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Chapter 28: The New Riley Finn
"So, why did you want me to meet you here?" Colby asked, walking beside Austin in the dark, creepy cemetary.
I stared up at him, " Well, remember when I was on the run? I told you I was going to tell you my secret." I smiled.
"What? You're gay?" he chuckled.
"No...yes, but...don't be a smart-ass." I chuckled, " I....have you even noticed weird things about me?"
"Like the fact that you practically live in cemetaries? Are really fast? And..." he paused and looked down at me, " No. Not at all."
"Seriously." I smiled.
"Of course. I noticed things." he nodded, " If you want me to not ask about it, I'm good with not knowing, I mean, knowing you is enough."
"What?" I asked.
"I have a question to ask you." he said, stopping. I stopped and looked back at him, " I want you to come back with me to Denma-" he said, but he was knocked down!
I immediately took my stance, watching the vampire run at me, I side-stepped him caused him to dive head first into a gravestone! He stood up and ran after me again, but this time, he met Alowishish...my stake. I named him. Well, anyways, I staked him, causing him to turn to dust.
I turned back to Colby, who stared from the pile of dust to me, " I'm the slayer." I said quickly, " Actually, a slayer."
"Oh." he nodded, " Huh?"
As I walked back home, I bumped into someone. I tried to regain my composure and was surprised to see Kenny, Dawn's boyfriend.
"What are you doing here?" I asked angrily.
"Hey, Austin." Kenny smiled.
"You asshole." I said angrily.
"Wow, why am I an asshole?" he asked.
"Because Dawn slept with you and now she..." I stopped.
"She's gigantic." Kenny smirked.
"Again, you asshole." I frowned.
"Firstly, we haven't slept together. She slept with my roommate and I cursed her." he said.
"What? She..." I stopped.
"You didn't know? She didn't tell you?" Kenny said, " I've, uh, I've gotta go." he said walking away, leaving me to wonder what else Dawn hadn't told me.
"So, he was shocked?" Kelly asked.
I nodded, " He was freaked. I could tell by him being silent." I said.
"Silent? He was silent? That's bad." Kelly said, " So, he asked you to go to Denmark with him?"
"Yeah, thinking that's null and void now." I frowned, " Too bad."
"He hasn't called?" Kelly asked.
"No." I replied.
"Well, now you can date Prince Harry. He's way hotter." Kelly smiled.
"No. Not guy hopping this year." I chuckled.
Kelly chuckled and looked up at me, " Thought about Connor?" she asked.
"Everyday for the last year." I admitted.
"Intense." Kelly said, " So, any thought on what I should wear today?"
"What?" I asked.
"Today is finals and I've found that Professor Aldridge is pretty leanient when you wear short skirts and the occasional tube top." she smiled wickedly.
"What about Doug?" I asked.
"Doug?" she said, turning to smile at me.
"Yeah, I haven't seen you two get cozy in a while." I smiled, " How are things?" I asked.
"Things are...crazy and we...we are good." Kelly smiled, flashing a dress in fron of her in the mirror, " What with finding you, then you dating, then find Connor...it's been a wild time."
"Sorry," I frowned, " I'd kill for a new big bad."
"Big bad?" Kelly asked.
"Demony goodness. Ever since I got here, I've been fighting guys in suits. I've been fighting what a slayer is, been selfish, trying to figure out who I am and that's selfish when you look at the facts." I said.
"Facts?" she said, putting the dress down.
"Something totally big is up." I said, " Bigger than we're used to. Don't you feel it? The calmness, the quiet." I plundered through my drawer, trying to find the dagger of hope, " Where's my dagger?"
Kelly walked over to me, " Dagger?" she asked.
"Yeah, all nice and shiny, in my stuff...who's been in my room?" I asked.
"No one, we never really came in here." Kelly said, " And no one was in the hotel that we know of"
"What do we know of?" Connor asked, walking into the room.
"My dagger, it's gone." I frowned, looking under my bed.
"The dagger's gone?!" Connor asked, then he turned to Kelly, " Doug's looking for you."
"Who wouldn't be?" she said, leaving.
"I assume you haven't seen my dagger." I said, glancing at him before I turned and walked to the closet, " This closet! I haven't even been here and it's all dirty. I miss my mommy."
Connor chuckled.
"What?" I asked.
"Your mommy?" he asked.
"Yeah, before I was a potential...or nevermind, I've always been a potential...I had a family." I said quickly.
"Lucky you." Connor said sadly.
I stopped and looked at him, " You HAVE a family. My parents died." I frowned.
"What about other relatives?" Connor asked.
"Uhm...what's with the interrogation?" I asked.
"I...I heard about that guy." he said softly.
"Yeah. I could have guessed that he wouldn't understand. Kinda hoped he thought it was cool." I said quickly.
"I think it's cool." Connor smiled, " I'm sorry."
"No big." I shrugged, " I liked him, he runs away or disappears and life starts over."
"Not on purpose." Connor said, moving closer, " There was this demon and I went to fight him, but we got sucked into some vortex thing."
I paused and looked at him, " Oh, I know. It's good. We're good." I said.
"I, um, I still love you." Connor said quickly.
I smiled, " I..." I stammered, but before I could say anything the lights went off. I looked around and then looked at Connor.
