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The Wolves At Our Backs

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Buffy sat down in the chair across from Hershel not knowing what to expect. He stayed silent a long time studying her and Buffy couldn’t help but fidget under his scrutiny. He must not have liked her going out and killing the Walkers last night, especially if his barn was any indication. She watched as he opened a drawer of the end table next to his chair, retrieving a leather-bound book and handing it to her. She was almost afraid to look at it, but found her eyes traveling to the cover of their own accord. She gasped when she saw the familiar cover.

“Where…How?” She breathed.

“I take it you’ve seen that before.” Hershel commented.

Buffy gave a nod. “I’ve seen it, though Giles had one way older.” Hershel gave her a confused look so she clarified, “My Watcher.” She smiled meeting his eyes bravely. So he figured out who she was. She wondered how he had gotten a hold of ‘Vampyr’, if maybe he had been a Watcher in his youth.

“I’m going to tell you a story Miss Summers and you tell me if it sounds familiar?” He paused, waiting for her full attention before he continued. “When I was a young boy, some men showed up here on the farm; one of them we knew well. He was the local pastor at our church in town. The other two however we did not know, but I do remember they both had British accents.” At Buffy’s sharp intake of breath he paused. “I take it this also sounds familiar.”

Buffy nodded. “Watchers.”

“Yes,” He confirmed. “Though, I didn’t know anything about them or who they were at the time. They told my father they needed to speak to him about my sister.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “Your…Your sister?” It all came slamming into perspective in that moment. Greene, god she remembered that name. When they’d been rebuilding the Watchers Council they came across several of the Council’s dirty little secrets and Nora Greene had been at the top of the list. Buffy just happened to be the one to find her journal when they had scouted out the wreckage of the old Council building.

The girl’s name had been obscured from the records because of what had occurred during her short time as Slayer. Neither Buffy nor Giles had heard of her before that moment, and it was quite obvious why. If her story had been released under the rules and regulations of the old Council it wouldn’t have just been a black stain on their reputation, but any newly called Slayer who came across the story would never be able to trust her Watcher after reading about the terrifying ordeal.

“Your sister was Nora Greene.” Buffy stated softly.

“She was.” Hershel confirmed. “So, you’ve heard of her?”

She sighed sadly, nodding. “I have.” She looked away. “Yes, I’ve definitely heard of her.”

He watched her, saw the sadness enter her eyes, saw the way she hugged her arms around herself as understanding began to fill them. “I would very much appreciate it if you could tell me what happened to my sister leading up to her death. I know part of the truth, but nowhere near the full story. If you know anything at all…Please, Miss Summers, I need to understand.”

Buffy stood then, heading to the window she could feel Daryl next to. She placed her hand against the area she knew he was leaning against. His presence was giving her the strength she needed to rehash this tale. She stared out the window a long time wondering if she should even tell Hershel at all. This story very well could jeopardize her presence on the farm. She watched sadly as Glen and Maggie started arguing, could just make out T-Dog as he laughed at something Dale said, she watched Carol walk past as if in a trance, her hands covered in dirt and cuts. Shane intercepted her, and the women barely acknowledged him as he guided her to a nearby log, helping her clean the wounds on her hands. She sighed, finally turning her attention back to Hershel. “Not to quote Jack Nicholson, but I’m not sure if you can handle the truth.”

“I’ve been waiting for the truth for the past sixty-two years. I think I’ve earned it, don’t you?” Hershel asked with bitterness lacing his voice.

She nodded. Her heart already heavy with the information she was going to tell him. This was a hard pill to swallow. “Nora’s Watcher was insane.” She started, turning and looking at Hershel fully. “He was a mad man obsessed with dark magic’s and power.” Buffy swallowed. “He was also a sadist.” Hershel sucked in a sharp breath, anger filling his eyes.

“I don’t know how they didn’t know.” Buffy continued softly. “The Council I mean, but apparently he managed to fool them. They vetted people pretty thoroughly back in my day and the way the Council is run now, or was, I should say.” She shook her head. “There’s no way in hell we would’ve let that happen.”

She looked down, twisting her fingers together as she sucked in a breath. “Stanly Marcus wanted the perfect weapon. He thought the Council was weak, that the Slayer was weak and he began to devise a way to create a Slayer/Vampire hybrid under his complete control.” She met Hershel’s eyes then. “There was just one flaw in that theory. Slayer’s keep their human souls when they’re turned.” She shook her head. “You can’t really have a perfect weapon if it feels guilty for the things you want it to do.” Buffy took a deep breath, trying to dispel the nausea this story always induced. “So, he devised a plan to break her before he had her turned. His co-conspirator was a vamp named Kane, a vamp almost as sadistic as Angelus was before he was cursed with a soul.” She saw the confusion flash across his face, but he didn’t comment. She was grateful; that was a topic she had no intention of getting into right now.

