Where Darkness Leads

Chapter 4

Buffy walked through the cemetery doing her usual night time patrol. She treaded carefully with a stake in her hand while keeping aware of everything around her. Over time, since being in Sunnydale, her ability to feel out vampires has increased. It was now to the point where she felt she could know instantaneously where they were coming from and quickly stake them. She prided in herself in this fact.

Although she had seen more evil and death than any teenager should ever see in one's lifetime, she reminded herself from time to time she was still the Slayer, the Chosen One. Of course, with Giles as her Watcher she never really found the chance to forget it. He had remained the same way he always has was and she wouldn't have had him any other way. Giles was Giles.

She turned her head behind her, glancing around. Suddenly, a vampire grabbed her from behind by the waist. She threw her head back, knocking him in the forehead. He fell back at the same moment she spun a flying kick to his stomach. She quickly brought her stake up when another vampire grabbed her arm. The stake fell out of her hand. The first vampire had already gotten to his feet, coming closer to her.

"Come on, guys. There is only so much of me to go around," Buffy said. "I'm really flattered."

The vampire twisted and pinned her up against a tall stone when the first vampire now stood in front of her. Before he could come closer to her, a tall shadow whipped passed him pushing him down. A fist flew up, knocking the vampire to the ground. Through the moonlight Buffy began to see the recognizable figure fighting. It was Angel.

Momentarily, the vampire who had her pinned became distracted watching. She made use of the opportunity and knee high him in the groin area. As he jostled backwards, Buffy picked up her stake, swiftly ramming it into his heart. Buffy threw the stake to Angel when the vampire got up and charged at him. Angel held the stake in his path, plunging it in with his force. The vampire burst into a cloud of falling dust.

"Hi," he said, looking at her to see if she was okay.

"Hi," she answered back, a little surprised.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

From the way he looked with concern on his face, she knew something was up.

"What's with the face?" she asked. "You know I can always take care of myself."

"Sorry, I just still worry about you sometimes."

"So, how are things?" she asked pleasantly.

"Things are good."

At times Angel felt as awkward as she did being around each other. It was still hard to be with her but not have the same closeness they had shared. However, there were real fears to remember and to lose sight of them would be disastrous. Buffy scanned around to see if any more vampires were going to really rise tonight.

"I'm pretty much done for tonight. Would you care to walk home with me?"

"Loved to," Angel said, giving a small smile.

Buffy and Angel walked out past the gates onto the sidewalk, turning in the direction of Buffy's home.

"How've you been?" Angel asked.

"Not bad. The only thing now is my Mom is so hyped about me graduating she can barely contain herself."

"She is just happy for you like I am, that's all."

"Here I thought I wasn't even going to live to see it and now here I am getting all pretty in an ugly looking cap and gown," she said. "Everyone has got all these plans. Even Willow's gotten accepted to a few schools which being the Slayer pretty much leaves me out of the running."

"Well would you do if you weren't the Slayer?"

"I don't know. I never thought about it before. Fighting demons and slaying vampires has been my entire life up until now." Has time moved that fast?, Buffy considered.

Had it really been that long ago when Buffy first stopped the Master from rising during the harvest at The Bronze? There was so much that had happened since then. Now it seemed all their high school careers were coming to an end. She wondered what life would be like for Xander, Willow, and the others after graduating now that they had experienced everything alongside her in her battles against the supernatural.

"Just as long as you can accept who you are, I have no doubt you'll be fine."

"Thanks for the encouragement."

When Buffy looked at Angel, she could tell was something on his mind.

"Now, do you want to tell me what has got you so worried?"

"Is it that obvious?" he said, turning to her, slightly embarrassed.

"Blatantly. What is going on?"

"I needed to see you to tell something is happening and I don't know what it is yet."

"What? Another demon needs a killing?"

"I'm not sure," he said, bewildered.

Buffy saw that they were in front of the walk to her house.

"Well, we're here."

Angel looked at her house and back at her somewhat imploringly.

"Your Mom's probably waiting up for you."

"Yeah, she has been real keen on see I come home safe every night. And don't worry. I will have a talk with Giles bright and early tomorrow morning in the library."

"That would help," he said, nodding.

"See ya?" she said.

"I'll be around."

Buffy stood watching him turn and walk away.

Outside the mausoleum, everything remained silent and empty. It was the same mausoleum where Buffy and Angel had first officially met before she went into the sewers to try and save Xander's friend Jessie. A slight wind began to pick up, whipping through the branches in the trees. Dark luminous clouds slowly covered the moon, casting the cemetery into blackened darkness.

Suddenly, loud booms of thunder crashed through the sky. In a quick burst a bolt of lightening hit the roof of the mausoleum flying off shingles to the ground. From one moment where nothing stood to the next a man appeared to stand in front of the building. He hair was short and blonde. The oldness of his dress in worn brown leather boots and dark shirt showed he was a man out of his own time.

Free at last after all these centuries, he thought. He knew right away what must be done. He carefully thought about what he needed to do first. Few people were ever given a second chance to do it right. As he reoriented himself to where he was, he became clearly determined not to fail this time. He wasn't going to let anyone or anything stop him from completing his quest.

He began to feel an evil wave emanating everywhere. This place was powerful. It felt like a strong beacon beaming and reaching out to him; however, he also sensed something else. It was a person. A person who possessed a high amount of strength and skill. The Slayer was here. He was going to have to find a way to destroy the girl before she would find the opportunity to get in his way.

Outside the darkened front of Sunnydale High, the ghostly woman sat on a bench. She found it unusual but amazing to see how much the world had really changed. Until now, she believed she was the only spirit here, but she started growing to sense that something else was here with her. A shudder of dread came over her body.

Fear was all she was feeling because what she felt existed as pure unadulterated evil. It was familiar to her though as something she hadn't sensed for a long time. Oh Lord, he has come back, she thought. She knew who the new presence was now.