THE DEMONIC WORLD: SAN FRANSISCO
TWO YEARS AGO
As the clock struck 3:00 am a very exhausted Buffy Anne Summers pushes into her apartment.
It was definitely one of the most stunning places she had ever lived, which was ironic given that she barely made minion wage at the bar.
Yet that was the benefit of one of your close Slayer friends also being a wealthy heiress who considered the penthouse overlooking the whole city and the Golden Gate bridge, too small for her own use so was more than happy to let Buffy crash there.
Moving over to her open plan kitchen Buffy dumps her jacket on the countertop before moving to grab the leftover pizza in the fridge, she just wanted to eat and then sleep all day tomorrow.
Grabbing the pizza box, the blonde moves over to the white leather couch which was wrapped around the floor-to-ceiling windows.
This place was definitely extravagant. Maybe a bit much for her taste but she sure as hell wasn't going to complain about living for free in a penthouse.
However, before she could enjoy her food a harsh groan escapes her lips as she spots a familiar balance demon pouring himself a drink at her bar. Why the apartment had a large bar in the corner of the room by the oversized fireplace she would never understand.
"You have got to be kidding me." She mutters rolling her eyes as she jumps onto the couch, shoveling a slice of pizza into her mouth, just looking forward to this conversation being over already.
Whistler chuckles as he pours himself a glass of rum before making his way over to a slightly smaller couch opposite the blonde "Nice to see you too, Kid."
"Whistler, what the hell are you doing here?" She snaps unamused by his presence, she was tired and starving and in no mood to deal with any demon, let alone this one. He always tended to show up at the worst moments in her life when she was feeling down.
"Stand down."
At the sudden seriousness of his words, Buffy freezes her body going tense as she finally leans forward, placing her food down on the coffee table so she didn't launch it at his face and ruin her perfect carpeted floor "Excuse me?"
"This path you're going down is dangerous." He warns her, all of his typical smug jokey attitude suddenly long gone, left with a business-focused man "The powers are ordering you to stand down."
Buffy couldn't help but scoff, she hated that word, she had been hearing it constantly since she was 15. Since the second she was called as The Slayer she had orders constantly being thrown her way, first from The Watchers Council and now The Powers The Be. Just the thought of them thinking they could order her around made her scoff, The Powers had done nothing for her over the years, she had been through hell without them and she wasn't going to let them send their lackeys at her with orders now.
"I don't follow their orders, Whistler."
At the harshness of her tone, Whistler sighs, he could hear it in her voice, there would be no changing her mind. She had taken too many hits and she was done following rules when it came to The Powers and Prophecies. He had to admit he respected that, he himself had warned the Powers that she wouldn't cower and just do as they requested, she had been kicked down one too many times.
Clapping his hands in surrender he merely raises his glass at her before chuckling as he downs the drink before standing "Don't say, I didn't warn you." He tells her before moving to leave her home. However, before he reaches the door he throws one last look in her direction "I'll be seeing you kid...in two years to be exact."
At the specific time frame, Buffy couldn't help but glance over at him, finding herself curious. She hadn't seen this demon since she was 17 and that had been years ago, so what was going to be different in two years?
"What happens in 2 years?"
Letting a small sly all-knowing smile cross his lips the balance demon merely tilts his hat in her direction, not willing to spoil the surprise quite yet.
"You will just have to wait and see kid.
**
OUR WORLD: STORYBROOKE, MAINE
PRESENT-DAY
Bringing the cold beer to her lips, Buffy exhales in exhaustion leaning her elbows against the small table just outside of Granny's.
After what very much felt like an interrogation with an 11-year-old kid who really milked those three questions she had given him, she needed some air.
Hence why the second the conversation was done, she had stolen some beer and stumbled out to the front, needing a bit of time and peace.
Buffy brings the beer to her lips again, before allowing her eyes to scan the surrounding town, surprisingly it wasn't too bad but then again it helped that everyone was still inside partying away, giving her a chance to look around without the constant eagle eyes from everyone in town staring at her.
'The line...go to the town line...'
At the strange voice, filling her thoughts again, Buffy couldn't help but frown in confusion, she didn't know why she kept hearing this voice in her head, it had been happening all day but to be honest, while annoying the longer she was here the more tempted she was to listen to the little voice in the back of her head.
She was tempted to take off and leave this town, crossing the line so she could try and figure out how to get home.
To be honest, if Emma and Mary Margaret didn't hold up their end of the bargain, then soon enough Buffy knew she would be on the first bus out of town. If no one here could help her then she would have to try elsewhere, there had to be somewhere on this damn planet where she could find a door back to her world.
