After and Again
By Amanda Lord
They're all Joss's. Lah-Lah. I own nothing. Trah-Lah. Just playing.
Summary: Buffy died, really died after season one. However Buffy has six years of memories. The PTB have decided that she has passed her tests and now she is to return to the familiar faces that have lived with out her for all those years.
a/n: There isn't really anything to say at this point. A story for those who want a post Grave story that is a little different. PS - I was out of the country for the finales, I have never seen them. I'm just going on the episode guides that I've read.
I like reviews. I know how this story is going to go, but if you have any input, I like that.
Buffy Summers breathed as she pulled her blankets up to her chin.
It was early evening, but she was too tired to stay awake any longer. It had been a long time since she had been able to find sleep.
Her heart hurt.
She allowed the images of the past two days to enter her head. The pain was all to fresh. She could see everything.
Spike's insistence and desperation. Tara's body that no longer housed her soul. A hurricane that looked a lot like Willow. A world around her broken.
Buffy snuggled into the pillow. It hurt so much.
However she had promised Dawn and herself that she would live. She would deal.
Tomorrow she would awaken to find a pile of problems. Willow would need so much in the next few days. And Dawn, Dawn would need her everyday.
She would never put aside Dawn again.
She was ready to do what she needed to do. She had found strength in herself.
These people around her were part of her whole. Xander, Willow, Giles, Dawn…
…Spike.
The one thing that she couldn't understand. Willow's destruction was simple compared to the agony that Spike had left her in.
Tears began to form under her eyelids.
Part of her hated him. She hated him for everything that he had done. He had let her come to him. He had known that all of the love was on his part. Then he had attempted to force her.
The other part of her missed him. Despite all that had occurred she missed his friendship in the moments that were her darkest. Her mother's death, the chance of loosing Dawn, when she was lost and came back. He had always been there when she felt there was nothing more that she had.
When she was walking around the streets of Sunnydale, wanted for murder, without a watcher, and worried that Willow would die in the hospital bed, he had been there. He had offered his assistance.
Buffy turned on her side and curled up. She didn't want to think about that anymore. She closed her eyes.
She was ready to sleep. Tomorrow all of her problems wouldn't overwhelm her. They would be conquered with the help of her family.
***
"Hey Blondie."
Buffy whipped around the empty waiting room to see him. The mystical reprehensive of the higher powers. The little twit who had never learned how to dress.
"Great am I going to have to sacrifice someone else."
The little man sat in one of the chairs and angled his head.
"No. I'm not always here to tell people bad news."
Buffy raised an eyebrow.
"Nope. I am here to tell you that none of that actually never happened."
Buffy looked at him skeptically, "That sounds happy."
"You don't understand, but you will. Right now I am here to tell you that you are about to live again."
Buffy looked at him as if he had two heads, "I don't know if you got the memo, but you are a year late."
Whistler looked at her with the smirk of someone who had expected such an answer, a remarkably wrong answer.
Buffy suddenly got completely frustrated. She lunged at Whistler.
"What. Are. You. Talking. About."
Whistler looked at Buffy's knee in his crotch and her hands at his throat.
"Kinky girl, but even though I am not alive I would like to have some air in my lungs to talk with."
Buffy eased up and let him breathe a bit.
"Talk," she growled. There was just something about him that hit her wrong, "And do it fast."
"You died and I am here to ask you to go back."
"I already did that. Spent the last year dealing."
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did," Buffy replied incredulously.
"No you…" Whistler trailed off as she applied more pressure.
"We are not in forth grade, details, I want details."
Whistler smiled, "You died five years ago. "
Buffy backed away, "The master…NO…Xander saved me."
Whistler shook his head, but said nothing.
Buffy recoiled from him.
"Little Slayer, Santa doesn't exist and neither does your life."
"Another cosmic joke?" Buffy said wide eyed, "My life is just a dream. All the pain and agony…"
Whistler shook his head, "Don't play me that game baby. I've heard it enough from your mouth. You whined how you were just a pawn in the greater plan. You've gotten over this. You want to live again."
"Yes, but…"
"No," Whistler said cutting off her speech, "Don't backtrack now."
Buffy lifted her head. She somehow found strength in herself that she didn't know she had found. She had been told too many times that things weren't as they seemed that she could handle this one more.
"Why?" she demanded.
Whistler smiled, "That is the girl. Because you killed the master. Because there is a trouble brewing in Sunnydale that only you can face. They need you. They're all different, but they need you. The ones you have come to care about. The ones that have never forgotten you. They need you."
"So I have to go save the world again."
Whistler shrugged, "You've only saved the world the once, if you want to fight about it. Then you had the tests. You've faced the worst monsters we could throw at you. You've overcome all the demons we've sent after you. You've beaten a god. You've overcome yourself. Now you are ready."
"Ready for what?" Buffy said growing tired of his cryptic ness.
"You're ready to live again."
"Any more helpful advice."
"Just there is a problem. We need you to take care of a problem and a Slayer."
Buffy rolled her eyes, "Do you enjoy this?"
Whistler smiled, "Very much."
Buffy put her hands to her aching temples.
"Can you tell me anything concrete?" she asked desperately.
Whistler tilted his head, "We need you to take care of Spike."
