The Fallen Slayer {1}

Once Upon A Time

"So the Lockwoods really have no idea these tunnels are under their property?" Elena asked curiously as she, Ric, Buffy, and Giles made their way through the maze of underground caves Buffy had stumbled upon the other night.

Ric nodded before gesturing to Elena's flashlight "Yeah. Be careful where you shine that thing. Bats hate the light."

Buffy glanced over at her sister watching as the hunter's words sunk in. The look on Elena's face made her chuckle slightly.

"Wait, what?" Elena stuttered, completely horrified only causing Buffy to roll her eyes "Don't worry pretty sure Dracula is off haunting another town right now."

The snappy response was not amusing for the doppelganger "You're not funny. Plus, you told me Dracula is real."

Giles sighed before turning to the two arguing sisters "Elena, I can assure you Dracula is far from here."

Elena groaned before continuing to walk beside the Watcher, despite what he said, Bats creeped the hell out of her.

"Elena."

At the haunting whisper echoing through the cave, instinctively, Elena grabbed the blade from her waist and twirled it in her grasp. Just as she heard footsteps behind her she spun around and raised the blade only to groan in annoyance as she spotted Damon now standing behind her.

"Boo?" He questioned, rather annoyed that she wasn't gasping in shock.

Elena merely rolled her eyes and tucked her blade back into its holder before moving over to Giles.

Damon shrugged in confusion before glancing over at Buffy who had her arms crossed as she stared at him unamused. "What?" He moaned, his mood slightly depleted by Elena's lack of response to his jokes "You're the one that made her all tough and not so squeamish. I blame you."

Ignoring his annoyed tone, Buffy just arched a brow at him "You're an idiot." She snapped before the sound of footsteps approaching from behind made her pause. Instantly, she was gone in a flash, pinning the figure to the wall by the throat only to groan as she met a pair of familiar green eyes.

Stefan.

"Sorry." Buffy mumbled as she dropped him causing him to cough loudly rubbing his now healing neck.

Her grip had been enough the break his windpipe for sure.

As Damon's laughter howled through the caves, practically yelling for her to attack Stefan again, Buffy rolled her eyes before ignoring both brothers and walking over to her sister.


While his brother continued to snort and stifle his laughter, Stefan narrowed his gaze "Shut up, Damon."

"What?" Damon mumbled innocently as Stefan stormed past him.

He just couldn't understand what everyone's problem was today. It was like none of them could take a joke lately and today clearly seemed to be turning into pick-on Damon day.

Ignoring the pouting vampire, Buffy just continued through the tunnels, leading the group to the area she had crashed into "Just ignore him. That's what I do."

"I take it your still pissed—"

"So you can't get in huh?" She asked loudly cutting Damon off, she really didn't want to discuss what had happened the other night, not now not ever.

At her utter refusal to answer his first question, Damon clenched his jaw before nodding "No. Seems even the Ancient Lockwoods were anti-vampire."

Elena frowned in confusion "What do you mean, ancient?"

Buffy sighed before leading them all toward the cave, the sooner she showed them what she had found, the sooner she could get out of these creepy tunnels. One crash landing visit had been enough for a lifetime "As we have ticked off another benefit of my new powers: I don't need an invitation, I found these. And God they're weird."

"I've been here before." Damon piped up as they reached the entrance "Two years ago Mason..."

The name made Buffy pause, Damon had killed Mason she was sure of it "I thought he was dead."

"He is."

"Then how...?"

Damon merely arched a brow at the confused blonde before gesturing to her very un-corpse-like body "You really gonna comment on the dead walking and talking?"

Despite her automatic need to out-snark him, Buffy paused.

He did actually have a point.

She was the last person who could comment on the dead walking and talking "Fair point." With that, she stepped over the barrier into the tomb, throwing a small smirk back at Stefan and Damon as they found themselves unable to follow "This is as far as the two of you go."