"What's going on?" Connor asked.
I shrugged and walked to the door, looking around.
Connor walked to the window, " It's just us." he said.
"That's not good." I said, looking left, then right. I barely moved my head in time to miss the sharp end of a blade! I ducked back and rolled backwards into Connor, " Nope, definitely not good!" I said, quickly moving from him. Two bringers burst through the doorway and I kicked one, causing it to fall back and then I got punched by the other and it brought out its blade! It squng the blade and leaned back and ducked under it, then kicked it in the stomach. I looked back at Connor, who was fighting the other off and I turned back and felt a sharp pain in my gut! I gasped and punched the bringer, taking his blade and impaling him with it!
"Austin!" Connor shouted, finishing off the bringer and running to me before I fell, " Are you okay?"
"Yeah. It'll heal. We gotta get the rest of the guys." I said.
"Come on!" Connor said, helping me out of the room. As we got downstairs, I noticed a body laying on the floor. We moved quickly to it and I realized who it was.
"Groo?!" I asked, rolling him over.
"Is he okay?" Connor asked.
I looked at him and noticed that he was wounded, " NO. We need to get him to the doctor." I frowned.
"Come on." Connor said, hoisting Groo on his back.
At the hospital, Connor and I waited for the doctor to come back with the results. My head rested on his chest as we waited and I was scared. I hadn't seen Oz, Doug, or Kelly since before we were attacked and Groo was in the hospital. No Buffy, No Faith, No Xander, No Willow, No Dawn...no Scoobies. Just me and Connor Yet strangely, I feel safe. With Connor.
"Cozy?" A voice said and I looked up and saw a blonde woman. She was flashing a badge and sounded stronger than she looked, " I'm Kate Lockley."
"Should I know who you are?" Connor asked.
Kate chuckled, " I am an FBI agent. I have some questions about what transpired tonight." she said, pulling out a pen and pad.
"Oh...who cares." I said angrily.
She lowered her pad and looked at me, " Excuse me? Is there a problem?" she asked.
Connor tightened his grip, " Um, no, but could we do this later?" he asked.
"Any reason why?" Kate asked.
"Maybe because we are waiting on our friend, who could die, and you're bothering us with this! I'm sick of this, first I get chased by the law, falsely I might add, now you're trying to accuse me of.." I ranted.
"I'm not accusing anyone." she said.
"Yes, you are. And the thing is that you'll never solve this case, not to be mean, but you can't understand." I said angrily.
"Austin." Connor said softly.
"What Connor? It's the truth." I said.
"Maybe I'll just come back." Kate said.
"Good idea." I said snidely.
She frowned and walked away, past Colby.
"Looks like your boyfriend is here." Connor sighed.
"I..." I said, not sure what to say.
"I'm going to look for the doctor." Connor said, getting up and leaving.
"Hey." Colby said, hugging me.
"Hey." I said quickly, " Didn't expect you to be here."
"Yeah, I've been AWOL." Colby said.
"Yeah, you make AWOL-ing look easy." I said angrily.
"So, you are angry with me?" he asked.
"A little. More disappointed." I said.
"You're the slayer? You spring that one me, that you kill vampires and demons, and you expect me to deal that in just a few minutes? I was petrified." Colby confessed.
"Who isn't?" I asked.
"You." he said.
"Me? I'm terrified. Not sure what to think..." I said,but before I got too far, he kissed me.
"I want you to come with me." he said.
"To Denmark?" I asked.
"Yes. But I have something to tell you." he said, " I'm getting married."
I looked at him in shock.
"But I want you to come with me, I love you, I want you to-" he started.
"...be your mist-er?" I asked.
"No, more like..." he began.
"Your servant. You're sex slave? sorry, can't." I said softly.
"I understand." he said dejectedly, " I shall leave tonight."
"Sorry." I said sadly.
"I shall miss you." he said.
"Me too." I smiled, " Be careful."
Colby smiled and nodded, walking away. I did the same, walking the opposite way. I ran into the doctor.
"Doctor, how is he doing?" I asked.
"He's conscious, and you should see him, but I'm not sure you should be in there for long." the doctor said, leaving me into his room.
When I got to the room, I was shocked to see Groo hooked up to all the wires and devices. I ran to him and almost hugged him, but I didn't.
"How are you, Groo?" I asked
"I shall be just fine." he smiled.
"You don't have to be brave. It hurts." I smiled.
"Yes, but I shall be fine." he smiled.
"I should really write a book about this." I chuckled, " I mean, the slayer and HIS demon friend. That'll attract people."
Groo tried to smile, but could only manage a weak grimace.
"What happened?" I asked
"We were attacked when the lights went out. Oz and Doug were filling out forms for the new quest and Kelly was watching herself in the mirror. That is when the lights went off and the..." he paused.
"Harbringers." I said.
"Yes, harbringers attacked." he said.
"What happened to the rest of the group?" I asked.
"I do not know. We were attacked by..."
"Me." A voice said in the shadows. I turned to see Titan walk into the light.
Thank you for reading. This is setting up the last two chapters, which end this arc. The 'Finale' is going to be familiar if you are a gamer at all, so it's my way of paying homage to the video game and I just thought this was the right direction to go in. If you have thoughts, suggestions, comments, just E-Mail me.