Fic: LIfe's Little Edge (Buffy/Dean) R - Prologue

[blue_icy_rose]

Title: Life's Little Edge
Rating: R
Pairing: Buffy/Dean
Spoilers: Buffy - through Chosen. SPN - through Everybody Loves A Clown.
Summary: She'd been on her own for years before she'd met the people at the Roadhouse. Despite that, she still feels alone. He seems to barely be holding himself together. They may be the only ones who can help each other.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural. They belong to Joss Whedon and Eric Kripke.
Notes: This is written for the wonderful dhfreak for btvs_santa. She once issued a challenge for a story based around Buffy helping the Scoobies close the Hellmouth but not being accepted back in the group. She wanted angst, feelings of betrayal, and Buffy/Dean. I took the challenge and nothing ever came with it. I'm finally doing something about it.

Merry Christmas, Mel! I hope you like it.


Buffy stared at the group of people crowding around the crater that was once Sunnydale. Her grip tightened around the scythe and she fought back the flash of pain at the sight of them, smiling and congratulating each other on a job well done. Not one of them looked over to where she was standing. Any hope she had that things could go back to the way they’d been disappeared as she watched her sister grin at Willow. Her eyes scanned the group, stopping when they met knowing brown eyes.

Faith nodded in her direction, understanding on her face and Buffy felt something inside her relax as she nodded back.

The message was clear—if she ever needed something, she could go to Faith.

A small smile appeared on her face as she turned and began walking away, not once looking back.

Who knew that in the end it would be Faith that understood her the most?

The smile faded as she thought once more about the others. It stung to remember the way Dawn had taken a half step towards her as if she was going to hug her before stopping herself and turning away. The way the others had deliberately avoided her gaze.

That message was clear as well. They didn’t need her and they didn’t want her anymore. They wanted her gone.

They’d get their wish.

Three Years Later

Buffy glared at the demon as she swung the scythe. She could feel the blood running down her arm where the demon had managed to get in a good shot. Her eyes hardened as she lashed out, easily beheading the demon and watching in satisfaction as it fell to the ground.

For a moment, she stared at it, hoping it was one of those demons that would just get rid of itself.

Of course, she wasn’t that lucky.

Sighing, she bent down and began to roll the demon further away from the road. It wouldn’t do any good to kill the thing only to get caught after. People here didn’t do denial the way the people of Sunnydale had.

Briefly, she debated burning it rather than burying it but there was no sure way for her to control the fire, not to mention how much attention that would draw. She grunted as she lifted the demon and tossed it over a log. Glancing around, she decided this spot would be as good as any and, after making sure the scythe was balanced on the log, picked up the shovel she’d set aside earlier and began to dig.

A little over an hour later, Buffy stepped back and nodded in satisfaction at the slightly uneven ground. It never failed to annoy her that even after all these years, she could never seem to refill a hole and get the ground completely even the way it had been before she’d started digging. Shaking her head, she grabbed the scythe and headed back towards the small truck she’d borrowed.

Part of her still remembered the way, years ago, no one had wanted her to drive. But that’d been high school and she’d gotten better at driving. Part of her still wondered what the others were doing, where they were, if they were okay, and a part of her always would.

Part of her thought she shouldn’t give a damn and that was the part she let rule her because she knew if she always wondered about them, she’d never be able to move on.

She shoved those thoughts to the side and threw the truck in gear, concentrating on the road as she drove on.

The flickering sign of the Roadhouse had her smiling a bit as she pulled around to the side, parking the truck where she’d gotten it from. She grabbed her duffle bag and slipped the scythe inside before climbing out and tossing the shovel into the bed of the truck. Stopping, she pulled on a jacket to cover the blood on her sleeve.

She swung the bag over her shoulder, wincing slightly, and headed towards the front of the bar, eyes scanning the cars parked in front. One eyebrow rose at the sight of the beaten up minivan and her lips twitched before she shrugged. She couldn’t really say anything. After all, she was still trying to get enough to buy some sort of car for herself. Ash was working on getting her a good deal.

“Hey, Jo,” she said as she walked in. “Ellen around?” Even as she waited for an answer, she took notice of the two men sitting at the bar. One was tall with shaggy hair and eyes that made her want to trust him. It was probably a hell of an advantage when he worked.

The other was everything the other wasn’t with lighter hair, suspicious eyes, and a body that had yet to relax. He looked ready to snap if she tried anything.

“Yeah, let me get her.” Jo glanced towards the back. “Mom! You got a visitor,” she called. She turned back to Buffy. “How’s everything?”

“I’m still standing, so I can’t really complain.” Buffy lifted a shoulder at the look Jo gave her. “Let’s just say, I’ve been worse.” Her eyes focused on Ellen as she walked into the room. “Ellen.”

With a glance at the other two men that she knew didn’t escape them, Ellen nodded at her. “Everything okay?”

Buffy smiled, grateful that Ellen hadn’t said her name. She didn’t know anything about these two and there was no way she was just giving them information on herself. “It’s been taken care of.”

A bottle appeared in front of her. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Her smile widened at the sight of the light beer. Ellen only gave her hard liquor on rare occasions. “Tell Ash that he was right by the way. It was a Dryec demon.”

“He’ll get smug about that one.” She glanced over at the two men. “You boys need another?”

They exchanged a glance and then the taller one shook his head. “No, we’re good. We’re just waiting for Ash to get back with the information we need for the next job.”

Ellen nodded and her eyes flicked in the direction of Ash’s room for a moment before she turned back to Buffy. “Your usual room is empty if you need a place for the night.”

Buffy took a drink. “That’d be good. Thanks. A motel wasn’t on my list of most wanted things for the night.” She thought of the cut on her arm and the fact that she could take a hot shower if she went to her room and stood. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to take my beer and go relax for the night.” She just wasn’t in the mood for company.

“Do me a favor and let Ash know you’re here. We don’t want a repeat of last time.” Ellen tilted her head and Jo snorted, grabbing another glass to dry. Buffy’s lips twitched at the memory of Ash walking in on her in the shower and the way he hadn’t been able to look at her for the next two weeks without getting embarrassed.

“I really, really agree.” Buffy grabbed her beer and with a nod at Ellen and Jo, headed towards the back.

The entire time, she could feel the eyes of the more suspicious of the two men on her back.