rubbed her belly gently.

Riley stood again after a few long moments. He smiled down at Buffy. “We can go now, if you want. I’m finished.”

Looking up into his eyes, her own green ones wide, she asked softly, “You okay?”

He brushed her hair from her cheek and ran his fingers against her skin softly. “Yeah. I just needed to talk to her for a second. I just don’t want to forget.”

“Forget what?” Buffy asked, grasping his hand tightly in hers.

“What it felt like to lose her.” He glanced at the headstone once more before he continued. “Because that feeling is what gives me the strength to keep fighting. You know what I mean?”

Buffy leaned against him. “I know exactly what you mean.”

They stood holding each other for a long time, neither saying a word. And for a moment, it was as if everything was right with the world.

***

She had been following them since she saw them enter the cemetery. She had waited for them near the entrance and had hung to the shadows as they walked through the stone garden.

She recognized the woman as the one she had seen last night, but she had never seen the man before. They were obviously a couple, the way they were holding hands and leaning against each other.

But so far, to her dismay, there had been no fighting at all. Perhaps what she saw last night had been a fluke. Or a dream. Maybe this woman wasn’t a Slayer after all. Which meant that she was stuck. Stuck.

She sat now, watching the couple as they stood in front of a grave, as the man kneeled in front of it and bowed his head in prayer. Perhaps that is why they came. Not for demons, but for remembrance. Maybe that’s why the woman was here last night. Maybe she just happened to be here visiting the gravesite when she was attacked. But if that was the case, how did she know how to kill them? And why did she have stakes handy?

No, there had to be more to it than chance. And Christy was certainly going to find out what. She couldn’t give up now. Not when she was so close to getting what she wanted.

***

Buffy and Riley’s moment of peace did not last long. “Shh. Do you hear that?” Buffy asked, pulling away and tilting her head towards a sound in the distance.

“No,” Riley replied. “What is it?”

“I’m not sure. But it’s coming from over there,” she said, pointing in the direction of the sound.

Riley snapped into soldier mode, suddenly very serious. “Let’s go.”

He followed close behind Buffy, stopping when she stopped.

“Here,” Buffy whispered, motioning for Riley to follow her as she crept closer to the crypt. From inside, a strange chanting sound grew louder as they approached.

Riley looked inside the crypt, being the tall one. “Looks like about six, from what I can see,” he whispered down to Buffy. “What do you think?”

Buffy thought a moment. “I’d say we’ve got our challenge,” she replied, smiling slightly. “But just barely. I say we crash this party before the other guests arrive. What do you say?”

“I say good idea.” Riley reached into his pocket and pulled out a stake, grasping it tightly. “On three.”

Nodding, Buffy gripped her own weapon. “One…”

“Two…” Riley continued.

“Three!” they yelled together, crashing through the door.

***

Christina watched in awe as the woman and her companion made fairly quick and easy work of six vampires, each staking three. They did have a bit of trouble with one particularly large vamp. He had managed to escape from the crypt, prompting the two predators to follow him. He then proceeded to grab the woman, since she ran out first, and throw her ten feet into a tree. Christina could see the anger in the man’s eyes as he, in all his rage, slammed the vamp to the ground and pounded the stake into his chest. And she also witnessed how, in an instant, his rage turned to tenderness, his anger to fear, as he called out to the woman and ran to her side as she struggled to get up.

***

“Buffy!” Riley screamed, fear gripping him as he ran to his wife.

Buffy was struggling to get up. That vamp had been really strong and the tree really hard. She had been caught by surprise.

“Riley,” she moaned as she felt his arms go around her, helping her sit up.

He brushed her hair out of her face and ran his hands along her body. “God, Buffy. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

She shook her head roughly, trying to clear the cobwebs. “I think so,” she muttered, as she stretched her limbs to check for broken bones. “I don’t think anything’s broken.” She leaned against the tree heavily.

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Riley said softly, looking into her eyes and resting his hand on her belly gently.

Buffy covered his hand with both of hers, holding her breath cautiously. “I think the baby’s okay, Riley. Everything’s okay,” she said, letting out her breath and smiling widely.

Riley closed his eyes briefly and bowed his head in a short prayer. “God, don’t scare me like that,” he said. “I can’t bear the thought of…”

But Buffy cut him off by pressing a finger to his lips. “Stop. We’re fine.” She smiled slightly.

“Let’s go home,” Riley whispered, leaning down to kiss her gently. “I’ll carry you.”

“Oh, Riley. You don’t have to…okay!” She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and felt herself being lifted easily from the ground.

Riley laughed as well and leaned in to kiss her, his eyes twinkling. “Enjoy this while it lasts, Buff,” he said, teasing her. “Because in a few months, I’m going to need a crane to lift you.” He winked at her.

She hit him gently on the back of the head. “But you’ll love every last pound of me, won’t you?”

“But of course I will, my dear wife. Of course I will.”

***

She couldn’t hear anything else they were saying, but she definitely caught her name. Buffy. Her name is Buffy.

Christina remained huddled in the shadows long after Buffy and Riley had disappeared. So there was another Slayer. And she had a sidekick. Obviously, there was a long story involved there.

She stood up and wiped the back of her jeans reflexively, looking around her. Her eyes fell on the tree that Buffy had been thrown against, catching something glittering in the dim light. She took the few steps to the tree and knelt down beside it, brushing away a few dead leaves to see the source of the sparkle.

Laying on the ground, tangled in the dirt, was a small silver necklace. Christina picked it up carefully, grasping it between her fingers, examining it closely.

It was a cross. She rested it in the palm of her hand, brushing it off with her fingers. It was simple, but beautiful. The delicate chain was broken about an inch from the clasp. It must belong to Buffy.

She closed her fingers around the necklace tightly and stood up. She looked back towards the crypt, recalling the night’s events in her mind. Finally, she shook her head and began walking home.

She had found the answer to her prayers. But somehow, she wasn’t as excited about it as she thought she’d be.

***

Well, so much for a night without throwing up. As soon as Riley and Buffy got home, Buffy had to make a beeline to the bathroom. Riley left her to her nausea and went to wash the dirty dishes that were piling up in the sink. There had been no time to clean them before they had gone patrolling.

Riley laughed to himself as he thought about their situation. To them, hunting demons was an everyday occurrence, a part of their lives that was as normal as breathing. But try explaining it to outsiders and they looked at them like they had two heads.

But his smile quickly faded when he heard Buffy call his name. Her voice was shrill-a tone she used only when she was frightened. Riley dropped the glass he was washing into the sink and headed upstairs, climbing the steps two at a time.

“Oh God…” he whispered, barely able to get the words out.

Buffy was doubled over on the bathroom floor, tears streaming down her cheeks as her eyes pleaded with him to help her.

“Riley,” she gasped. “The baby…”

Frozen with fear, Riley didn’t move for a moment. No, he thought frantically. This is not happening. He finally managed to regain enough of his faculties to bend down and scoop his wife into his arms. He rushed out the door and down the stairs.

Buffy clung to him tightly, burying her face against his neck. “We can’t lose the baby, Riley. We can’t…” she cried softly.

“It’s okay, honey. Everything is going to be okay. I promise…” he whispered soothingly, trying to convince himself as well as Buffy.

***

Christina lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn’t get Buffy out of her head. She reached over and took the necklace off her nightstand, letting it dangle from her fingers, watching it catch the faint moonlight.