“He spent the first three months training her like any Watcher would. Once he gained her trust, he turned the tables. He broke her with magic at first. I won’t go into detail, but the magic’s he used…” Buffy looked away not wanting to watch the utter horror fill Hershel’s eyes. “You don’t want to know.” She sighed sadly. “And when he realized that wasn’t working he brought in Kane. Again, I won’t go into detail, partly because I couldn’t stomach what I was reading let alone repeat it.” Tears filled Buffy’s eyes and she tried to swallow them down, not wanting to look at Hershel’s face. “They eventually turned her, but what they managed to do was bring the true Slayer essence out in her. When she awoke she killed Kane, tore his head off his shoulders. Marcus had gone to report her death to the Council, so she waited for him and when he returned…” Buffy shook her head. “She tore his liver out and made him eat it.” She slowly raised her eyes. Hershel was white as a ghost and she could see the sheen of tears in his eyes. He wasn’t looking at her, more like looking through her.

“Is she…” He choked. “Could she be…?”

“No.” Buffy cut in. “Her last journal entry said she would rather die than spend her life fighting an unholy nature.” Buffy looked away as the lump in her throat became the size of a golf ball. “She told the Council not to look for her, that…that she wanted to watch the sunrise one last time.” She heard Hershel’s sharp intake of breath, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. If she saw the man crying there would be no stopping her own tears.

He was quiet a long time as he tried to get his emotions under control, before he finally whispered. “She always did love the sunrise.”

That was all she could take. She stood, her voice trembling as she choked. “I-I just… I need to use the…” She almost ran from the room in her hast to get away. She quickly headed down the hall, finding the bathroom and closing herself inside. She leaned her head against the door and squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to hold back her tears.

She knew she shouldn’t be feeling this way. She hadn’t been responsible for Nora. Her death happened well before Buffy was even born, but that hadn’t made a difference. Slayers were connected; they relived memories of each other’s battles through dreams, they relived past Slayers final moments and after she had found that journal Buffy spent two weeks having nightmares about the girl. She suspected a good portion of them weren’t her overactive imagination either.

It made her sick what that man had done to the girl. She was a warrior for the light, and that sadistic bastard had tainted her. He hadn’t just tortured her like Buffy made Hershel believe, he had taken every piece of innocence she had and shattered it. Marcus and Kane had made a game of seeing who could make her scream first and Nora had written it all out in minute detail, using the blood of the man who she should have been able to trust most.

Buffy stomach heaved as she remembered the metallic smell of the journal even after all these years. She barely made it to the toilet before she threw-up the meager contents of her stomach. She leaned her head against the cool porcelain, not exactly sanitary, but she could give a damn.

She remembered how much of a fight it had taken to get the girls name back in the books. She smiled almost lovingly as she remembered Giles temper on the subject, and now that she was somewhat older she understood Giles stance, but Buffy still remained firm in her decision. The girls needed to know this could happen, and they also needed to know it was okay to contact the Council if a Watcher ever made them uncomfortable. Buffy had gone even further in ensuring her girls safety after that tale. Seers became a regular thing at W.C., as well as Empaths. They had a mess of demons who joined the light side and vetted Watchers for the girls. Lorne was also a numero uno go-to when someone seemed shady. It became an almost perfect system, not infallible, but her girls definitely felt safe.

She wondered absently what Nora Greene would have been like had she been given the chance to actually grow as a Slayer. What she would have been like if she had a Watcher like Giles. Hell, after reading her journal, Buffy thought Quentin Travers would have been a better choice for the girl and his style of training was known to boarder on barbaric, but at least he hadn’t been a rapist.

Buffy sighed getting to her feet and turning towards the sink. She was reaching for the faucet when she looked at the window and saw Daryl. She visibly jumped, but sighed in relief a second later.

He pressed his hand against the window and mouthed, “You okay?”

She nodded and walked towards it. She was just about to unlatch it when a blood curdling scream rang out. Their eyes clashed for the briefest of seconds before they both took off at a dead run. The hairs on Buffy’s neck prickled as the feeling of a demon being in the vicinity overwhelmed her. She picked up her pace, just barely missing Hershel as she flew through the front door. She let her senses carry her in the direction of the demon, and when she saw it hovering over Hershel’s terrified youngest, she kicked her Slayer speed into overdrive. Everything became a blur of motion, her lungs were on fire, her thighs burning, but she didn’t stop, didn’t hesitate. She reached Beth just as the Wendigo’s claws came down, wrapping her arms around her and blocking the girl as Buffy’s back took the brunt of the strike.

