one last chance

Chpt 2

CHAPTER TWO AUSTIN TEXAS, HOME OF ANNE SWEENY JULY 2005

"Hello is this the Sweeny residence?" Dawn and Buffy stood out side a normal looking suburban home. A middle aged woman stood in the door way.

"Yes this is, I'm Mary Sweeny. How can I help you?"

"My name is Buffy Summers and this is Dawn Michales. I'm a representative of Exchange International and also McCravick Private School in London, England. Dawn is an Alummni of McCravick and is currently interning with me. We're here to speak with your daughter Anne if she's home." Both Buffy and Dawn wore very prim English looking skirt suits. Buffy handed Mrs. Sweeny a card that identified her for who she said she was. 

"Umm... Yes Anne is home but may I ask what is this about?"

Buffy and Dawn exchanged looks. Someone should have called the family before this to feed Mrs. Sweeny the cover story. It was standard procedure for any new family.

"Weren't you contacted by our office last week? Someone should have called?" Buffy learned often times the best way to fuel a lie was to mix in the truth.

"No, I'm afraid we weren't. Would you care to explain whats going on?" Mrs. Sweeny folded her arms slightly in front of her chest a sure sign she was susspicious. 

"Of course. I appologise, as I said i am a member of Exchange International, currently stationed in London and working in partnership with the Mcravick Private School. We are an student exchange program that works with select schools to find talented students who we feel would benifit from such a program. When we find said students a representative such as myself is sent to offer the opportunity to said student. Ms. Michales here is currently interning with me. She herself was a member of the program. Originally from California she studied in McCravick for her senior year."

"And how did you find Anne?"

"When your daughter took the ACT two months ago she marked that the test was allowed to send her scores to various schools and programs. Exchange International recieves all scores in the top 30 percentile. These names are than sent to representatives such as myself, if the student appears to be a match for our school we approch the student and family. McCravick feels Anne would be a great addition to our school and sent me here. I must appologise again someone from my office should have contacted you. Feel free to call the number on the card to reach our main offices in England or Cleveland. The number of the school is also on there if you would like to call teh headmaster."

After sizing Buffy and Dawn up one more time Mrs. Sweeny stepped aside and led them to the living room. going to the stairs she called up to her daughter, "Anne, come down here please. Some people are here to see you." turning back to Buffy and Dawn she said, "if you'll excuse me I'd like to go make some calls. Please make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you anything? Water, tea, juice?"

"Juice would be nice." replied Buffy.

"I'd like a juice to please." echoed Dawn.

As Mrs. Sweeny went to the kitchen to get the refreshments a young teenage girl came down the stairs. Dawn looked over the girl who might become her slayer closely. Anne Sweeny was taller than buffy with black hair and green eyes. She looked physically fit which was an advantage to a new slayer. 

"Hi," she said brightly, "I'm Anne. Can I help you with something?" Just than Mrs Sweeny came in with three glasses of juice. after setting them on the coffee table she excused herself to go make calls to check Buffy and Dawns story.

After she left Buffy turned to Anne. "As your mom mentioned we told her we are from an exchange program called Exchange International. Thats not excatily true. Anne have you noticed anything different in the last week or so."  

From the way Anne stiffened her body Buffy could tell she had. She paused for a moment letting Anne think about it before continuing, "like your suddenly a lot stonger, having strange dreams that have came true. Getting a paper cut and having it completly healed the next day?"

Anne looked up sharply. "Yeah, all of those. How did you know?" 

"Because I'm the same way. You know the legends of the vampires, werewolfs, demons, all the creepy crawlies that you think of when something goes bump in the night? Well their real, and you and me, and countless other girls are the ones who fight them. We're given certin... umpfs to our natural abilities. Better reflexes, lots of extra strength, fast healing, and immune system that rocks and often things like phrofilitical dreams, a sixth sense that lets us know when something not human is around or other slayers."

Anne sat perfectly still a mask of disbelieve painted on her face. Buffy reached into her bag and took out a throwing dagger. Anne's eyes moved to the dagger before she could say anything buffy threw it at her. Acting on reflexes alone Anne move to the side raised her hand and caught the spinning dagger by the hilt. For along minnute she stared at her hand and what she had done. Slowly her eyes moved from her hand to Buffy and Dawn. It was than she seemed to notice Dawn for the first time.

"Is she a, what did you call it, slayer to?" 

Dawn spoke up, "No I'm a watcher. Kinda like a fairy god mother slash big sister like support system slash all knowing information team. I'm the one who helps make sure you don't get killed."

"Oh, thats nice." Anne's tone still held a note of fanatic disbelieve but she gave Dawn a small friendly smile.

"Look Anne," Dawn continued, "I know this is a lot to take in but you have to make one choice quick. Tell your mom the truth or let her believe the cover story we gave her. The McCavrick Private School in London is real, but its a training center. You'll live there go to school and train with other girls like you. Other watchers like me to. We'll give you the skills you need to survive."

"What if I don't want to go? What if I want to stay here? What if I don't want to be some kind of seceret super hero?" Anne asked.

Dawn and Buffy exchanged looks. Buffy had asked herself the same question many times over the last nine years.  

"Anne, I was called when I was fifteen. Like you I had no idea about the creepies and the nasties. But when I was called there was only one girl. One girl in all the world who could fight them. The phophocy went And to each generation a girl is born, she will be the one to stand against the demons, the vampires and the forces of darkness. She will be called the Slayer. The rule was that until I died that was it. I had to fight it all. I did die, twice to save the world. Than two years ago in order to save the world again we made it so every girl with the potential to be called as the next slayer was called when she reached maturity, about 15-17 years old. I've given my life to protect and fight. And even with all the new girls being called we still need everyone of them. Now that you know what happens don't you want to protect people? Knowing you can make a difference? Because of all the new girls this is no longer a life time commitment. You dont have to be in it for life like I was, am, you stop when your ready to stop."

Anne looked up at Buffy, fear written across her face, "What if I'm not ready to begin?"

Dawn smiled at her kindly, "You have to recieve some training. Find your limits. Come to England, study, learn, than decide."

Anne mulled the idea over for a moment before deciding, "Ok, but I think for now its best if we just stick to the exchange trip plan for my mom. She's a Wicca so she's open to the supernatural but i don't think she'll love me fighting them."

Buffy and Dawn spent the rest of the afternoon talking with Mrs. Sweeny, discribing "scholorship options" that were availible to Anne. When all the former watchers died they left everything they had to the watchers council. The School had enough income to support itself for several years if not indeffinatly. Sense it was summer break Anne decided she wanted to leave as soon as possible to alcimate herself to her new home. After aranging for her to fly to London in a weeks time Dawn and Buffy headed out to catch their flight back to England.

"So what'd ya think? Your kind of no speaky right now" Buffy asked as the plane took off. "You gonna go all watcher on this girl?"

'Yeah, I think its going to be a good fit. I want to go all watcher on the girl?" Dawn smiled at her older sister. The only thing to break the calm feeling was a subtle hint of dread that settled in both girls stomachs.