one last chance

Chapter 15

Once again Buffy stood in the London air port. This time she stood alone and the large glass windows showed the shadowy backdrop of the night sky instead of the gleam of the noon sky. Buffy, like many of the creatures she fought, preferred the night. She didn't need a psychoanalysis to tell her why. The night was her element. She was the Slayer. Faith kept the same tendencies and she noticed the other girls developing them to. Buffy waited impatiently for Angel's plane.

After Sunnydale the Scoobies went to LA for about a week. Got the girls all together and decided what to do next. Some of the girls decided to stay with Angel, work with his gang for awhile, to learn a little more until they could be placed on their own. The others went with Faith when they set up in Cleveland. A small few went to Europe with the rest of the Scoobies. No one really wanted to be around Buffy at that time. Not even Buffy herself.

Angel's plane landed at almost midnight. Buffy shifted her weight more impatient every moment. She hated air ports and with so many new girls the past two days had been crazy to say the least. Both Buffy and Faith took care to meet each girl they didn't know and learn about them. Neither one wanted this to be like last time around, where after the battle names and faces of some of the dead girls slipped into oblivion. With Angel and his crew's pending arrival all training had been put off for a bit.

Just as Buffy thought she would go insane from the combination of lack of sleep and waiting Angel appeared with the rest of his crew. Cordilia, dressed as always in a mid length skirt a long sleeve but still figure hugging top and a pair of heels. Buffy shook her head to herself. She knew how Cordy had changed, even like the new Cordy as a friend even if she still retained that habit she had of putting everything as bluntly as possible, but she still dressed like a bitch with something to prove. Connor followed behind her, it stuck Buffy at how much the son resembled the father, even down to the way he dressed. Dark jeans with a dark shirt over broad shoulders, the pair could have been identical. Behind the three came Lorne. The green demon also looked the same as he ever had. His pale cream suit over a purple vest caused several Londeners to turn and stare at his green skin. Behind him came the final three, Fred, Gunn and Wesley. The three walked together in easy comradance despite past problems. Buffy had come to know each of these people well over the years. She thanked the high heavens for whoever invented video conferencing which kept all three groups connected.

After hugs were exchanged the group of four humans, one human/vampire child, one vampire, one half demon and a full demon quickly gathered luggage. Cordilia easily had the most bags brining three large suit cases. She claimed it was her and Angel's cloths until Angel let it slip his positions made up maybe a half of the smallest bag. Wesley came a close second by taking two suit cases and a large back pack. His, however, contained every volume in the Angel Investigations library. Even with Gunn, Fred, Connor and Lorne packing a bit more practically they had to hire a third taxi just to carry the luggage.

Buffy expected to feel a quiet swell of emotions as she always did when she saw Angel. Her love for Angel died long before this. It had been dying ever sense he left her the day she graduated, with gentle sparks flaring at odd times. The night he showed up in Sunnydale was when she realized it died completely. She still felt a rush of emotion when she saw him, lust, sadness at how the ended-both times- friendship tinged with regret. This time she felt nothing more than friendship, happy that he made himself a new life with Cordy. She wondered if it would be the same with Xander, if he felt the same confusion at seeing an ex after so much time. She still felt it with Spike, but it was different than what she had felt about Angel. She shoved these thoughts from her mind and ran to greet the group.

By the time they finally reached the house the clock strike of one long ago faded into the night air. The rest of the gang plus Faith and Robin sat around the table, leaned in the doorway or perched on any available space. The room seemed to shrink as eight new people filed in. Every last available surface or space was soon taken up and then some.

"So," Angel started, "What do we know?"

Giles and Robin exchanged glances, "Well aside from the information you gave us and a few archaic references Willow found that point to a right hand man type demon of the First, what was that thing again Willow?" he asked.

"From the ash of the Fallen, who's fall is impossible, another shall rise, weaker and less worthy. The unworthy is prepared and given the fallen's right hand favor. He shall rise and he shall fight." Willow recited. "I got it from the texts the tribes from the Amazon. They may contain some other details but I haven't finished translating all of it. Some of it's in a language I haven't seen. It's not even a cousin of the language I know." She admitted reluctantly.

"Wesley can help." Offered Angel.

"Thanks! Giles and Robin have tried to but with all the new girls it's a bit well helter skelter crazy here." Willow said excitedly.

For the rest of the night until the wee hours in the morning they retalked over every idea for defenses', idea's and basic plan's in general. They worked out the final training schedules, splitting the girls up in the best way possible. Xander showed his plans for which girls, and guys, would learn to operate military weapons. All but the biggest, strongest watchers would learn some type of weapon. Xander even had been able to rework a standard military rifle to shoot wooden bullets. Some of the younger slayers, the newest girls, would learn to operate the larger military weapons, bazooka's and some other high grade weapons that their slayer strength gave them the edge to run. Faith and Buffy approved of all his choices. Connor would train with the other girls. He was a bit older than most of the slayers but in this life you grew up faster than others. Cordy would take over some of the teaching along with Fred and Robin. Gunn and Robin again would start training the watchers along with Dawn and Xander. Although Dawn was a watcher she'd done this before, that took precedent. Lorne would act as a councilor for the students and the gangs. He would also work at getting information out of local demons in demon haunts around the city. The vampire's and the slayers would every day take a group of slayers for training. Every two day's these groups would switch so each of the teachers could get to know each student. Notes would be taken by everyone and they would meet weekly to exchange them.

Finally satisfied with the plans they laid out the group turned in for the day. Tomorrow would be a busy day introducing Angel Investigations to the students. Lessons would start the day after.