“Run.” She hissed in Beth’s ear through the stinging pain, pushing the girl away and turning to face the eight foot tall demon. It had no eyes, but Buffy knew from experience it didn’t need them. It was covered in a matted grey fur with large patches missing in places. She vaguely heard people screaming behind her, but this wasn’t their fight and she held up her hand yelling at them to stay back.

The creatures jaw opened almost unnaturally in a roar of fury, yellow and blood stained teeth gleaming in the waning sunlight. Spittle splattered on to Buffy’s face and shirt and she grimaced. “Ugh, you seriously need a tic-tac.” She snarked, wiping at her face, “Or possibly a case of them.”

This pissed the creature off even more and it roared again, before it swung its razor sharp claws at her. This time she managed to duck, only to be backhanded about ten feet when she didn’t have time to get away from its second strike.

She quickly rolled to her feet wiping the blood from her lip. She almost forgot how strong and fast Wendigos were and a feral smile crossed her face at the prospect of a challenge she hadn’t had in quite some time. It charged her a second later, but this time she was ready for it. She twisted in the air preforming a perfect roundhouse kick as her boot connected with the demons jaw sending it spiraling backwards.

It snarled its outrage as it got to its feet and ran at her again. It almost reached her when the crossbow bolt pierced its skull. The demon slid to a halt and roared, swiping at the bolt until it dislodged. It rounded on Daryl and charged. Buffy took off after it before she even realized she was moving. She launched herself on to its back, using her momentum to make it veer off course just as it was a foot away from trampling Daryl. Their eyes met briefly and in his, Buffy could see the utter horror at how close he had just come to being Wendigo chow.

She didn’t have much time to think on it though, as the thing began to buck like a goddamn bronco, snarling as its long arms tried swiping her off its back. She held fast, barely avoiding its claws more than once until it gave up and began running like hell was chasing it. She struggled, trying to get her arms around its large neck. It took a few attempts, but she finally managed. There were only two ways to kill it, and both weren’t an option as Buffy couldn’t get enough purchase to snap its neck. The second option was even less conceivable, fire didn’t exactly work well once you hit light speed.

All Buffy could do was hold on, trying in vain to blindly reach the dagger she still had strapped to her belt. She didn’t know how, but she finally managed to get her fingers around the hilt. She yanked it out just in time to see they were headed straight for the barn. “Oh shit!” she whispered, finally letting the screams from behind her penetrate her brain.

The Demon she was riding made a deep ugly noise in its throat, almost like a laugh. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she brought the blade down on its neck, praying to whatever God listening that she managed to sever the spinal cord from the things head before they hit the barn. It screeched in pain at her first blow, but didn’t stop its pace. If anything it seemed to put on more speed. It was hard for her to get enough leverage to pierce the cord and when she finally managed to penetrate fully, she realized it was already too late.

The Wendigo collapsed, sliding across the gravel and sending Buffy soaring through the sidewall of the barn. Debris and rubble rained down on her as she slammed into the opposite wall, cracking her head so hard she saw stars. She had no time to recover from the blow, before the groans of several Walkers penetrated her throbbing skull. She jumped to her feet, regretting it as soon as the dizziness hit. She stumbled slightly, but took out the first Walker that came near her. Buffy somehow scrambled away from the rest before they could touch her, and when a few gun shots rang out managing to distract them she sighed in relief.

The Walkers began to pile out the hole she had left in the barn and she stood up to take out the back end. It was at that moment she felt it, almost nonexistent, but there all the same. It was the low thrum of a potential who hadn’t reached their prime. She turned eyeing the dark corner as she heard more gunfire go off. That’s when she heard a low unmistakable groan.

She froze as a child Walker stepped out of the shadows slowly, its eyes fixated on her. It took her addled brain a few seconds before she realized the feeling was coming from the child and she swallowed her horror as realization dawned. Whatever was left of the Slayer’s essence hadn’t completely dissipated from this Walker. A cold shiver ran up her spine and she shook her head unable to believe she was actually feeling this.

The girl seemed to watch her with knowing eyes. She moaned again after that, stepping slowly forward into the light and Buffy had to force herself not to step back. Buffy took in the girl’s attire and that’s when she realized who the girl must be. Her eyes widened in horror. “Oh my God, you’re Sophia aren’t you?” She whispered, not realizing she had spoken aloud.

