Aug 31st - A Way Out
Title: A Way Out
Author: acswatwst (acs)
Rating: FR-18
Word Count: 1,458
Crossover: BtVS / Dr Who / Clifford B. Hicks: Alvin's Secret Code
Disclaimer: This is a derivative work. All BtVS characters and concepts belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox Television, and others. The BBC owns all things Dr Who (K-9, Romana, etc.). Riverton, its residents and the events that occur there belong the the estate of Clifford B. Hicks.
Author's Note: The End. For now. There may be more next year. Maybe. (Had some last minute stuff come up Almost didn't make it!)
Summary: Willow finds a way. Buffy gets a package.
"It sounds like you had fun," Willow said. "New demons, a slaying buddy. Time travel."
"Not as much fun as you guys seemed to have had," Buffy said.
"Not listening to that Missy ever again!" Willow said. "Next time you can go with her."
"Hopefully there wasn't be a next time," Buffy said. "Mom wasn't impressed with us leaving her here to cause chaos."
"She's gone now, isn't she?" Willow said, looking around the library as if she could spot Missy behind a shelf.
"Escorted to the TARDIS by K-9," Buffy said.
"Good," Willow said.
"So, what's your idea for the Daphne sitch," Buffy asked. "We don't want the Council grabbing her, do we?"
"Nope," Willow said. "No Council involvement wanted or desired."
"So, a plan?" Buffy said. "Something?"
"I cheated," Willow said. "I went looking for her in the Council records. There's nada. No signs of her anywhere. SO either you successfully hid her or she didn't make it."
"Let's hide her," Buffy said firmly. "You must have some idea."
"You died," Willow said.
"I know. I was there," Buffy said, frowning.
"Which made Kendra the current slayer," Willow said.
"Except I still 'own' the Hellmouth," Buffy said. "And she gets to run around to all sorts of sexy demon hotspots."
"You broke it, you bought it," Willow said, smirking.
"Can I give it back?" Buffy said. "We need to figure out how to close it without an apocalypse. Preferably while staying alive."
"Back to my solution," Willow said. "You died for a couple minute, another slayer was called. So, we stop Daphne's heart, not sure for how long, and another slayer gets the job. We even know who it was, possibly. So it isn't like we're breaking time."
"Stop her heart?" Buffy said. "How? Without killing her?"
"Well, we don't ask a doctor, like Sam's Janet," Willow said. "They won't approve. But I bet Romana will do it if we phrase it correctly. Just need to figure out how long, since we don't know how long you were out before Xander saved you."
"She has two hearts," Buffy said. "Not sure she would even think of it."
"So, we get Romana to stop Daphne's heart, another slayer gets called, and Daphne gets a real life?" Buffy said. "Not liking the idea it makes someone else a slayer."
Willow sighed. "Well, the slayer after Daphne, assuming we do this right, is Council trained. So they'll know what's going on. And, you know most slayers only last a year or two. You're already beating the odds."
"Not helping with the guilt," Buffy said, rubbing her forehead.
"Do you want to rescue Daphne?" Willow said. "Or debate the ethics of this solution? The slayer after Daphne has died already."
"So, either way I'll feel guilty?" Buffy said. "Either I don't rescue Daphne, or I condemn someone else to a short life."
"Yup," Willow said. "Or we let someone else make the decision, and you'll always wonder if you did the right thing. But you may never know."
"Flip a coin?" Buffy said. "Or find Romana and ask her? Mom and Sam would spend the next year arguing about it. Not that it matters because - time machine."
"Alvin and Daphne may not want to do it anyway," Willow said. "But I think we need to give them the option. It's their lives."
"And don't tell anyone?" Buffy said. "We Sergeant Schultz it?"
Willow shrugged. "We can feel guilty about it together. After you save her."
"I don't want to cheat and find out if she makes it before deciding," Buffy said.
"Okay," Willow said. "No digging into Daphne's life."
- - -
"Buffy!" Joyce yelled up the stairs.
"What, Mom?" Buffy yelled back.
"You have a package," Joyce said. "From Riverton, Indiana?"
"Really?" Buffy said, racing down the stairs, followed by Willow, moving much slower.
"Fernald Enterprises?" Joyce said, giving her a suspicious look. "What have you been up to? And don't think I've re-forgotten about that trip to 1975, with Romana."
