Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

I stood before these people and for the first time in my life, I felt truly extraordinary. Sure, in Sunnydale, I was extraordinary. There were vampires running all about, but to my human friends... I was something amazing. But they were just that--human. Here I was in a room full of vampires and werewolves and they looked at me like I was the most amazing mythological creature they'd ever encountered.

Some people may find them staring at me, asking me questions, to be odd...or they wouldn't like the lime-light but I myself found it rather refreshing. Sure, I missed my comrades in Sunnydale already...and I worried about them. Part of me believed Angelus wouldn't harm them while I was away up here...the other part of me thought I would return back to southern California to the corpses of my friends strung along the streets.

As I stood before this congregation of mythological beings, I noticed one of the werewolves was gazing over at me. I think he called himself Jacob. I didn't know his gaze was anything more than the others--adoration, admiration maybe, for what I am and what I do. Apparently, it's what he did as well. As Carlisle had explained, it was odd for vampires and werewolves to unite over something but apparently this newborn army threat was enough to conjoin them. Werewolves normally killed any vampire on sight...apparently the Cullen's were an exception.

That thought also made me wonder if the werewolves would harm Angelus if he ended up following me to Forks. It's not that I didn't want Angelus dead... it's just that I didn't want him to be Angelus anymore. I wanted him to be Angel.

"Buffy, you must be exhausted," Edward--the mind reader commented and I laughed a bit, shaking my head.

"I slept a full night before coming up here. I am pretty hungry though, had no time for breakfast before I went to the airport." I knew the Cullen's probably didn't have cabinets full of food because of their being vampires.

"Esme, Alice, why don't you fix Buffy and the guys something to eat?" Carlisle asked his wife and daughter and they nodded, disappearing towards the kitchen.

"Make sure it's meaty, please?" One of the werewolves, I believe Carlisle called him Embry, called after the two female vampires.

"You really don't have to cook for me... I could find my way to town for a burger or something..." my voice trailed off and one of the wolves, Jacob, chuckled.

"What would you do? Run from here? Quite a long walk... No, they're good cooks, believe it or not." He admitted and walked across the hard-wood flooring to where I sat on the couch and took a seat next to me. I looked up towards the human girl--Bella.

"They keep food mainly for you, huh?" I asked and she nodded her head somewhat, sitting down on the coffee table in front of the couch before me.

"Yeah. So, you're in love...with a vampire, too?" Bella asked and I nodded my head. It was obvious to me that she and the mind-reader, Edward, were an 'item.'

"I have been for a couple years now.. He's different from your vampires.. when he... when he knows love, he changes... he loses his soul. It's a curse," I tried my best to explain but the truth was, just thinking about the monster he was right now, it hurt me beyond words. It made me sniffle somewhat, until I felt a comforting arm around my shoulder. It was warm, like a little space-heater.

"It's alright. You're up here, think of it as a mini-vacation," Jacob said and I sighed. It's not that part of me didn't want to think of this as a mini-vacation, it was the fact of...what if Angelus is down there, slaughtering all of my friends at this very moment?

"There's a lot about it you don't understand," I said in a soft voice and stood up, smoothing out my jeans. "Uhm, Edward? Could you take me upstairs to a room or something to freshen up before I eat? I also want to call my friends down in Sunnydale..." my voice trailed off and the vampire nodded, leading me upstairs.

The house was grand. Grander than grand, to be entirely frank with you. It was perfect for vampires and truly did remind me of something Angel would design for himself to live in...although there was too many windows for sunlight. According to Carlisle, sun doesn't kill these vampires...they merely sparkle, which is a dead giveaway to humans of course because humans sure don't sparkle in the sun. Not unless you're Ke$ha of course.

Edward took me to a guest room that would be mine while I stayed here in Forks. He left me to clean up and call the Scoobies down in Sunnydale, to which I did first...to ease my mind.

"Hey, Giles, it's me." My voice was soft, I was happy to hear my Watcher's voice as well.

"Buffy! Is everything up there well? Exciting, different?" The Watcher asked to which I said yes.

"It really is. The vampires here are so different from what I'm used to... For once I'm glad I'm on their side and not against them. Their gifts are remarkable. One can read minds... the other can see the future. It's amazing, Giles, really." I could have babbled on for hours but there was a reason I had called them.

"How is everyone? I just... I keep thinking that Angelus is going to realize I'm gone and kill you all." I sounded like such a negative Nancy, I was sure of it.

"Calm down, Buffy. Everyone here is fine. As fine as can be expected at least. Willow has been trying to keep everyone in line. You know how snarky Cordelia can be when you aren't around to put her in her place..." he trailed off and I nodded, understanding exactly what he meant.

"Any word out of...." I didn't even have to finish my sentence before Giles said 'no.' "That's a relief," I admitted, but in a way it wasn't. I was still so scared Angelus had followed me up to Forks. Would Angelus be too much for the vampires who were safe guarding me at this very moment...?

"I have to go Giles, I'm about to eat lunch with a pack of wolves.." I was about to hang up when Giles chuckled.

"So they have werewolves then? You'll have to fill me in all about it tonight.." I agreed that I would and we soon hung up, leaving me to freshen up in the bathroom and then find my way downstairs, following the smell of food.

I sat down on a bar stool at this little kitchen bar of the Cullens', a plate being sat down in front of me a moment later by the motherly figure Esme. "Thank you," I said softly and dug in, I was absolutely famished.

"Wow. You really are good cooks," I complimented after a moment or so, earning a thank you for Esme and Alice both. This definitely was the best breakfast I'd had the pleasure of eating in quite sometime. My Mother wasn't even this good of a cook...don't ever let her hear me think this. It was right after I thought that, that Edward and Bella walked into the room, a chuckle leaving Edward's lips.

I looked back towards him, "Well at least let everyone else in on the joke," I somewhat glared and he once again laughed.

"She says Esme and Alice's cooking could be better than her Mother's...just don't let her Mother hear her think that." Of course all the vampires and wolves chuckled, I'm sure some of the wolves were inwardly agreeing with me.

"Listen, after you all finish eating," Carlisle said as he walked into the room with the blonde, Rosalie, and her mate Emmett. "We should go to the clearing and train. The wolves really need to know what they're up against for newborn vampires...and Buffy, you need to know what kind of vampires we really are...and what we can do if we're out to harm you."

Well, as they say...practice makes perfect I guess.