The girl seemed to answer with a pleading look, but then her eyes went dead. Buffy heard a very familiar voice in her head the next second. A voice she recognized well. The demon herself, The Slayer. ‘Kill me.’ It whispered.

She stepped back, still not understanding. Was Sophia in there, trapped in a dead rotting shell? The essence was bound to the Chosen’s soul, when a Slayer died the essence followed the soul into the ether. It’s why Buffy was still a Slayer after her resurrection. The essence stays with the soul, and if that’s true then Sophia and the Slayer part of her should have left when her body died.

‘This plague rips us apart. There is no more girl, only me. I cannot survive without the other. You know what you must do.’ The voice whispered stoically.

Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head in denial. If the plague was killing the Slayer, what did that mean for the line? Her heart thundered in her chest at the full implication of how bad this was.

‘I will soon fade into nothing if you do not do this. Please, give me a warrior’s death.”

Buffy’s entire body began to tremble at the sheer effort it took not to breakdown completely. She closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. “Turn around.” She choked out quietly.

The girl did as requested very slowly, and Buffy walked towards her. She held the dagger in her hand so tightly she was lucky she didn’t destroy the hilt. Her knuckles had turned white, and her fingers began to cramp from the pressure. “Are you sure?” She asked.

Her only response was a low snarling growl. “I’m so sorry.” Buffy whispered, before she plunged the dagger deep into the back of the girl’s skull.

The girl slumped forward and Buffy caught her, pulling her into her arms as she fell to her knees and cradled the dead weight in her arms. She started to cry, her entire body shaking as she was hit with uncontrollable sobs. The unfairness of it all crashed down on her as the utter reality that they were in hell became overwhelming.

That’s how they all found her, cradling what had once been Sophia as she sobbed her apologies into the girls blood matted hair.

*o*o*

It took a while to finally coax the child’s body out of Buffy’s arms. Carol had taken one look at her daughter and lost it, running into the R.V. and locking herself away before anyone had a chance to stop her. Daryl had been the one to finally get Buffy to let go and he had taking great care as he carried Sophia’s lifeless body outside. Andrea and Maggie managed to help Buffy to her feet as Oz stepped forward meeting her eyes. “I need Willow.” She said hollowly. “This is even bigger than we thought.”

He nodded, not sure what had changed since this morning, but he wouldn’t question her. Something had happened in the barn, something beyond Sophia being a Walker. “I’ll start the research. Get yourself patched up and get some rest.”

Buffy opened her mouth to argue, and then shut it. She just didn’t have the energy right now. She let the women guide her towards the house; barely comprehending where she was. She didn’t even notice the black scorch mark from where the Wendigo had fallen.

They led her inside and through the house, straight to the bathroom where Maggie helped her sit on the toilet. Buffy thought she heard crying coming from somewhere, but was too deep in her own mind to care.

“D-do you need any help?” Maggie asked softly, still trying to come to terms with what she had seen this girl do a short time ago, while also trying to come to terms with what had happened to the other half of her family.

“Huh?” Buffy said, before the girls words finally penetrated. “Oh, umm…No,” She whispered. “But thanks.” She stood and turned her back on the girls and heard them both simultaneously hiss.

“You should have Hershel or Patricia take a look at those.” Andrea spoke up, grimacing at the long gashes on Buffy’s back.

“No need.” Buffy sighed, reaching for the knobs on the tub. “They’ll be almost healed by morning.”

Both women’s eyebrows rose, but they didn’t comment. Neither woman really knew what to believe anymore, the world had virtually turned upside down as far as either of them was concerned. They silently left the young blonde to her bath, both of them heading downstairs to get some much needed explanations.

*o*o*

Buffy was just drying off when there was a light tapping at the door. She pulled the towel tightly around her tucking it in above her breasts, before she walked over and cracked the door. Daryl stood there looking at the ground, more uncomfortable than she’d ever seen him. He met her eyes and quickly looked back down, as red began to spread up his cheeks to his forehead. If Buffy didn’t feel so utterly defeated she might have commented about it, but as of now she could barely bring herself to smile.

Daryl cleared his throat, before holding out a pile of clothes. “Oz thought ya’ might need these.”

She forced a small smile to her lips and nodded, taking the proffered clothing. “Thanks.” She whispered, reaching for the door.

He shuffled his feet a second, before blurting. “He also wanted me to take a look at your back. Said ya’ wouldn’t be needin’ stitches, but ya’ should get some bandages and ointment on it.”

Buffy shrugged, biting her lip and opening the door wider in a silent invitation. Daryl’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “I-I can wait till you’re decent.”