What was Buffy’s story? Christina found herself needing to know. She didn’t understand why. She told herself that it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that there was another Slayer and that she, Christina, was free. The world only needed one Slayer, right? Well, it already had one. So it didn’t need her.

She should be happy. So why wasn’t she?

***

Riley sat in the waiting room, elbows on his knees, hands covering his face. He hated this place. He and his family, his friends had frequented this place too often over the years, for various reasons, but mostly for reasons relating in some way to their line of work.

This time was no different. If Buffy hadn’t been patrolling… He shouldn’t have let her go. He should’ve put his foot down. But he thought it would be alright. It’s not like he anticipated Buffy getting slammed into a tree.

And now they were here, in danger of losing… No, he thought sadly. I can’t think about it.

“Mr. Finn?” he heard a male voice say softly.

Riley jerked his head up quickly, focusing his eyes on an older, gray-haired man with a kind face. He was wearing scrubs and a lab coat.

“Are you the doctor?” Riley asked, knowing it was a stupid question but not caring.

The man smiled warmly, understanding. “Yes. I’m Dr. Martin. I treated your wife.”

“How is she?” Riley asked urgently, standing. He towered over the older man, but he felt like a scared child.

“She’s fine, sir. A little shaken, but fine,” the doctor answered reassuringly.

Riley felt a bit relieved and swallowed down the growing lump in his throat. “And the baby?” he asked hoarsely.

“Everything’s normal,” Dr. Martin said, smiling widely. “The baby’s fine.”

Letting out his breath in a rush of relief, Riley hugged the doctor tightly, squeezing his eyes shut against the sudden tears welling up. “Oh, thank God. Thank you.”

Dr. Martin smiled and patted Riley’s back gently. “Don’t thank me, Mr. Finn. Your wife’s a strong woman.”

Pushing away from the doctor, Riley laughed slightly. “You have no idea,” he said. “Can I see her?”

“Of course,” Dr. Martin said. “She’s down that hall, second door on the left.” He motioned Riley in Buffy’s direction.

Riley smiled. “Thanks again, Doctor.” He started walking towards Buffy’s room.

“Oh, Mr. Finn!” the doctor called after him. When Riley turned to face him, he continued. “Tell your wife to take it easy. She may be strong, but she’s still pregnant. She needs to find a less strenuous hobby. Tell her to hold off on the kickboxing until after the baby is born.” The doctor winked at him.

A smile lit up Riley’s face as he realized what the doctor was talking about. “Sure. I’ll tell her. Thanks.” He turned and headed towards Buffy’s room.

He knocked on the door as he pushed it open. “How’s my girl?” he asked, smiling from ear to ear when he saw Buffy sitting on the edge of the bed in a hospital gown.

“Tired. And wanting to go home,” Buffy said wearily, sliding off the bed and padding over to the chair where her clothes were.

Riley let out a soft whistle when she turned around. “Nice view,” he said, leaning against the wall, watching her closely.

When Buffy realized what he was referring to, she clutched her gown closed in the back and turned to face him, a slightly annoyed expression adorning her face. “Is that all you think about, Riley Finn?”

“Only on days that end in ‘y’,” he replied, winking at her. “Get dressed. I’ll take you home.” He paused. “I hope you know that I now have to wait on you hand and foot for the next several months. Doctor’s orders.”

Buffy smiled at him, starting to get dressed. “Finally, a doctor I agree with. Good man,” she said.

Riley watched silently as Buffy put her clothes on, thankful that she was okay, that they both were okay. When she finished slipping her boots on, she stepped to him and took his hand. “Let’s go home.”

“Your wish is my command,” he said, grinning and stepping aside to push the door open for her. They strolled down the hall towards the nurses’ station to sign out. “So,” Riley said playfully, “kickboxing, huh?”

Buffy looked up at him and shrugged. “What did you want me to say? That I was playing paintball?” she said, grinning sheepishly at him.

“Ha ha,” he responded.

***

It was Saturday and Christina was sitting at the breakfast table with her parents. Eating breakfast as a family was something her mom insisted on doing on weekends since they were unable to do so during the week.

So here she was, staring at her plate of eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns, pushing them around with her fork. She couldn’t eat. Ever since Thursday night, she had been unable to get her mind off Buffy.

She had been avoiding William. She wasn’t sure what she would tell him. On the one hand, maybe he knew something about Buffy, could shed some light on who she was. Maybe he could tell her that she really was free, that she was relieved of her so-called destiny. God knows that’s what she wanted to hear. But then again, maybe he would tell her that Buffy wasn’t a Slayer after all and that what she saw was just a fluke. Christina did not want to hear that.

“Honey. What’s wrong? You haven’t touched your eggs,” her mom said, looking at Christy with concern.

Startled from her reverie, Christy said quickly, “Nothing. Just not hungry.” She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, wishing her mom would stop staring at her.

Her mother reached over and pressed her hand against Christy’s forehead, wrinkling her brow. “You don’t feel warm,” she said absently.

“Mom. I’m not sick. I’m just not hungry. Is that all right with you?” Christy shot back, annoyed. She changed the subject, avoiding the surprise on her mother’s face at being spoken to like that. “So, Dad. Any interesting cases lately?”

Her father had been reading the paper until his daughter’s sudden outburst captured his attention. He looked at her silently for a moment, glancing at his wife, then back to his daughter.

“Actually, there was this one woman that came in late Thursday night. She was cramping and was afraid she was having a miscarriage,” he began, leaning back in his chair. Christina never asked about his work and he knew that she was only doing so now to divert attention away from herself, but he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity to talk to his daughter. So he continued. “I don’t know why this woman sticks out in my mind. I’ve seen thousands of patients just like her. There was just something about her. She came across as being vulnerable one second and in control the next. Not to mention the fact that she told me she had had two other children and she barely looked old enough to be having this one.” He reached for his coffee cup and took a sip, remembering. He chuckled softly to himself as he set the cup down. “She said she had been kickboxing. From the looks of her husband, he must’ve been her sparring partner.” He smiled slightly.

“David,” her mother said softly. “You’re not saying he hit her?”

Her father shook his head. “Oh, heavens no. Nothing like that. If you had seen the way they looked at each other, had seen his face when I told him she and the baby were fine, you wouldn’t think that.”

There was a silence for a moment before her father spoke up again. “You know, she reminded me a lot of you, Christy.”

Christy’s mind was already racing with what her father had just described. Pregnant lady? Miscarriage? Kickboxing? Thursday night?

“What?” she asked, startled.

“Just a couple things. Her strength. Her energy. She had that same all-knowing look in her eyes that you have. The one that says, ‘I know more about the world than you think I do.’” He winked at his daughter, smiling.

But Christy wasn’t paying attention. She dropped her fork on her plate loudly and pushed her chair out. “Excuse me,” she muttered, standing.

She had to go see William.

***

Riley was driving her nuts. Ever since they got home from the hospital, he had been hovering. She thought that being waited on would be fun, but it was actually less fun than a root canal.

At that moment, Riley was downstairs making her breakfast. She was finally alone-one of the handful of times he had let her out of his sight. So she took a chance.

Standing up, she stretched her limbs. She had been laying in bed so long, her muscles were stiffening. She needed to move around, to get the blood circulating. Taking a deep breath, she smelled the faint aroma of bacon cooking. The scent made her stomach growl.

