Chapter 64: Forgetting

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"Ow, ow, ow...headache." I groaned, sitting up in my bed, "What in the Hell happened?" I asked, taking notice of my bed. It was messed up and...the other side of the bed was slept in.

David, the guy from the bar walked out of my bathroom and shocked the hell out of me, "You probably have a hangover." He said, "Hope you don't mind that I used your bathroom."

I clutched my head, "What...when..." I said.

"You do remember, right?" David asked.

"Yeah. Yes, it was...great." I smiled, crawling out of the bed and gathering his clothes, "You have to go." I said, pushing his clothes onto his chest and hurrying him out.

"Wait, I don't even have your number." David said, putting on his pants. I couldn't stop staring at his abs. For a geeky guy, he had incredibly cut abs. I shivered a little.

"Maybe we'll see each other at the club." I said, opening the door to Buffy's face, "Holy crap."

-           

Buffy and Xander sat on my couch, looking a bit annoyed. Finally, he just smiled, "So, I thought you were dead." He said.

"That was the general consensus." I said, "I left."

"So you pulled a me?" Buffy asked.

"You left and found a naked guy?" Xander asked.

I looked at him nervously, "I was drunk. My friends are less than thrilled about me leaving." I said.

"So, you drank?" Xander asked, "You've changed."

"And you haven't?" I asked, "Where are you staying? Isn't the castle toast?"

Buffy just stared at me, "We're staying at our alternate." He said.

"Right...figures you would have an alternate." I said.

"How was life outside of slaying?" Buffy asked.

"One demon after another." I said, "I guess there isn't one."

"Have you spoken to Connor or Angel or..." Buffy asked hopefully.

"No." I said, "Then again, I haven't spoken to you, either. You and Willow were what? Off playing shuffle board?"

"Oz?" Xander asked.

"Right before the last battle." I said, "Lost touch with Groo."

"Buff's been stuck in the future." Xander explained.

"Oh." I said, "Where's Willow?"

"She's back with Dawn." Buffy said, "She's a..."

"Centaur." I said, "I saw it. Why are you guys here?"

"Your friends called us." Xander said

"Thanks, I'll kill them later. It'll be bloody." I said simply.

"They were worried." Buffy said, "And rightfully so."

"I know." I said.

"So, you weren't dead?" Xander asked.

I shook my head, "Nope." I said, "Did you beat the big snake people?"

"Yes, funny story..." Xander said.

§   

"I cannot believe he...he just...he waltzes back in here and expects us to just...what? Welcome him back? Well, not me. I..." Kelly raged.

"He has returned." Cale said, "I believe this is what you prayed for."

"Yeah, but he..."

"He's right, Kel, we've been wishing this would happen and now it has." Doug said.

"You're right." Kelly said.

"He's right?" Cale asked.

"Besides, he has some buttering up to do." Doug said.

"Mucho buttering." Kelly said.

"I do wonder how he survived." Cale said.

"Must have been some slayer trick." Mal said.

"He's not a jedi." Doug said, turning to Cale, "Is he?"

"No." Cale said, "Although there were accounts of a slayer that..."

"He's not." Doug said.

"We should go over there and tell him how we feel." Kelly said.

"Definitely." Doug nodded.

-           

"So, me and Will met with our sources...didn't go so well." Buffy chuckled.

"Yeah? What was the future like?" I asked.

Buffy stared at me.

"That's the don't ask look." I said, "I know the look."

"So, you took down big evil?" Xander asked.

"It's wasn't the First or anything, but it was pretty big. We lost some good people." I said.

"Ditto." Xander said.

"I feel so alone. Doesn't seem to ever go away." I said, "My grandparents are dead, my parents are trying to kill me and..."

"You're not alone." Buffy said, lifting my chin to her gaze, "I am here. Kelly and Doug and everyone else. All the Slayers and..."

"I know." I nodded, "But months of solitude and demon slaying and thinking have made me so...indescribable."

