Things that go bump in the night

Buffy walked up the pathway that led to the Lehane-Talsen house. Walking up the steps and in front of the door, she noticed it was open as usual. Knocking softly as she opened the screen and stepped in she saw Andrew and Asher sitting on the couch watching a movie, the two boys had been hanging out a lot lately.



It surprised everyone because the two were so different…Andrew was nerdy and well…Andrew and Asher was reserved and quiet as well as the star athlete at his high school. So what those two found to talk about was a mystery.



Buffy looked into the kitchen to see Horus cooking lunch while Skye sat at his feet playing with her dolls. ‘Where is Faith?’ she looked around and didn’t sense her sister slayer.



“Horus, have you seen Faith?” Horus turned to look at her and then down at Skye.



“Wilson picked her up an hour ago, he surprised her with a weekend in Vermont I guess. She should be back Monday though…is it something I can help you with?” Horus smiled at the blonde. A few months back he had stated his intentions for Dawn and they had come to a truce of sorts.



“Well…umm…yea can you sit down? I have some news.” Turning into the living room, she caught Andrews’s eye and gave him a look that clearly said “Leave and come back later’ Waiting until Asher, Horus were sitting at the table.



She paced back and forth for a moment…looking at there stoic expressions, she could see curiosity in Asher’s eyes. Taking a deep breathe she turned to the two men. Looking down at her shoes praying for the right words.



Looking up she looked at them. “Rayas alive.” When there eyes widened and they looked at each other. She continued. “Angel has her in the air right now; she should be here sometime tonight. They think….well…Giles and Angel think that Yakumut did this fancy banishment spell…that’s why we couldn’t find any trace of her. But she’s alive…and she’s coming back.”



Buffy watched as several seconds went by the two wolves just stared back at her. Then she saw tears in Horus’s eyes. ‘PLEASE don’t cry.’ She thought frantically, she could deal with Dawns hysterics but not her boyfriends.



“Truly? Are they sure?” Horus never knew his voice could sound so raspy. They both jumped when Asher’s chairs screeched across the floor when he turned and ran out of the house. They watched him go through the window.



“How are we going to tell Faith, Horus? It’s been so long.” Horus turned and thought over this for a moment. “Faith loves my mother. I am sure of it. If she’s alive as you say she is im sure Faith will leave Wilson.”



“Im not so sure Horus, she’s made a commitment to Wilson, im not sure so will just leave him.” Buffy thought back over the years.



When Faith had come back from prison it was like she had been trying to make up for all the bad she had done. And now over these last couple years she knew part of Faith was very angry with Raya for dying. So…she wasn’t so sure Faith would go running back into Raya’s arms.



She hoped for the wolfs sake she was wrong.



******



Cordelia gently shook the woman awake, she and the stewardess had, had to calm Raya down more than once after her sedative had worn off. The flight had hit some turbulence which sent the wolf into a frenzy and they had been forced to land during the night due to an unexpected storm.



Now they were due to reboard the plane and continue onto New York. When Raya opened her eyes and looked around for a moment she stood and followed Cordelia out of the hotel room and into the car that would take them back to the small airport.



Cordelia prayed for patience because she REALLY didn’t want to endure more of the woman’s chanting and whimpering. She could see why the wolf would be scared. She guessed that flying must be scary for someone just coming from ancient Egypt but it didn’t make it any less of a headache.



******



~ Six Hours Later~



Raya and Cordelia stepped out of the cab and as Cordelia paid the driver Raya turned and looked at the massive building before her. She could sense slayers everywhere. She felt herself go light-headed when she realized she smelled Horus and Asher. Turning she looked around in hopes of seeing them.



“Can I help you?” Raya turned toward the girl that tasked the question. She was a student no doubt, a small blonde girl with big brown eyes.



“Yes, I am looking for Faith Lehane…do you know where she is?” Raya smiled pleasantly at the girl before she could answer something drew her attention from the corner of her eye.



Looking she saw a tall slender woman walking towards her, limping slightly Raya frowned. ‘Where do I know her from?’ The woman got closer and Raya noticed the strawberry blonde hair and broad smile on the girls face…it was Vikki.



Vikki walked up to Megan when she saw her talking to a tall stranger. There was something so familiar about the woman. She was dressed in dark jeans and a form fitting tank top, when the woman tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear…her pointed ear Vikki ignore the screaming in her leg and ran to the woman.



Throwing her arms around Raya she cried softly. She had missed this woman who had been a wonderful friend during the days before the ‘Great Battle’.



“Raya, oh my god look at you. Your alive…I can’t believe it. They all said you were dead.” Vikki didn’t give her time to react before she hugged the woman again.



The night after Horus, Buffy and Spike had returned with Asher saying that Raya had been killed, Vikki and a few other girls had refused to believe it and had snuck out and went to the cave. They had looked around at what remained of the cave. Spike had burned it but they had found the Book of the Dead and brought it back to Willow, who now had it sealed within a wall in the school.



“Hello Vikki, it is so good to see you. I often wondered how you were.” Raya smiled at the smaller girl. “Where is Faith?” Raya frowned at the troubled expression on her face. Something wasn’t right. Did Faith not know she was coming? Cordelia had told her that Angel had notified Giles of her arrival. So…where was her mate?



“Come on Raya, lets find Buffy and well…there’s something she needs to tell you.”



********



Asher leaned against the tree, hidden deep in the woods this spot had become his favorite place to come and think. Turning at the sound of a branch snapping and a small curse. He smiled.



“Come out, Andrew.” Asher smiled more when he saw his boyfriend stumble through the bushes.



“She’s back Asher. It’s really her.” Andrew said as he sat down next to Asher, unsure of what to do about the wolf.



“I know Andy, its just…its scary ya know? She’s been dead a long time and now it turns out she never was…she was just gone.” Asher looked up when Andrew kissed him softly.



“It will be okay. I am sure she missed you terribly. And I know if I was her, id be disappointed my favorite grandson wasn’t down there to greet me” Andrew smiled at the young Skin-Walker.



“Okay, let’s go before I change my mind.” Asher stood and took Andrews hand and they walked out of the woods.



TBC



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