By Amanda Lord
They're all Joss's. Lah-Lah. I own nothing. Trah-Lah. Just playing.
Summary: Buffy died, really died after season one. However Buffy has six years of memories. The PTB have decided that she has passed her tests and now she is to return to the familiar faces that have lived with out her for all those years.
a/n: There isn't really anything to say at this point. A story for those who want a post Grave story that is a little different. PS - I was out of the country for the finales, I have never seen them. I'm just going on the episode guides that I've read.
I like reviews. I know how this story is going to go, but if you have any input, I like that.
Buffy Summers breathed as she pulled her blankets up to her chin.
It was early evening, but she was too tired to stay awake any longer. It had been a long time since she had been able to find sleep.
Her heart hurt.
She allowed the images of the past two days to enter her head. The pain was all to fresh. She could see everything.
Spike's insistence and desperation. Tara's body that no longer housed her soul. A hurricane that looked a lot like Willow. A world around her broken.
Buffy snuggled into the pillow. It hurt so much.
However she had promised Dawn and herself that she would live. She would deal.
Tomorrow she would awaken to find a pile of problems. Willow would need so much in the next few days. And Dawn, Dawn would need her everyday.
She would never put aside Dawn again.
She was ready to do what she needed to do. She had found strength in herself.
These people around her were part of her whole. Xander, Willow, Giles, Dawn…
…Spike.
The one thing that she couldn't understand. Willow's destruction was simple compared to the agony that Spike had left her in.
Tears began to form under her eyelids.
Part of her hated him. She hated him for everything that he had done. He had let her come to him. He had known that all of the love was on his part. Then he had attempted to force her.
The other part of her missed him. Despite all that had occurred she missed his friendship in the moments that were her darkest. Her mother's death, the chance of loosing Dawn, when she was lost and came back. He had always been there when she felt there was nothing more that she had.
When she was walking around the streets of Sunnydale, wanted for murder, without a watcher, and worried that Willow would die in the hospital bed, he had been there. He had offered his assistance.
Buffy turned on her side and curled up. She didn't want to think about that anymore. She closed her eyes.
She was ready to sleep. Tomorrow all of her problems wouldn't overwhelm her. They would be conquered with the help of her family.
***
"Hey Blondie."
Buffy whipped around the empty waiting room to see him. The mystical reprehensive of the higher powers. The little twit who had never learned how to dress.
"Great am I going to have to sacrifice someone else."
The little man sat in one of the chairs and angled his head.
"No. I'm not always here to tell people bad news."
Buffy raised an eyebrow.
"Nope. I am here to tell you that none of that actually never happened."
Buffy looked at him skeptically, "That sounds happy."
"You don't understand, but you will. Right now I am here to tell you that you are about to live again."
Buffy looked at him as if he had two heads, "I don't know if you got the memo, but you are a year late."
Whistler looked at her with the smirk of someone who had expected such an answer, a remarkably wrong answer.
Buffy suddenly got completely frustrated. She lunged at Whistler.
"What. Are. You. Talking. About."
Whistler looked at Buffy's knee in his crotch and her hands at his throat.
"Kinky girl, but even though I am not alive I would like to have some air in my lungs to talk with."
Buffy eased up and let him breathe a bit.
"Talk," she growled. There was just something about him that hit her wrong, "And do it fast."
"You died and I am here to ask you to go back."
"I already did that. Spent the last year dealing."
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did," Buffy replied incredulously.
"No you…" Whistler trailed off as she applied more pressure.
"We are not in forth grade, details, I want details."
Whistler smiled, "You died five years ago. "
Buffy backed away, "The master…NO…Xander saved me."
Whistler shook his head, but said nothing.
Buffy recoiled from him.
"Little Slayer, Santa doesn't exist and neither does your life."
"Another cosmic joke?" Buffy said wide eyed, "My life is just a dream. All the pain and agony…"
Whistler shook his head, "Don't play me that game baby. I've heard it enough from your mouth. You whined how you were just a pawn in the greater plan. You've gotten over this. You want to live again."
"Yes, but…"
"No," Whistler said cutting off her speech, "Don't backtrack now."
Buffy lifted her head. She somehow found strength in herself that she didn't know she had found. She had been told too many times that things weren't as they seemed that she could handle this one more.
"Why?" she demanded.
Whistler smiled, "That is the girl. Because you killed the master. Because there is a trouble brewing in Sunnydale that only you can face. They need you. They're all different, but they need you. The ones you have come to care about. The ones that have never forgotten you. They need you."
"So I have to go save the world again."
Whistler shrugged, "You've only saved the world the once, if you want to fight about it. Then you had the tests. You've faced the worst monsters we could throw at you. You've overcome all the demons we've sent after you. You've beaten a god. You've overcome yourself. Now you are ready."
"Ready for what?" Buffy said growing tired of his cryptic ness.
"You're ready to live again."
"Any more helpful advice."
"Just there is a problem. We need you to take care of a problem and a Slayer."
Buffy rolled her eyes, "Do you enjoy this?"
Whistler smiled, "Very much."
Buffy put her hands to her aching temples.
"Can you tell me anything concrete?" she asked desperately.
Whistler tilted his head, "We need you to take care of Spike."