Unknown Factors (Book One)

  It was rather late at night, but I was hungry and making some PB&Js in the kitchen. Buffy was out fetching another potential Slayer from the bus stop and should be returning soon. The newbie would put us at housing 6 of the young Slayers, and more were still on the way. Willow shared a room with one while the other four slept downstairs in the living room, and there was no telling where the new girl would be placed to bed down at.

  The basement had been also changed into a sort of training area for the girls over the past few days, and the Turok Han had yet to show itself since the night I got my head busted open and Buffy got her ass handed to her.

  Hearing the front door open, I picked up my finished sandwiches and went to see the newbie. My tail slowly swayed as I rounded the corner, seeing their backs to me as they were looking into the living room.

  "Everybody, this is Rona." The Slayer gestured to the girl next to her in baggy overalls. Everyone greeted her, so I swallowed what was in my mouth and did so as well.

  "Hi, Rona." My voice made her spin on her heel, and her gaze went from my white hair down to my tail and stuck there.

  "....She got a tail. Why does she got a tail?!"

  "That's Aud, she's our resident half-demon." Buffy nodded.

  "Half-demon? As in half-"

  "Yes. But don't worry, Aud's safe as a kitten." The blonde smiled while waving her hand

  "Yeah! If that kitten was a fire-breathing chimera!" I heard Andrew shout from his chair in the corner of the living room.

  "Um....why is that guy tied to a chair?"

  "The better question is why isn't he gagged?" Xander popped off while looking rather tired, and I plopped down next to him. Anya and Pops then walked in, and the ex-demon was carrying a sleeping bag while Pops had his hands in his pockets.

  "Molly, why don't you show our new house guest where the kitchen is? I'm sure she's hungry after her travel." Giles asked before the girl in the comfy chair hopped to her feet.

  "Fair enough. I was feelin' a bit peckish myself." She smiled.

  "A bit what?" Rona sounded extremely confused.

  "That's English for hungry." Anya explained.

  "Oh. Here I thought 'hungry' was English for hungry." Rona followed Molly to the kitchen while Anya unrolled the sleeping bag she had.

  "Everything all right?" Pops asked.

  "She had a welcoming committee." Buffy answered.

  "So, The First knows potential Slayers are makin' their way here." Xander shifted where he sat.

  "Of course, we'll all have to be cautious."

  "The First is always gonna be one step ahead of us, Giles. I need to know how to stop it. No....not stop it. Hurt it. I want to hurt it real bad. Tell me how." Buffy looked at the older man.

  "I, uh," Pops sighed. "I don't know, Buffy." He shook his head while taking off his glasses. "But I've exhausted all the resources that I have left with little result. The Watchers records are still all we really have left to go on."

  "I made the rounds myself. Tried to dig up anything useful in the demon community." Anya glanced around.

  "They're a community now? What's next, a ladies auxiliary?" Xander popped off.