“I’m hungry. Are you?” she asked, patting her belly lightly. “Let’s go see what Daddy is making for us.” She padded easily into the hall and down the stairs, the whole way thinking of what to say to her husband when he saw her up and about.

Quietly, she sauntered up to the kitchen door and poked her head in. Riley was standing at the stove, spatula in hand, flipping strips of bacon in the frypan. Michael stood next to him, in his pajamas, holding a plate in both hands and looking up at his father.

“Daddy?” he asked.

Riley didn’t look at him, just continued to keep his eye on the stove. “Hmm?”

“Did Aunt Willow put a spell on Mommy?” Michael asked seriously.

That caught Riley’s attention. He looked down at his son curiously. “What? Where did you get that idea?”

Michael answered plainly, “Josh said that Mommy’s having a baby because his mom put a spell on her. Is that true?”

Riley thought he would laugh out loud at the seriousness of his son’s expression. He smiled widely. “No, Mikey. That’s not how it works.”

From the doorway, Buffy stifled a laugh.

“Well, how does it work? How did you and Mommy get me?” Michael asked.

At a loss for words, Riley stalled. He hadn’t expected to have this discussion quite so soon. He wasn’t prepared. “Well, um…” he said weakly, returning his attention back to the bacon.

“We went to the store,” Buffy said, rounding the corner and stepping into the kitchen.

Surprised to see her, Riley was nevertheless grateful for the distraction. Saved by the Buffy, he thought. Buffy walked up to her boys and laid a hand on each of them, smiling sweetly up at her husband, who leaned down to kiss her on the cheek and to whisper, “Thank you.”

“You see,” she continued, bending down to take the plate from her son’s hand, holding it out as Riley piled bacon on it, “we decided that we wanted a little boy. So we went to the baby store and found you.” She took Michael’s hand and led him to the dining room table. “We were lucky to find you because when we got there, you were the only little boy left in the whole store.” She helped him up into the chair and pushed him to the table. “Isn’t that right, Daddy?” she called to Riley.

Riley emerged from the kitchen carrying two plates, setting one down in front of Michael and one in front of Buffy, who was scooting her chair in next to Michael. “That’s right. We tried to return you, but we didn’t have the receipt.”

“Huh?” Michael asked, not getting the joke.

Buffy gave Riley a look. “Nothing. Daddy’s just being silly. Eat your eggs.”

The three of them sat, silently munching on the delicacies in front of them, when Michael spoke again.

“So how do the babies get inside the mommies?” he asked innocently.

Riley had to force himself to swallow and he almost choked, coughing loudly. He looked at Buffy, who looked back at him. “You want to take this one, Riley? I took the last one.” She smiled evilly at him.

“O-Okay,” Riley said, taking a sip of orange juice and inhaling deeply. He looked at his son. “Well, Mikey. You see, it’s like this.” He let his breath out loudly. The little boy watched him closely, waiting. “It’s…it’s magic,” Riley said quickly, chickening out. He turned back to his breakfast, not making eye contact with the two people he felt staring at him.

***

She walked through William’s front door without knocking.

William looked up from his paper, annoyed. “Haven’t you heard of knocking? Really, Christina, a little courtesy goes a long way.”

But Christy cut him off. “Stop with the lecture, Billy. I have news. And for once, I want your advice.” She sat down heavily in the chair across from his and glared at him.

William set his paper down on the table and looked at his Slayer closely. Something was bothering her. “What is it?” he asked carefully.

Christy took a deep breath. “I saw her again last night. She’s a Slayer, all right. Her name’s Buffy.” She looked into William’s face, surprised at the expression she saw there.

Sitting back in his chair, William focused on something in the distance. His mind was racing. Buffy. He was very familiar with that name. It was a name that was used often by the Watcher’s Council. And not in a good way. He turned his gaze back to Christy, who was looking at him strangely. “A-Are you sure that her name is Buffy?” he asked warily.

Wrinkling her eyebrows curiously, she replied, “That’s what he called her.”

“Who?” William asked.

“The man she was with. Her husband,” Christy answered. She leaned in nervously. “Why?”

William didn’t answer her. He thought a moment longer before getting up and walking to the computer. Christy watched him closely as he typed. She got up and went to stand behind him.

“That’s her,” she said weakly, pointing to a picture that William had brought up onto the screen. “That’s Buffy.”

William turned to look up at her, studying her face as she looked at the screen. “Christy. Buffy was a Slayer. She died six years ago along with her daughter. That’s when you were chosen.”

Christy didn’t look at him, just continued to stare at the screen. “No,” she muttered hoarsely, shaking her head back and forth slowly. “I saw her. She can’t be dead.”

Standing, William grasped her shoulders tightly, leading her slowly to the sofa. He sat her down gently and kneeled in front of her, looking into her face. “Christy, you were just seeing what you wanted to see. Buffy’s dead.”

“No!” Christy screamed, pushing William away and standing up. “I saw her. She’s alive! I saw her fight! And…and get thrown into a tree. She lost her necklace. A small silver necklace with a cross on it. I have it at home! She’s real, William. She’s real…” She slumped down into the sofa again, sobbing.

William just watched her silently, not knowing what to do.

***

“Graham and I are going to patrol from now on,” Riley told Buffy as he pulled the blanket up over her legs and tucked it around her waist. After breakfast, he had escorted her back upstairs and put her back in bed.

“Riley, I’m fine. Really.” She tried to tell herself that what he was doing was just protecting her. That he loved her and that he wasn’t being annoying on purpose. But it was hard to overlook the very strong aggravation factor.

He kissed the top of her head gently. “That may be, Buff. But I would prefer not to have a repeat of the other night, if that’s okay with you. Graham and I will take care of it. So just relax.”

Buffy answered stubbornly, “If I were any more relaxed, I’d be in a coma.” Her green eyes flashed in frustration.

“Go ahead and whine, Buffy,” he said. “But I’d rather have you mad at me than not have you at all.” He smiled slightly. “Be right back.”

He left the room. But before Buffy could escape, he returned, Michael in tow.

“Now, Mikey,” he said to his son, lifting him up and setting him on the bed next to Buffy. “I want you to sit here with your mom. If she tries to get up, I want you to yell. Okay?” He grinned down at Michael and looked at his wife out of the corner of his eye.

Buffy sat with her mouth hanging open slightly, not believing what she was hearing. “I can’t believe you are having my own son spy on me.”

Riley was unfazed. “I have some things to do downstairs and I can’t be in two places at once. Mikey here is my partner in crime. Right, kiddo?”

Michael nodded happily. “I’ll watch her, Daddy.” He smiled widely.

“Be a good girl,” he said jokingly as he turned to walk out of the bedroom.

***

After Christy left William’s house, she went for a walk. Her thoughts were all jumbled in her head.

William told her Buffy was dead. But she couldn’t be. Christy had seen her with her own two eyes. Heck, her father had seen her too, only he didn’t know who (or what) she was.

No, there had to be some sort of explanation. Some logical reasoning somewhere in this mixed up mess. She wasn’t crazy. Sure, she wanted so badly to be free of her sacred duty, her so-called destiny. But she wasn’t stupid enough to go around imagining that there was another Slayer. Besides, what about the man? Was she crazy enough to dream him up, too?