“You can also turn your back while I get decent.” She said quietly. “I haven’t had any sleep in over twenty-four hours, Daryl. My head feels like little tin soldiers are rehashing Normandy, and I think if I have to be alone and think about how this day went one more time I might actually start tearing my hair out.”

Daryl’s lips twitched slightly at the visual. He stepped past her into the bathroom and she closed the door behind him. He turned to her and nodded once, before he turned back around. He heard the towel drop to the floor, and he started chewing on the callous on his thumb in his nervousness, trying not to think about Buffy being naked behind him. His eyes roved along the wall, and Daryl almost choked when he caught glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye in the mirror over the sink.

His eyes slammed shut, but the quick image of Buffy pulling on her panties was now burned into his retinas. He shook his head, trying to think of anything other than what he’d just seen. It was difficult but he finally managed to say something other than the incoherent rambling that was running through his brain.

“So… err, what the hell was that thing?” He asked in a choked voice, wanting to kick himself for his lack of confidence. ‘Can I sound more stupid?’

If Buffy heard the nervous crack in his voice she didn’t make mention of it. She pulled the towel that she had wrapped around her hair off and began combing her fingers through her hair. “It was a Wendigo.” She said, making a face at the knot she encountered.

“Damn.” Daryl grunted. “Them things are real too?”

“Yep.” She said popping the p. “Unfortunately most things are.” She sighed when she realized her hair was a lost cause until she got a hold of a brush. She tied it in a loose bun on her head and reached for her jeans. “Never seen one this far south before, guess they started migrating looking for food.”

Daryl grunted. “Used to spend some time on an Indian Reservation when I was a boy after Merle got locked-up, they had all types of old legends they used to tell.” He paused. “Heard about Wendigos pretty early on, didn’t think it look like that though.”

Buffy frowned, She’d only ever heard him use the name once before and that was when he’d hit his head. “Merle? Is that your brother?”

Daryl sighed. “Yah’ he’s my brother.”

Buffy had the sudden impression he didn’t want to talk about it, which just made her more curious. She finished buttoning her jeans and picked up one of the towels, covering her chest with it. “You can turn around now.”

He did, swallowing hard when he realized she hadn’t put her shirt on yet. A blush rose to her cheeks, and he watched as she moved to the toilet, placing the lid down and sitting on it with her back facing him. Daryl got a full view of the claw marks on her back and he grimaced at the angry slashes. He reached in his pocket, pulling out the small pack of gauze, tape, and ointment Oz had handed him. He blew out a breath, before fumbling with the pack until he found the antibiotic ointment.

“You sure you ain’t gonna need no stitches. These look pretty deep.”

Buffy nodded. “I’m sure.” She hissed slightly as his rough fingers began to dab the ointment on.

“Sorry.” He murmured.

She smiled slightly. “It’s all part of the job.”

He grunted, but didn’t comment. He continued to work on her back quietly for a long while. He covered each wound as best he could, trying to cause as little pain as possible. His mind kept wandering back to how he’d found Buffy in the barn. She had been devastated and he found himself wondering why. Not that he didn’t understand how horrible the whole situation was, he more than got it. It was just that Buffy hadn’t known Sophia, and they had already known she was dead. It shouldn’t have been as surprising as it seemed. He mulled this over a while before he finally spoke his thoughts to her. “Buffy, what happened in the barn?”

“Sophia was a Slayer.” She answered quietly. “Or she would have been when she reached the right age.”

Daryl froze. “What?”

Buffy shook her head. “I shouldn’t have been able to feel it.” She paused swallowing the lump in her throat. “When a Slayer dies the Slayer part leaves with the soul, but with Sophia her soul was gone but the Slayer part was still there. It was weak, i-it was dying.”

“So what’s that mean?” Daryl asked, not liking the fear in her voice.

“I don’t know.” She whispered. “But it scares the hell out of me.”

Notes

A/N: Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews... Sorry for not replying to reviews... RL's been kinda sucky! I'll get to them in the next few days...

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!!!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Comments

I so can't wait for an update!! I have re-read this 3 times!! LOL

JetCmoon JetCmoon
3/22/17

Oh please!!! I am dying for another update!!! Pretty please???

JetCmoon JetCmoon
3/11/17

Please update soon

Maxxx Maxxx
12/6/16

I can't hardly wait for another chapter!! You write so well!! I love this story!!!

JetCmoon JetCmoon
10/13/16

@Maxxx
LOL... I cant wait to write it...

Angelinasway Angelinasway
10/3/16