"You could have..." Xander started

"The best part is, I can't stop thinking about Lestat." I said.

"Lestat? The vampire, Lestat?" Buffy asked.

"...The guy, naked guy, is sweet." I said.

"He's Lestat?" Xander asked.

"Okay, this is a little weird." Buffy said.

I smiled, "Yeah. Think Angel." I said.

"What is it with Slayers and Vampires?" Xander sighed.

"The point is I needed to feel something." I said, "Something other than a stake and cold, dusty...stuff."

Xander looked down, "And you got it? What you needed?" he asked.

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll be right back." I said, getting up and walking over to the door. I opened the door to see Doug, Mal, Kelly, and Cale standing at the door.

"Can we come in?" Doug asked.

My heart flew into my throat, but I stayed calm, "Depends. Is she going to slap me again?" I asked.

"You're a slayer, you probably didn't even feel it." Kelly said, "You totally deserved it."

"I'm kind of busy." I said.

"Oh." Kelly said.

"Who is it?" Buffy asked, walking to the door, "Oh, I thought it was another guy."

"Buffy!" Kelly shouted, hugging her.

"Hey." Buffy smiled, "How are you?"

"I'm a little roughed up, shocked, and totally..." Kelly looked from Buffy to Xander to me, then back, "I'm good."

"So..." I said.

"We need to talk." Kelly said.

"I'm hungry." Mal said, "Uh, Xander, Buffy, Cale, wanna get some food?"

"Yeah, sure." Xander said.

"Anything but this." Cale said, leaving with them.

We walked over to the couch and took seats.

"So, where have you been?" Doug asked.

"Hopping from town to town." I said, "Demon to demon."

"So, you didn't die?" Kelly asked.

"I was going to come back in, but you thought I was dead. You thought I was...free. And I was." I explained, "So were you."

"Free? Ever since you've left...we've been feeling so down. You're our best friend and we thought you died!" Kelly said, "We're anything but free!"

"Turns out it's mutual." I said.

"What happened?" Doug asked.

"I couldn't stand by and watch all the bad things, I had to help." I said.

"You've been gone for months, why come back now?" Doug asked.

"I missed you guys." I said, "The last thing I expected was to come back and find Connor here, or for you guys to walk in and...I thought I'd call you first."

"Wouldn't have been better." Kelly said angrily.

"Then, my parents." I said, "They came in to tell me how they love me, but I'm screwing with their big plan."

"Your parents?" Doug asked, "They were here?"

"Complete with Titan, they knew I was coming home, which is weird, cause I didn't even know I was coming home." I said quickly, "Not something I was ready for. I'm sorry, for letting you think I was dead. But I'm back now. I'm here to stay. See me, staying."

Kelly hugged me, "I'm so glad you're back." She smiled, "I didn't know what to do."

Doug stood to the side, "You left us here to deal with all the big bads you didn't want to deal with. It's not our job, it's yours."

"I know." I said.

"I'm glad you're here." Doug said, hugging me, "I'm still mad, but I'm glad you're here."

"Thanks." I said.

There was a knock at the door.

"Who is that?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, everybody you know is, or has already been here." Doug said.

"I'm gonna say David." I said.

"Who's David?" Doug asked.

"Don't ask." I said walking to the door.

"Well, we're going to ski-daddle." Kelly said, "Have fun with that."

"I want to see the guy." Doug said as she pulled him through the kitchen and out the back door.

I opened the door to see David, who smiled, "You sure you're not kin to th..."

"That guy Max from Greek? Yeah, I'm sure." David smiled, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah." I said, letting him in.

"I can't stay long, I just wanted to stop by and say hi." He smiled, "I know you probably just...I understand if you don't want to see me again. If it was a one time thing..."

I kissed him, "You're a cutie, but we've got to start over and take this thing slow." I said, "First, we could get coffee."

"That would be nice." David smiled.

There was a knock at the door. I opened it to see Oz.

"Hey." Oz smiled.

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