Christy found herself in the cemetery. Just standing there, looking around absently. The place didn’t look that ominous during the day. It actually seemed rather peaceful, with the green grass, the beautiful flowers, and the intricately carved headstones. Rather peaceful, indeed.

She looked down and read the inscription on the headstone in front of her. “FINN,” it read in big block letters. Below, it read, “Emma Lauren. Beloved daughter of Buffy and Riley.”

“Oh God,” she whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from the words. William said that Buffy died along with her daughter. Maybe he was right.

Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them back. She backed away slowly, then turned and ran out of the cemetery. She had to get out of there.

And she needed to know the truth.

***

After Christina left, William decided to do a little digging. She had been so adamant, so insistent. Besides, she had identified Buffy from her picture without any prompting or clues of any kind. So William had decided to see what he could find out.

He sat at his computer, searching the archives of all the local newspapers. After a few moments, he found what he was looking for. It was a short article from the Sunnydale Times, dated six years ago.

Woman, Child Killed By Drunk Driver

Late Tuesday morning, a drunk driver lost control of his car and struck a vehicle carrying two young passengers at the intersection of Federal Highway and 17th Street. The victims, identified as 25-year-old Buffy Finn and her daughter Emma, 3, died at the scene.

The driver, Charles Goodwin, 43, reportedly had a blood alcohol level of 0.16, twice the legal limit, at the time of the accident. He was treated for minor injuries and taken into custody.

The victims are survived by Riley Finn, 26, of Sunnydale.

William read the article several times, memorizing it. It had been written the day after the accident six years ago. The last name was different, but it was Buffy Summers. The Council always kept records on each Slayer and they had known that she had married and had had a child.

But something was still bugging William. He should just take the information at face value. Buffy was dead. Christina was just imagining her. Dreaming, perhaps. He knew that she wanted nothing more than to not be a Slayer. She was probably just trying to get out of her duty. But the way she acted, the look in her eyes, her voice-they all told him that Christina truly believed what she saw.

So, for Christina’s sake, he continued to research. Hopefully, he would find something to help her.

***

She would go out again tonight. Confront them. Drag them both back to William’s house if she had to, just to prove to him that she wasn’t crazy. That’s what she had to do. For her sanity. And for her future.

***

“Promise me you won’t try to do too much,” Riley said as he gathered his gear together for patrol.

Buffy looked at him from the bed. “I promise not to even breathe too deeply,” she said sarcastically.

“Good to hear,” he said, winking at her. He walked over to the side of the bed and leaned over her, looking into her eyes. “I just worry about you, Buffy. So if I seem a little smothering, it’s just because I love you so much.”

Her voice became softer as she took his hand. “I know. I love you too.” She smiled at him.

He kissed her briefly and then straightened up, squeezing her hand before letting it go. “Gotta go. Graham’s waiting.” He started to walk out the door.

“Be careful. You’re not the only one who worries, you know,” Buffy called.

“I will.” He held her gaze a moment longer before turning to go. “Whoa!” he said, stopping suddenly. He looked down to find himself standing toe-to-toe with Michael. “Don’t sneak up on a guy like that, kiddo! You scared me!”

Michael looked up at his father. “Where are you going, Daddy?” he asked sweetly.

“I’ve gotta go out for a little while, Mikey. Uncle Graham is going with me.” He messed his son’s hair playfully.

Thinking about that for a moment. Michael looked at his mother and then back to his father. “Do you want me to watch Mommy while you’re gone?”

Riley laughed. “Yeah, keep an eye on her for me. But be a good boy. Don’t give your mom any trouble, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.”

Looking at his wife, he mouthed “I love you” and, after she returned the favor, he turned to go. “Be back soon,” he said over his shoulder as he left.

***

“You really need to be careful about what you tell your son,” Riley said to Graham as they walked side-by-side through the cemetery.

“What are you talking about?” Graham inquired, looking sideways at Riley.

Riley kept his eyes forward, scanning the area. “It seems Josh told Michael that the reason Buffy’s having a baby is because Willow put a spell on her.” He glanced at Graham out of the corner of his eye, only to see him grinning widely.

“Josh said that?” Graham said, chuckling. “Well, don’t look at me. I didn’t tell him that.”

“Yeah, well, Mikey asked me this morning if that was true. Which freaked me out because I was so not prepared to have that discussion with my son. I stood there, speechless. Buffy had to save me. It wasn’t pretty, let me tell you.” Riley shook his head.

Graham was still laughing. “I can imagine. I’m sorry, man. I have no control over what comes out of my son’s mouth at any given moment. I’ll talk to him.”

“While you’re at it, maybe you could explain to Josh where babies come from and then he could tell Mikey. That way, I’m off the hook,” Riley said, grinning slightly.

Graham coughed. “I don’t think so, buddy. If I have to tell my son, you have to tell yours.”

“Fine. Be that way. I just thought two birds, one stone,” Riley said jokingly. “But that talk is going to wait a while. Right now, Michael is at home guarding his mother. Buffy’s being as stubborn as usual. Not wanting to follow doctor’s orders. So Michael is my little spy.”

“I’m sure she loves that,” Graham muttered.

Riley laughed. “Oh yeah. But she’ll get over it.”

“Shh,” Graham said softly, putting a hand up to silence Riley. “Listen.”

The two men stood silently, listening to the darkness.

Riley motioned to his right. “Over there,” he whispered. He began walking slowly in that direction, Graham following close behind.

***

Christina watched the two men as they walked into an ambush and came out alive. Granted, they had a vast array of weapons, but they were good fighters. They didn’t have Slayer strength, but what they lacked in muscle they more than made up for in wits and firepower.

But most importantly, Christy learned that Buffy was, in fact, alive. She wasn’t crazy after all. Wait until she told William.

She stood up and began walking out of the cemetery, towards William’s house. And for the first time in a couple days, she had a smile on her face.

***

“I know,” William replied after Christy had told him that she wasn’t imagining things, that Buffy was indeed alive.

Christy looked at him incredulously. “But you said she was dead!”

William looked at her closely, his voice even. “She was, Christina.”

Prompted by Christy’s questioning look, he explained. “Christina, listen to me. After you left here earlier, I did a little research. Buffy and her daughter did die six years ago. In a car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver.” He looked at Christy closely.

“But,” she said weakly, urging him on.

William took a deep breath. “But,” he continued. “She was brought back. And I have a good idea why. You see, when she died, you were nine years old. Not nearly old enough to begin Slaying. And things were going alright for a while without a Slayer. But according to the newspapers, there were a lot of unexplained deaths and strange occurrences in Sunnydale a few months ago. Unsolved mysteries. That’s how the media deals with things they don’t understand.” He paused, letting his words sink in.

Christy was nodding slowly, beginning to understand. “Things were getting really bad here. So Buffy came back. How?”

“I really don’t know. All I can say is that there are a lot of things that we don’t understand. Things happen for reasons that we can’t always explain. You of all people should know that,” William answered.

Christy swallowed down the lump in her throat. “But I was here then. Why not me?”

“Christina. You weren’t yet fifteen. You weren’t ready to deal with something of this magnitude on your own.”

She felt a bit defensive. They-whoever they were-didn’t have faith in her. Didn’t think she was strong enough or good enough. “I see,” she muttered.

“Christina, you don’t understand,” William said gently, leaning close to her. “Buffy was the most powerful Slayer in history. She had lived longer than any Slayer before her. She had averted the apocalypse more than once. She was better prepared to deal with the situation.”