"Buffy?"
Hearing her name leave David's voice, Buffy glances up just as her father moves to sit across from her with two beers in his hands. As he slides one over to her, he couldn't help but frown in concern.
He had spotted her sitting outside alone and it had worried him "Are you okay?"
Buffy quickly forces a smile on her face as she raises her new beer in silent thanks before running a shaky hand through her hair, realizing just how depressing she probably looked sitting outside all on her lonesome "Yeah, sorry. Henry really used those three questions I gave him to the brim, it feels like he scooped out my brain with a damn spoon."
David chuckles softly at her words, Buffy definitely got the humor in the family, that was for certain, she was a lot like his grandmother in that way.
However, not even a second later, Buffy cracks his smile before frowning at him, trying to search her brain for his name but she couldn't remember it for the life of her "Sorry, what's your name again?"
David had to admit, that hurt.
His own daughter couldn't remember his name and it broke his heart but he knew it wasn't her fault she didn't know yet. But tomorrow was the day, they would tell her everything and their family would finally be whole again.
"David." He tells her flinching slightly but he hid the hurt behind a small smile "Look, Buffy...Mary Margaret and I would like you to come over to our apartment tomorrow there's something important we need to talk about with you. Could you come by for lunch maybe?"
Buffy eyes him skeptically before sighing as she spots a few members of town inside of the diner spying on them through the window, effectively cutting through the peacefulness Buffy had momentarily been enjoying.
The people in this town ready had no chill.
Downing the last of her beer, Buffy groans as she spots David still waiting for an answer patiently, he was a nice guy and she didn't want to come off as rude, but between the voices in her head, having to talk about her past with Henry and now the peeping Toms she needed a beat "Ugh yeah sure. Yeah, I'll pop by...I got to go, um, enjoy your party, David."
Without letting him get out another word, Buffy stood up and began walking away from the diner, intent on taking the long way back to the Inn so she didn't have to work through the crowd currently still partying up.
However, as she turns the corner the blonde collides with her elder sister who was shaken up after an argument with Regina regarding Henry and their different opinions on what was best for him.
Letting out a small gasp, Emma sighs in relief as she realizes who she had crashed into, however, Buffy's reaction was very different.
"Geez." The younger blonde moans, her playing nice façade had reached the peak for the evening, she was too tired for this "Your brake lights are out Em."
Trying not to grin at the new nickname her sister had given her Emma frowns as she spots the almost fed up look on Buffy's face "Look, Buffy, I'm sorry if Henry brought up anything from your past...he was just really excited to meet you..."
"Everyone wants to know about me in this town...how keen." Buffy mumbles before sighing, this whole evening had just exhausted her "Look enjoy the rest of your party, but tomorrow you and your mom are paying up your debt. I helped you get home and now I need to get home." She warns Emma before pushing past her and heading straight for the Inn.
"This town is driving me Drusilla level crazy."
**
Walking through a seemingly endless hallway in an empty castle, Buffy's eyes scan each door carefully. Every door was a different color and each had a label across the top.
They were her memories.
Each and every door led to one of her memories.
From what she could guess, the green doors were more of the positive memories, between the day her parents had brought Dawn home from the hospital to the prom. Yet as she walked further down the hall, the green doors started to grow less frequent, as the halls filled with more red doors, those being the most heartbreaking moments in her life.
From losing her mom and her friends to the day she woke up in her coffin.
Yet the red doors weren't the ones that filled her with dread...it was the dark grey doors with specks of blood red and black splatter.
Moving to stand outside of the first door Buffy couldn't help but wince as she reads the label... San Francisco's own Fearsome Killer.
Leaning her head up against the door, Buffy presses her ear against the wood wincing ever so slightly as her own voice echoes from inside.
"Tell, Ward...whoever he sends, whoever it is. I'll kill them. I'll kill them all!"
Groaning at the familiar rage in her voice, Buffy winces before backing away from the door only for her back to connect with another grey door, and just the sight of the label made Buffy's blood run cold.
The death of Chris Markson.
"Now that's just cruel..." Buffy mumbles under her breath before moving as far away from the door as she possibly could.
However, as she makes her way further down the hall the labels begin to fade from the doors leaving the blonde moving through doors that she could only guess would contain future memories, aka this was the Slayer visions department of her brain.
Though despite her curiosity over the visions she would probably be forced to deal with at some point, Buffy's eyes land on the painting at the end of the hall, a sense of familiarity filling her gut.
