ONCE MORE/PART FOUR
"Buffy!" She stepped tentatively into the library.
"Wow, look what you've done with this place! Giles would be so ... upset!"
Willow smiled in spite of herself. "Yeah. Could you believe that the library's actually entered the information age?"
Buffy had a wistful, tender look on her face when she turned back to her old friend. "Willow, I think we need to talk," she said quickly, nervously eyeing the groups of kids at the tables.
"You're right. Come in." The two women entered Willow's office, where the librarian closed the doors and shut the blinds.
"Surprised to see me alive, weren't you?" Buffy was at it as soon as they stepped it. Just like her to jump on an adventure, Willow thought.
"Well, yes." There was a long pause. It had yet to sink in for both of them that they were facing each other for the first time in two years. "Happy birthday, Buffy." Tears started to well up in her eyes as Buffy fell into her friend's arms. They hugged tightly, then broke up with a little sob from Willow.
"And what a present I get," she added, sniffling plaintively. "Can you tell me anything about what's happening? Do you even know?"
"Let me guess," the redhead said, sitting down at her computer and wiping her face with a sleeve. "You got a message in your newspaper."
"How did you know?" cried Buffy, throwing herself into a chair behind the desk.
"That's for after this. Way after this." Willow ran her fingers through her hair absently as she called up the files she needed.
"Cut your hair! I love it!" The hacker's formerly long red tresses were now a fashionable auburn with highlights, in a shoulder-length cut not unlike Buffy's. She looked beautiful, mature, different. Above her 25 years.
"Yeah, thanks ... Buffy, remember the old saying? For every generation, there is a chosen one? One girl in all the world with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires?"
"How could I forget?"
"Didn't it ever come up for you, you know, what happens if a Slayer outlives her generation? If she beats them at their own game?"
Buffy stared down at her feet, avoiding Willow's gaze. She had never thought of these things, was only concentrated on being normal. And look what THAT had done to her life.
"It did for me. And I guess now we have the answer."
She double-clicked on the saved file and up came the history of the Slayer Pact, with a footnote on Felicity Hopkins. Buffy was quite impressed at the tech savvy of the program until she got to really reading the description. What she heard horrified her.
"So, it's part of a pact, then. I never thought the Watchers could be part of some X-Files deal."
"Believe me, they were. Read on." Willow was glum.
"They made some kind of conspiracy deal, with the first Master vampire. Master of Masters, what an original nickname. Basically, it's open season on a Slayer who outlives her generational time limit. If a Slayer lives past 25, the Master vampire is under ... " She trailed off. "Woah."
"There's a lot you need catching up on, Buffy."
"Then catch me." Her expression revealed the same old Buffy coming out again: resolute and ready for anything. The steel was starting to show in her eyes again.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Buffy looked up at her former best friend, her eyes misting up again. "They have Angel."
"Angel! No! Buffy, you should know he --- "
"Shhhhhh! Catch me up, we're going back to your place to get ready for tonight." She closed her eyes, letting the tears collect on her cheeks and spill down her hardened, beautiful, battle-worn exterior. There was a visible change in Buffy now.
"All right. The bell will ring in a few minutes, then we can go." She had almost forgotten how angry she was.
"I bumped into Cordelia today," Buffy whispered. "He's fine."
"Buffy, all this, over again? Are you ready?"
The Slayer grabbed her bag and stood up, eyes flashing, tear-stained face convulsing in anger. "Yes. I have to do this. Once more, Willow, once more."
Willow Rosenberg nodded solemnly and motioned to follow her. "I'll show you to the new weapons closet."