"Nothing, really," Buffy said. "Really. Where is it?"
Joyce pointed at a large box on the porch. "You'll have to bring it inside."
"Living room?" Buffy asked, before dashing outside. The box was almost as tall as her, and looked like it weighed twice as much.
"Yes," Joyce said, watching Buffy lift the large box. "Where were you when I was setting up the gallery?"
"In school," Buffy said, carrying the awkward box into the house. "Not moving large boxes."
"Buffy got a box!" Dawn said, dancing around. "Open it! Open it!"
"It's from Alvin," Buffy said, pulling off the top. She pulled out a large envelope addressed to her, and handed it to Willow before Dawn or her mother could grab it. She then started emptying the box while Willow looked through the envelope.
"What's that?" Dawn said, trying to grab a foam wrapped object.
"Stay back," Buffy said. "Some of this could be dangerous."
"Mom!" Dawn whinged. "Buffy won't let me look."
"Dawn, no touching," Joyce said. "Or you can go up to your room until we're done."
"That's not fair," Dawn said, pouting. She stomped over to the stairs and sat on the bottom step and glared at Buffy.
"Looks like Alvin took your advice," Willow said. "He's sent you a couple experimental crossbows, and some other things, like a holy water grenade and a thing that makes a really bright light."
"He does design awesome crossbows," Buffy said, unwrapping one of them. "I'll have to take it out for a spin tonight." She dug deeper into the box and pulled out something that looked like a baton. "What's this?" She twirled it a couple times.
"That would be something Daphne approved," Willow said, giggling. "You know she was a cheerleader also, right?"
"Yup," Buffy said. "Small town so it wasn't as stressful, but it sounded like fun."
"She had Alvin make that just for you," Willow said. "Give it a twist and it becomes a deadly weapon. Flies like a boomerang, or so he claims."
"That'll have to wait until you're outside," Joyce said. "What's the rule?"
"No throwing pointy objects in the house," Willow and Buffy said together, before laughing.
"This does answer your question," Willow said. "Daphne is still alive. So, 'somehow' they tricked the slayer entity to move on."
"What's she been doing for the last twenty years?" Buffy asked, ignoring her mother's raised eyebrow.
"Went to college," Willow said, "at the local university, and now owns a gym and is a consultant for Alvin's company. She also goes to Okinawa every summer?" She gave Buffy a puzzled look.
"Mr. Miyagi was from Okinawa," Joyce said. "So, you figured out a way to save her? Romana never told me what happened after she took you home."
"We know nothing! Nothing!" Buffy and Willow said, smirking.
"Alvin wants to know how these things work out," Willow said. "His company sells some things to hunters, like that crossbow you like and he's thinking of branching out to more exotic areas."
"Not a problem," Buffy said. She started to line everything up on the floor. "I think I have a new favorite weapons manufacturer. Tony Stark, eat your heart out!"
"Tony Stark?" Joyce said. "Isn't he a comic book character?"
"As far as I know," Willow said, shrugging.
"Does he say anything else?" Buffy said.
"There's an invitation from Daphne. She wants to know if you want to go sea monster hunting this summer," Willow said. "She's got some special tools from Alvin she wants to try out."
"I'm game," Buffy said. "Think your parents will let you come with?"
"You'll need a passport," Willow said. "She's going to be on Okinawa. I think I can pitch it as an educational experience, if Ms. Summers helps." She gave Buffy's mother a pleading look.
"I'll have to talk with your mother," Joyce said. "If Buffy can get away from Sunnydale for the summer I'd planned on all of us going to Colorado."
"I think I'd rather go sea monster hunting," Buffy said.
"I'll have to think about it, Buffy," Joyce said. "Why don't you put all of this away somewhere safe," she subtly nodded at Dawn, "and I'll order out for dinner."
"Pizza!" Dawn shouted jumping to her feet.
"Can we also get Indian?" Buffy said. "The Indian place is across from her favorite pizza place."
"If you can get this cleaned up in the next ten minutes," Joyce said.
"Buffy the Cleaner is on the job!" Buffy said. "Willow, if you could grab those tiny things, that'd be great."
"Okay," Willow said, stuffing the papers back in the envelope and handing it to Joyce for safe keeping, before helping Buffy put her new toys away.