Painted across the wall in the same bright yellow, was the Sun charm, the same one inked on her shoulder. To this day, she still didn't know what it was, but when she was a kid she constantly used to draw it with crayons on her walls, it had almost been like a strange obsession, more so than sneaking marshmallows into her dad's shoes.
"Buffy..."
Spinning around quickly at the sudden voice calling out to her, Buffy's eyes widen as she spots a small blonde girl standing behind her. She couldn't be more than 5 years old and had curly blonde hair framing her green-eyed face.
Buffy couldn't help but frown as she stares at the somewhat familiar little girl who was standing in a pink princess gown. There was something so familiar about the little girl, Buffy just couldn't place it.
"The Jolly Roger is here." The little girl informs her before smiling softly as she raises her wrist, revealing a small charm bracelet with a charm that identically matched the painting and the tattoo "A charm, a ship, a portal, pain, death, apocalypse, a curse...good luck."
Gasping loudly as her body is violently shaken from the dream by the alarm going off on the bedside table, Buffy quickly slams her hand out shattering the alarm clock to pieces, silencing the harsh buzzing filling the room.
Groaning, the blonde brings her knees to her chest, running her shaky hands through her hair as she tries to decipher the weird-ass riddle that was her dream. Just the thought of the dream made Buffy scoff before something that creepy little Shinning-like-girl had said comes back to her.
"What the hell is a Rolly Dodger?"
**
After having to ask Ruby where David and Mary Margaret lived, Buffy downs the last of the Hot Chocolate with cinnamon that the waitress had made for her as she makes her way up the building steps leading to the loft.
At the taste filling her senses, Buffy couldn't help but smile, she had always loved Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon, but after Dawn had switched out the cinnamon with paprika one time she had avoided the stuff like the plague.
Knocking on the door, Buffy smiles awkwardly as she is met with the sight of Mary Margaret behind the door.
"Buffy." Mary Margaret breaths a bright smile filling her lips as she quickly steps aside allowing the blonde inside of the home "You came."
"Got nothing else to do." Buffy mumbles before chuckling softly "Plus you know, no demons to slay and the nearest bar is still closed. Apparently, the town is not big on day drinking Bloody-Mary's, who would have thought?"
Chuckling softly, Mary Margaret quickly shuts the door before moving to lead the blonde over to the table, which they had set up in preparation for this lunch.
There was food covering every inch of the table, with bits and pieces of every cuisine. Just the sight of all the food made Buffy's mouth water as she lets out a small whistle "Woah, this is some spread."
"We weren't too sure what you liked." David pipes up as he walks out of the kitchen holding a tray of Spring Rolls. To say he and Mary Margaret had gone overboard was an understatement, but they were nervous and wanted this lunch to go perfectly "We thought volume was safer."
Buffy couldn't hold back the smile that appears on her face as she glances over at the couple "Big time yes, though, what you are guys gonna eat?"
Assuming she was joking the couple laughs while Buffy merely rubs the back of her neck awkwardly, that hadn't been a joke, she was almost positive she was going to end up eating everything on this table like a monster.
Spotting the pair still watching her, Buffy clears her throat awkwardly before strolling around the two-story loft, realizing that a certain blonde was missing "Where's Emma?"
"Emma is the Town Sheriff..." David reveals as he moves over to the coffee pot while grabbing four cups, one for each of them "So she's on the phone for some town business, I'll go see how long she's gonna be."
As the father of two quickly moves to climb the ladder leading up to Emma's room, Buffy continues to walk around the loft admiring the personal details that truly made the place a home.
There were photos everywhere, and personal mementos.
"Can you get something to drink?" Mary Margaret asks as she watches her daughter walk around the home eyeing the objects curiously "Hot chocolate?"
"Can you make it Irish?" Buffy jokes only to earn a disapproving glare from her mother causing the blonde to wince slightly "Hot chocolate is fine, with cinnamon if you have it."
At Buffy's request, a small smile grazes Mary Margaret's lips as she makes her way over to the kitchen. She knew exactly where Buffy got her like for cinnamon on top of her hot chocolate.
It was a trait Buffy shared with both Emma, Henry, and herself. Clearly the like for it ran in the family.
While Mary Margaret happily begins making their drinks, Buffy who was still looking around pauses as her eyes land on the white knitted baby blanket resting on top of a cardboard moving box. Unable to stop herself, Buffy makes her way over to the white blanket completely entranced.