But Christina had stopped listening. She stood up. “I get it, okay? I wasn’t good enough, so they had to bring big, bad Buffy back from the dead.” She backed away slowly, shaking her head.

“No, Christina. It wasn’t like that. Buffy was only brought back to be the Slayer temporarily, to deal with the immediate threat. Until you were ready. You were going to take over when you turned fifteen. You’re supposed to be the only Slayer now. The only one.” William stepped towards her, his hand out, reaching for her.

But Christina continued to back away. “For someone who’s not supposed to be a Slayer anymore, she sure acts like one…”

William stopped his slow approach. The closer her got, the farther away Christina went. He didn’t want her to leave. There were things he needed to tell her. “That’s because she doesn’t know about you. Christina…” he said softly. “Her strength. It’s fading. It won’t last much longer.”

Christina looked at William, a confused look in her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“When I was researching, I came across something interesting. Buffy’s not the first Slayer to be brought back from the dead. About 200 years ago, there was another Slayer, Mary Keene, who was brought back as well. It seems her successor died unexpectedly, shortly after Mary did. Before she had the chance to complete her training. So Mary was brought back to continue her duties as Slayer. Only there was a problem.” He paused, watching Christina carefully.

Christina was trembling slightly, her heart pounding. “What kind of problem?” she asked weakly.

William continued slowly. “After Mary was brought back, she resumed her duties at full strength. But slowly, her powers began to diminish until they were completely gone. Apparently, they don’t carry over into the next life.” He took a deep breath. “Christina. The same thing is happening to Buffy. She may not notice it now because she has help. But her strength is fading. Just like Mary’s did. And soon, if she keeps fighting, she’ll end up like Mary.”

“H-How’s that?” Christina asked hoarsely, holding on to the back of the sofa for support.

“Mary was tortured and killed because she couldn’t fight back,” William whispered.

But Christina was shaking her head. “No,” she muttered. “No. I don’t believe you. You’re just trying to scare me.” She went to the door, grasping the knob tightly. “Besides, you said it yourself. She has help. I’ve seen them. They’re good fighters. They’ll watch out for her…” Her head was swimming.

“Christy, you’re not listening to me. Buffy will die. Her friends will die. Many people will die if you turn your back now,” William insisted.

Christina shook her head vigorously, trying to clear it. “No. You’re wrong. The world doesn’t need me. It didn’t need me then and it doesn’t need me now.” She quickly pulled the door open and ran out into the night.

William watched silently as she disappeared into the darkness.

***

“Mommy’s crying,” Michael stated matter-of-factly when Riley walked through the front door.

Oh God, Riley thought frantically, running upstairs quickly. He found her in the bedroom, kneeling on the floor, crying.

“Buffy,” he managed, falling on his knees beside her, putting his arms around her. His heart was pounding. “What’s wrong?”

“I lost it,” she muttered, rocking slowly. She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. “It’s gone.”

Riley’s stomach tightened and he couldn’t breathe. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” she cried, shaking her head. “I had it two days ago. But now it’s gone. I don’t know what could’ve happened to it. I never take it off.”

After Buffy’s words sunk in, Riley started to breathe again. She wasn’t talking about the baby. Relief washed over him. “Never take what off, honey?”

“My necklace. The silver one with the cross. I lost it.” She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

Riley let his breath out slowly, holding her tightly. He smiled and said into her hair, “Don’t cry, honey. We’ll find it.”

“Promise?” she asked, her voice child-like.

Kissing her hair and smoothing it gently with his hand, he whispered, “I promise.”

***

The tiny cross glittered in the moonlight. Christina lay on her bed, dangling it above her. She couldn’t get William’s words out of her mind-“Many people will die if you turn your back now.”

What about me? she asked herself. I’ll die for sure if I don’t turn my back.

So what if Buffy loses her strength? She’s got an entire team to back her up. A whole team of regular people with weapons is better than one Slayer, right?

She sat up and grasped the necklace tightly in her fist. They didn’t need her, she assured herself again. Everything was going to be just fine. William was just saying those things because he knew that if she quit, he would be out of a job. That’s all there was to it.

As far as Christy was concerned, she was finished.

***

“So she cries all the time now. For every little thing,” Riley commented as he sat next to Graham. They had decided to take the night off-the first one in months-and had driven down to LA with Josh and Michael to catch an interleague baseball game between the Dodgers and the Angels.

It was just the boys. Buffy didn’t feel like travelling and Willow didn’t like baseball. Besides, she had told Graham, she had to make sure that their daughter was exposed to things other than sports. Josh was already a lost cause, but Anne was still a blank canvas. Graham had just smiled and told her to have fun painting. He and his warped son were going to watch some baseball.

So here they were. Graham chuckled knowingly at Riley’s comment. “I know exactly what you mean. Willow used to cry if the mail was late.” He took a bite of his hot dog. “I hate to tell you this, man, but it doesn’t get any better.” He held the cup for Josh so he could take a sip and then took a sip himself.

“Great,” Riley muttered, taking a sip of his own soda. He looked down at Michael and smiled. He wished that he had a camera-what a sight. His little boy sat in the chair beside him, swinging his legs wildly. He had a glove on one hand and a hot dog in the other, his face covered with ketchup-Michael’s favorite condiment. “Although I really shouldn’t complain,” Riley continued, wiping his son’s face. “This is the most normal pregnancy Buffy’s ever had.”

“That’s true, Ri,” Graham said. “You should be grateful.”

“Oh, I am. I definitely am,” Riley answered.

***

“So it’s no longer morning sickness. Now it’s hormones. I cry all the time,” Buffy lamented. She was sitting on the couch next to Willow, her feet propped up on the coffee table. Her feet and her back were really starting to bother her lately.

“Been there, Buff. Ask Graham. He always carried kleenex with him just in case.” Willow laughed at the memory. “But don’t worry, it’ll pass.”

“When?” Buffy asked, resting her head against the back of the couch. “When the baby’s born?” She turned her head to look at Willow.

Willow just gave her a cheesy grin, not saying a word. Buffy sighed and rubbed her rounded belly softly. She wasn’t looking forward to three more months of tears. “Oh, and the bloated thing? Never happened before. I had to use butter to get my wedding ring off before it cut off my circulation. Now I have to wear it on a chain around my neck.” She closed her eyes. “Cried about that, too.”

“Welcome to pregnancy in the real world, Buff,” Willow said teasingly.

The phone rang and Willow reached to answer it. “Hello?… No, he’s not… Buffy? Yeah, hold on… It’s Giles,” she said, handing the phone to Buffy.

Buffy rolled her eyes wearily and took the phone. “Hey, Giles. What’s up?”

So far, things were working out the way she’d told herself they would. It had been weeks since she’d quit Slaying and all was well. Every morning she checked the newspapers to see if there were any reports of strange deaths. So far, nothing. Buffy and Riley were still alive and well.

She began to relax, to really believe that she had done the right thing. She was free and the world was no worse off because of it. It was a win-win situation all around.

Everything was fine.

***

“Where’s Buffy?” Riley asked warily when he didn’t see her with Willow when he and Graham got home with the boys.

Michael and Josh had run upstairs immediately after getting home to play with the foul ball they had gotten at the game. The three adults were alone in the living room. Anne had gone to bed hours ago. Willow shifted uneasily and looked at Riley, her eyes wide. “She went out.”

Riley stared at her incredulously. “What do you mean ‘she went out’? Where did she go?” he asked urgently.

Looking at Graham briefly, she stood up. She studied Riley closely. “Now, Riley…”

But Riley put a hand up, cutting her off. “Willow. Please don’t tell me she went patrolling.”

Willow looked down at her feet and swallowed hard. She took a deep breath before lifting her eyes to meet his again. “Giles called looking for you. She took the call instead,” she whispered.

Riley’s mind was racing. “How long ago?” he asked frantically, grasping Willow’s shoulders tightly. “A-About two hours, I guess,” Willow stuttered, unable to maintain eye contact.

Riley was furious. He shook Willow violently, screaming at her. “Dammit! How could you let her go? How could you?” His eyes were glowing with anger.

Graham grabbed him and pulled him off of his wife, shoving him against the door. “Leave her alone! This isn’t Willow’s fault!”

Riley stared at his friend for a long moment, felt Graham’s fingers digging into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he managed. “I’m sorry.”

Loosening his grip on Riley, Graham backed away. “We’ll look for her, okay?” He turned to his wife. “Do you know where she went?” he asked softly.

Willow looked at her husband with teary eyes. “The park, I think.”

Graham nodded to her and then turned to Riley. “Let’s go,” he said, gently leading his friend out the door.

He looked over his shoulder at Willow as they were leaving. She mouthed the words “I’m sorry” to him. He nodded slightly and said, “We’ll be back soon.”

***

All was quiet. Giles must have been mistaken; there wasn’t any demon activity in the park tonight.

Her feet were killing her and she decided to head back to Willow’s. Hopefully, Riley wasn’t back yet. She wasn’t in the mood to explain where she had been.

She rubbed her lower back and yawned as she began to stroll through the park towards Willow’s house. She didn’t see the demon.

It jumped out of the shadows and grabbed her from behind, grasping her tightly around the shoulders. Buffy tried to flip it over her head, but found she couldn’t. Nor could she pry its arms off of her shoulders.

Desperately, she kicked it in the leg and clawed at its face. The large demon threw her to the ground and watched as she struggled to get to her feet. It took advantage of her weakness and started to descend upon her, its eyes glowing red.

Buffy tried to move, but was finding it hard to do so. She kicked at the demon weakly, with all the strength she could muster, which wasn’t much. The demon dodged her easily and reached for her. She held her arms up defensively, closing her eyes.

Nothing.

She opened her eyes and saw Graham and Riley struggling with the demon. She pushed herself up, watching, out of breath. Graham dodged a blow and tripped it, while Riley pounced on it and broke its neck.

The two men stood up, brushing themselves off, catching their breath. Riley turned to face his wife, not saying a word.

“Riley…” Buffy said softly, stepping towards her husband.

Riley didn’t budge. He glared at her, his eyes dark. “What the fuck were you thinking?” he asked coldly through clenched teeth.

Buffy looked at him, shocked at his tone. “I’m sorry. But Giles called and you weren’t around. I figured I could handle it,” she answered.

“Yeah. You were handling it beautifully, Buffy. Like a pro.” Riley never took his eyes off her.

“I don’t understand it. It’s like I had no strength at all,” she said weakly. The look in Riley’s eyes frightened her a little.

Riley shook his head slowly. “That’s the whole point, isn’t it? You’re in no condition to fight! I thought we had an agreement. But apparently you can’t be trusted to be by yourself. I let you out of my sight for a few hours and what happens? I come home to find that you, my six months pregnant wife, have gone out patrolling for demons! Obviously, I need to keep an eye on you all the time. Make sure you don’t do anything else so stupid!”

Buffy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Excuse me? Keep an eye on me? I’m an adult, Riley. Not a child!”

“No, but you’re having one! Or do you even care?” Riley snapped, his voice cold.

Buffy stared at him, her eyes wide, her mouth open slightly. She was speechless.

Graham stepped up, touching Riley’s arm gently. “Hey guys. Calm down. We’re all okay, that’s all that matters,” he said softly.

But Riley shook his hand off roughly, continuing to stare at his wife. “Stay out of this, Graham. It doesn’t concern you.”

Buffy regained enough composure to look at Graham. “It’s alright, Graham. Go home. Tell Willow that we’re okay. We’ll be there in a little while.”

Looking back and forth between his two friends, Graham decided that it was okay to leave them alone. He nodded at Buffy and turned, walking away.

Buffy returned her attention to her husband, who still looked furious. “Look,” she said, her voice soft and calm. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have come out here. It was a mistake. I know that. But it won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t happen again, Buffy! I’ll make sure of it. I know that being the Slayer is a big part of your life, that it comes as second nature to you. But that doesn’t mean that you can just run around playing miss superhero whenever you feel like it! It’s not just you anymore, Buffy! It’s you, it’s me, it’s Michael, it’s this baby! People who need you, who love you. People who are terrified of losing you again! Don’t you see that?” His anger was starting to subside, replaced by an intense fear. He reached out to her, grasping her shoulders tightly. “Buffy. When I walked into Graham’s house tonight and saw that you weren’t there, I got this pain in the pit of my stomach. All I could think about was how it felt to lose you. I can’t go through that again, Buffy. I can’t…” His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Buffy was crying. She looked at her husband through her tears and saw the fear in his eyes, the pain covering his face. “I didn’t mean to make you feel that way, Riley. I’m really sorry.” She took a breath. “I wish I could be the woman you need me to be. But I can’t. And I never will be. Pregnant or not, Riley, I will always be the Slayer. And the only way that will change is if evil stops or I die. And I don’t have to tell you which one is more likely to happen.”

She broke away from his grasp and walked a few steps away. She continued, unable to look at him. “No matter how many years we’re together, no matter how many children we have, no matter how much you try to protect me, Riley… I’m still the Slayer. I can’t turn my back on that and I can’t change it.”

***

“You can save your breath, William. I don’t want to hear it,” Christina said when she walked into his office. There was only one reason he ever called her in-to lecture her.

“Sit down, Christina,” he said sternly, annoyed. “And be quiet. You are going to hear what I have to say.”

She sat without argument, looking straight ahead, her mouth set stubbornly.

“For weeks now, I have sat back and watched you shirk your duties, waiting for you to come to your senses. To see that what you’re doing is wrong. Well, it hasn’t happened yet and I’m not going to sit around waiting any longer!” William stood, towering over her, glaring down at her.

Christy continued to avoid eye contact, but her resolve was breaking. She slumped ever so slightly into her chair.

William continued. “I know that you don’t want to be the Slayer. That you didn’t ask for this. But you are and you don’t have a choice. This isn’t a job that you can quit just because you don’t like it!” He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. He bent down closer to her and spoke slowly. “Every Slayer before you probably felt the same way, Christina. Do you think Buffy jumped for joy when she learned of her destiny? I doubt it. But you know what? She accepted it. She fulfilled her duties even when it would have been easier to just say the hell with it!” He gripped Christina’s chin and turned her face towards his, looking into her eyes. “Her time is up, Christina. She did her job. It’s your turn.”

Christy jerked her face away and stood quickly, blinking back her tears. “I don’t have to listen to this. You can’t make me listen,” she whimpered, grasping the doorknob tightly.