Slowly picking up the blanket Buffy couldn't help but admire it as she spots Emma's name embroidered across the blanket in purple stitching.
"I had a baby blanket like this." She whispers not realizing that Mary Margaret had heard her and froze slightly at the memory of Buffy's blanket.
Buffy's blanket had been almost identical to Emma's, the only difference had been Buffy's had yellow stitching instead of purple.
"Really?" Mary Margaret breaths softly as she slowly hands the blonde her cup of piping hot chocolate.
"Yeah." Buffy breaths as she places the blanket down before taking the cup and moving to sit at the table just as David walks down the steps and over to the pair.
"It was white with yellow stitching" She admits as she brings her drink to her lips "But it was damaged during our move to L. A. when I was a baby. My Grams made it when my mom was pregnant with me so, mom went into full Susie homemaker mode trying to fix it. The stitching was always a little dodgy."
David chuckles softly before reaching out and grasping Mary Margaret's hand under the table, knowing that Buffy talking about her mother was like a stab in the heart for his wife, while they were grateful Buffy had a mother who loved her, it was a double-edged sword, those moments Joyce had were the moments' Mary Margaret had dreamed about, only to have them stripped away.
"Do you still have it?" He pipes up knowing that his wife was struggling to summon the urge to speak.
"Not sure..." Buffy admits allowing her nails to tap against the table softly, praying for Emma to get off the phone so all the focus wouldn't be on her anymore "It's probably still buried in the attic at my dad's place."
While Mary Margaret had been hearing about Buffy's mother, this was the first time Buffy had even mentioned her father, which caused David to freeze slightly.
Given that the father had raised her had never been mentioned in passing, it was like a strong punch to the gut for him.
"Your father..." He struggles out, now truly understanding how Mary Margaret felt every time Joyce had been mentioned "Um...are you two close?"
Buffy couldn't help but snort at that, she hadn't seen the man in years and the last time they spoke on the phone he had acted so uninterested that she took that as a sign that he had no interest in being a dad anyone.
He had pretty much pretended that she didn't exist once she turned 18.
"A world of no. Pretty much confirmed he wasn't interested when he chose to go to Malta with his secretary instead of visiting me in prison." Spotting the strange looks on both of their faces, Buffy couldn't help but shift in her chair, the two of them were watching her so intensely so it was really wigging her out "So are we gonna get to the reason I'm here or just play 20 questions?"
At that moment, much to Buffy's relief, Emma comes rushing down the stairs a frantic look on her face "Can I borrow you two quickly?" She mumbles vaguely focusing on Mary Margaret and David so she could tell them about the call she had just received from Ruby about the strange encounter she had seen between Regina and Doctor Harper.
"We will be right back." Mary Margaret assures Buffy "Then we can all talk, there's a lot you need to know."
As the three quickly move out of the room, stepping out into the building hall for privacy leaving Buffy alone in the apartment, the blonde couldn't help but groan.
They were really dragging this meeting on.
Grabbing a slice of garlic bread off the table, the blonde takes a bit into it before leaning back in her seat, however, as she does a glint in the corner of her eye draws her attention.
There resting on the kitchen counter was a shining silver bracelet.
Standing up finding herself unable to tear her gaze away from the bracelet, Buffy slowly walks toward the piece of jewelry. It felt like the object was calling to her, drawing her in.
Finally moving closer to it, Buffy felt her voice catch in her throat as she picks up the bracelet. The charm hanging off it, made her feel sick to her stomach.
It was the yellow sun charm, the exact same one that was tattooed on her shoulder.
Buffy couldn't help but take short frantic breaths as she stares at the familiar charm, this was just another thing that had been haunting her dreams. Another thing that was connected to this damn family.
Just another one of their little half-truths and lies.
Clenching her jaw tightly, Buffy panics as she hears the front door start to open, without hesitation the blonde quickly rushes to the window, yanking it open before leaping out of the loft, the bracelet still clutched in her palm.
As they re-enter the apartment, Emma sighs deeply "Okay I have to go check Archie, Ruby was really worried about him and no one has seen him since his talk with Regina."
"I'll come with you." David pipes up as he moves to grab his jacket before the three turn to ask Buffy if they could postpone the talk till this evening, however, that's when they realize that she was gone.
"Buffy?!" Mary Margaret calls out before frowning in confusion as there was no response, but that's when she spots it...the window was wide open.
She was gone.
Sighing in worry, the pixie-haired woman turns to her eldest daughter and husband "You two go to Archie's office, I will find Buffy."