But William put a hand on the door, blocking her exit. “No, I can’t. But I want to show you something before you leave.”

Turning to face him, she watched as he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a large manila envelope. He opened the flap slowly, for effect. Reaching inside, he pulled out a stack of photographs. He held the first one up to Christy.

“I want you to take a good look at this face, Christina. This is Buffy Anne Summers. Now Finn. Thirty years old. Wife to Riley. Mother to Emma and Michael. Baby on the way.” He pushed the photo closer to Christy, watching her face.

He dropped the photograph on the floor, grabbing another one and holding it up to her. “Riley Matthew Finn. Thirty-one years old. Husband to Buffy. Father to Emma, Michael, and new baby.”

Christina gripped the doorknob tightly, pressing roughly against the door, turning her head to escape the images. But William didn’t let up. He dropped the photo of Riley and grabbed yet another one, holding it out. “Michael Jacob Finn. Five years old. Son of Buffy and Riley. Brother to Emma and new baby.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head vigorously. “Stop…” she whispered. “Please stop.”

“No, Christina. Open your eyes. Look at their faces. I want you to see what you’re doing. I want you to see who you’re hurting. They are real people! Real people who are going to die because of you! Who are going to die because you refuse to face up to your responsibilities! They are not pawns in your game, Christina. They are people. And I want you to look at them, dammit! Open your eyes!” William raged, not taking his eyes from her.

But Christina refused. She just kept shaking her head, unable to look. “No…” she whispered, fumbling desperately with the doorknob. She finally managed to open the door, running out of the office quickly, not looking back.

William watched her go, then slowly gathered up the photographs and put them back in his desk.

***

Riley awoke with a start. He reached instinctively for Buffy, but all he found was air. He stood, scanning the darkness, worried. It had been two weeks since the big blowup in the park, and ever since then, Buffy hadn’t been acting herself. She was having trouble sleeping and she kept to herself more and more.

He headed downstairs in search of her. Halfway down the stairs, he felt it-a stifling heat. Hurrying to the bottom of the stairs, he saw Buffy sitting on the floor in front of a raging fire.

Walking up behind her, he laid a hand gently on her back. She jumped, startled, but did not look up. She just stared unblinkingly into the fire.

“Buffy? Honey, it’s 85 degrees outside. I don’t think we need a fire,” Riley said softly, sitting down beside her. He studied her closely. Her forehead glistened with perspiration and the fire danced in her eyes.

She didn’t look at him. “I’m tired,” she said wearily.

“Why don’t I take you back up to bed?” Riley asked carefully, touching her hand gently.

But she shook her head. “No. That’s not what I mean.” She paused, swallowing hard. “I’m tired of being a burden, Riley. To you. To everyone.”

Riley felt his heart breaking. He didn’t know what to say. He took her hand in both of his and whispered, “Please don’t say that.”

Buffy finally turned her face towards him, the flames causing shadows to dance across her skin. “Why do you stay with me, Riley? Why do you stay when all I do is hurt you? When all I will ever do is hurt you?” she asked, tears filling her eyes and spilling down her cheeks.

Fighting back his own tears, he reached up and gently wiped hers away. “Because I love you, Buffy. And I need you.”

She started trembling and backed away from him. “Please don’t say that,” she muttered, pushing herself up. “I don’t deserve it.” She looked at him a moment longer and then turned and hurried up the stairs, leaving Riley alone.

He watched helplessly as his wife turned and ran from him, bitter tears falling uninhibited from his eyes.

***

He was accusing her. He stood over the bodies of his wife and children, tears streaming down his face, pointing a finger at her, his eyes saying, “You killed them. You did this.”

Christina opened her eyes and sat up, breathing heavily. She was covered in a cold sweat and tears stung her eyes.

She looked around her dark bedroom frantically, searching for something to focus on. Something that would push the grisly images out of her mind. Anything.

Reaching into her nightstand drawer, she pulled out the tiny silver cross with the broken chain, holding it in her fist tightly. She clasped her other hand around it and brought it to her lips. She closed her eyes tightly, praying.

***

Buffy had finally gone back to sleep and Riley had gone for a walk. He was a bit apprehensive about leaving her alone when she was like this, but he needed to think and he couldn’t do it so close to her. Besides, he wouldn’t be gone very long.

He found himself in the cemetery. One would think that with all the time he was forced to spend there, that he wouldn’t go there voluntarily.

But here he was, in the place where so many people he had cared about had been laid to rest. As he strolled through the silent monuments, he thought about how many times he had cried, how many times he had fought among these very headstones. How he himself had hit rock bottom among them and how he had been given a second chance at life with Buffy among them as well. So many opposing memories balancing each other out.

He searched for answers among the neat rows of marble and granite, hoping to find some insight that was lacking among the living. He wandered row after row, finally stopping at one that he frequented on a regular basis.

“Hello, Joyce,” he said softly, sitting down in front of her grave and picking absently at a stray weed growing nearby. “I need to talk to you.” He let out his breath and gazed up at the moon before returning his eyes to the white marble tablet in front of him. “I’m losing her, Joyce. Again. Only this time, it’s so much worse. Because I can see it happening and there’s nothing I can do about it. She’s slowly slipping away from me…”

Pulling his knees up to his chest, he wrapped his arms around them tightly. “She thinks she’s a burden, that we would all be better off without her. I don’t know how to convince her that I need her.” He paused, swallowing down his tears. “I’ve tried to make her happy, Joyce. I’ve tried to give her everything she wants, everything she needs. But no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to give her the thing she wants the most. I can never give her an ordinary life.”

“Yes you can,” Christy whispered from behind him.

Riley spun to face her. “Who are you?”

She looked at him, her eyes wide, and took a deep breath. “I’m the Slayer.”

***

Christy was trying to explain, but was finding it hard to get the words out. She knew that she had to do this, but she didn’t know what to say. How do you tell someone that you were willing to sacrifice them just to have a shot at a normal life? She looked down at her hands, searching for the words.

Riley sat next to Buffy on the couch. He was angry, but was trying not to show it. He wanted to remain calm for his wife, to be strong for her. When Christy told him who she was, he had immediately dragged her back to his house and had reluctantly awakened Buffy.

The three of them sat in the living room silently, Christy shifting uncomfortably in the chair Riley had sat her in, Buffy watching her closely. There was something familiar about this young girl, something that Buffy recognized deep inside. She felt a connection with her.

“You’re a Slayer, aren’t you?” Buffy asked softly, never taking her eyes from the girl.

Christy looked up suddenly, her eyes wide. “H-How did you know?” she asked weakly. “Because I’ve felt what you’re feeling,” Buffy said simply.

“That’s what William said,” Christy said. “He’s my Watcher.”

Riley couldn’t remain silent any longer. “Why? Why did you wait so long to make yourself known?” His eyes burned into hers and he felt Buffy’s hand cover his soothingly.

“I’m sorry,” Christy said, starting to cry. “I’m so sorry.” She took a deep breath. “I-I was out patrolling one night a few months ago when I saw you. And it was like my prayers had been answered. I couldn’t believe it.” She couldn’t sit still any longer and stood up, starting to pace. She looked at Buffy and Riley, wiping her eyes.

“I wanted to be sure, so I went back the next night. The night of the ritual. I figured that if you were who I thought you were, then you would be there. And you were. You both were. I watched you fight and I knew that I was right about you.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace. “I found this,” she said, holding it out to Buffy.

Buffy grasped it tightly, tears springing to her eyes. “I thought I’d never see this again,” she whispered.

“I knew that you were having a baby and I ignored it. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of my freedom,” Christy continued. She looked at Buffy closely. “Even when William told me that you would lose your strength, I still convinced myself that it didn’t matter.”

But Riley cut in. “What are you talking about? What do you mean, Buffy will lose her strength?” He sat forward on the couch, staring intently at Christy.

“Buffy was brought back to resume her duties as Slayer because I wasn’t ready. She was only supposed to be the Slayer until I turned fifteen. She’s been steadily losing her strength ever since…” Christy explained, sitting down once again.

Riley became angry again. He stood up and stalked over to her, towering over her. He didn’t care that she was just a kid. “You knew this? You knew this the whole time and yet you remained silent? My wife was almost killed two weeks ago because she wasn’t strong enough to fight back! You let it happen!” He grabbed her arm and pulled her up, holding on to her tightly. He leaned in, his face inches from hers. “How could you be so selfish? Tell me!” His eyes burned into her and she looked up at him, terrified.

“Riley,” Buffy said, coming up behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder. “Riley, please. Let her go.”

He looked over his shoulder at his wife. What he found in her eyes calmed him. There was a peace there that he had never seen. He looked back at Christy and let go of her arms, watching as she slumped back into the chair, sobbing.

Buffy pushed Riley away gently, looking at him reassuringly. “It’s okay,” she whispered, squeezing his hand.

He backed away and watched as Buffy kneeled down in front of Christy, as she brushed the hair out of her eyes.

“I wanted so badly to believe that you were my way out, that you were my salvation from this life I never asked for,” Christy sobbed, looking at Buffy through her tears. “But I had it backwards. You weren’t my way out, Buffy. I was yours. I’m so sorry I put you in danger. Please forgive me…”

Buffy put her arms around her and held her tightly, whispering softly, “Thank you.”

Christy held on to Buffy, burying her face in her shoulder, crying softly.

Riley watched silently from a distance.

***

Christy sat quietly, staring out of the passenger side window. She turned her head to look at Riley, who was looking straight ahead at the road, not saying a word. She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again without a sound. She could see that he was not in the mood to talk, so she left him alone. She turned to stare out the window again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Riley could see her looking at him, could see her mouth open to say something. But he was grateful when she kept quiet. He was still angry with her for everything she had put Buffy through. He was trying to understand why. But perhaps it didn’t matter that he understood. Buffy seemed to understand and that was what was important.

He stared out into the road, wondering where to go from here. For so long, he was sure about what the future held in store for him-endless fighting and struggle mixed with flashes of happiness. It was those flashes of happiness that he lived for, that made the rest of it worthwhile. But now, the future was a vast stretch of the unknown. Now he and Buffy would have a say in how their lives played out. He wasn’t sure how to take it.

“Turn here,” Christy said softly, pointing out the window. “Mine’s the second house on the left.” She didn’t look at him.

Riley followed her directions and pulled into the driveway. He sat silently waiting for her to get out of the car.

She sat a moment longer, then pulled the handle and pushed open the door. “Thanks,” she muttered weakly, stepping out of the car. She moved to close the door when she heard Riley say, “Wait.” She stopped and peered inside, gripping the door tightly.

Riley studied his hands on the wheel momentarily, then closed his eyes and took a breath. He opened his eyes slowly and turned to face her. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you,” he said softly, putting his hand up to quiet her when she started to speak. “I know it must have been hard for you to do what you did tonight. And I just want to thank you.”

Christy didn’t know what to say. She just nodded silently and watched as Riley turned away again, preparing to leave. She closed the car door quietly, standing in her driveway, watching as his taillights disappeared into the darkness. Then she slowly turned and went inside the house.

***

She sat on the couch in the dim light, the room still warm from the fire that had been since snuffed out. She had sent Riley to take Christy home, partly because of the lateness of the hour, but mostly because she needed a few minutes to think.

There was another Slayer. She was free, her duties done, her destiny fulfilled. She couldn’t believe it. She clutched the silver necklace in her hand, feeling the edges cut into her skin. So many battles, so many struggles, so much pain and death she had witnessed and had been a part of. And now it was all over.

For so long, she had fought. For so long, she had sacrificed. And now it was her turn to be on the other side. She no longer had to be on the outside looking in, envying the people she saw on the street everyday; people who, no matter what problems they had, still had the one thing she had always wanted more than anything-a normal life.

She started to tremble at the thought of a wide open future, one in which she could do whatever she wanted and wouldn’t have to stop and think how it would affect the rest of the world. She could travel. Or go back to school. She could finally leave Sunnydale if she wanted to. But most importantly, she could see her children grow up.

Riley walked through the front door and she looked up to meet his eyes. They held their gaze for a long time before he walked over and sat down next to her on the couch. She looked at him silently, her eyes staring into his, speaking wordless volumes. She touched her hand to his cheek gently.

Covering her hand with one of his, he brushed her hair away from her face with the other. His lips curled up slightly at the corners in a gentle smile.

Buffy flung her arms around his neck tightly, burying her face in his neck, her tears flowing freely. Her body shook with her cries-cries of joy and fear, of exhilaration and fatigue. She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Riley just held her tightly against him, rocking her gently.

***

A middle-aged woman with a kind face and soft brown eyes opened the door with a smile. “Can I help you?” she asked warmly.

“I’m looking for Christy. Is she here?”

The woman’s smile grew wider as she replied, “Yes, she is. Just a moment.” She disappeared into the house.

A short time later, a young girl with her mother’s kind face and soft brown eyes came bouncing to the door, smiling expectantly. “Buffy!” she said, surprised, her smile lessening but not fading completely.

From the porch, Buffy smiled warmly at the young girl. “Hello, Christy. I just wanted to stop by. There’s someone I want you to meet.” She took a step closer, holding out the blanketed bundle in her arms for Christy to see. “This is my son, Jason. Jason Christopher Finn. He’s a week old today. He might not have been born if it weren’t for you, Christy. Thank you.”

Christy stared at the tiny, sleeping baby, reaching out to touch him gently. She looked up at Buffy, tears in her eyes. “He’s really beautiful. I’m very happy for you.”

“I also wanted to give you this,” Buffy said, holding out a small pink box.

Looking at Buffy in surprise, Christy reached out with a trembling hand and grasped the box. “Buffy. You don’t have to…”

But Buffy was insistent. “Yes, I do,” she said seriously. “We all owe you our lives, Christy. It’s the least I can do for you. You’ve earned it.” She smiled widely and squeezed Christy’s hand reassuringly. “I have to go.”

Watching as Buffy walked down the steps and to the car where Riley was waiting, Christy felt like crying. After everything she had done to her, Buffy was still so kind to her.

After the car disappeared around the corner, Christy went inside the house and up to her room. She sat on her bed and turned her attention to the box. Slowly removing the lid, her eyes widened at what she saw inside. It was the necklace-the very one that had belonged to Buffy. She picked it up between her fingers, inspecting it closely. The chain had been repaired and was like new.

She looked inside the box again, finding a small, folded piece of paper inside. Opening the note carefully, she read the two words printed neatly on it: “For luck.”

Standing and going to the mirror, she slipped the chain around her neck, smiling widely at her reflection.

The End

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