Now I lay me down
This fic has been brewing for a little while. It took a few false starts, but I like what I have so far.
I decided to take Buffy from one of the worst points in her life. A point that I feel she desperately needed Angel at, and threw her into her past right as Angel became Angelus.
This story starts in season 6 of Buffy, Episode 13 "Dead things" and spins off cannon from there. Everything until through 'Dead Things' happened.
This is my first Fanfic, so bear with me.
Rated T for now, possibly M later
Prologue {Waking up in hell.}
"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it." Buffy Summers 5x22 The Gift
*****
"Its Spike" Buffy explained "H-he can hurt me… Without his head exploding." Buffy ducked her head, refusing to meet Tara's gaze.
"Oh my god" Tara exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "His chip stopped working?"
"No, it still works... just not on me." Buffy took a deep breath. "I think, maybe, I came back wrong."
"Oh Buffy n-no! No!"
"There has to be something wrong Tara, there has to be!" Buffy's voice had risen to a panic. "Why do I let Spike do those things to me?"
"Y-you mean hit you?" Tara's heart broke for the girl sitting in front of her. Buffy's eyes shone with shame, as she allowed Tara to see, just for a moment, the absolute misery she was in. "Oh…"
"Please Tara, there has to be something wrong. This isn't me. I'm not like this!" She insisted, her voice was shrill with panic.
"Well, there is this spell I could try, just to be sure. But Buffy, I really don't think- "
"Just do it Tara." Buffy interrupted her. Meet me at my house after I get off work, ok?"
With those words Buffy strode away, leaving Tara to wonder what was going on, and how she could possibly help the young slayer.
When Tara arrived at the house later Buffy explained that Willow was out, and Dawn was spending the night at a friends.
"I didn't know how long it would take, so I figured it would be better to have them out for a while, especially with the whole 'Willow and Magic' thingy."
Tara agreed and worked on setting up the spell.
"If the spell works right, it should allow me to see you—your soul you—as you are now, and as you were than, so I can make sure that everything is ok. And that you didn't come back…." Tara sputtered "Y-you know, wrong."
"Ok" Buffy agreed, waving her arm regally. "Have at it." Placing herself inside the circle Tara had made in the living room Buffy closed her eyes as Tara began to chant.
"Goddess of all thing living
We call on you to show us all
What was before
What is now
What once was
And now is
Let all be made known!"
Tara finished the chant with a yell, and stepped back to look at Buffy.
Buffy was still sitting calmly in the circle of sand that Tara had drawn. Tara stared, shocked. A yellow glow surrounded her, and would have made her look heavenly were it not for the sadness in her eyes. However, it was the mist that floated above Buffy that gave Tara cause for alarm. As she stared into it she began to loose consciousness. Struggling to stay awake, Tara yelped as she felt a hand reach out and pull her into the whirling mist.
Buffy's eyes flew open, colliding with the dark. She strained to see what was going on.
"Her soul is not complete, young one." A voice boomed in the dark. Another voice joined it as they spoke together. "She must go back. Before the key, before the war, before the fire; Into the rain the she must go." Thunder boomed, lightening cracked and Buffy shivered. "It must be done!"
Buffy's eyes opened and she stared around in shock. She was in Angel's old apartment. She could hear the rain pouring down outside. She shivered again, and noted she was naked beneath the covers. A thought was forming…No, that's impossible. She told herself. A wail reached her ears, and suddenly she knew without a doubt, not just where she was, but more importantly, when she was.
"Buffffyyy!"
Buffy was out the door running. Not sure where he would have gone, she ran. The rain streamed down around her as her feet pounded after him.
Angelus.
No. Not again. I can't do this again!
Buffy wasn't sure how long she ran, desperate to find him before he turned the world upside down. Before he shattered her dreams, broke her heart, and killed her friends. Eventually rational thought returned, and she remembered that she had a little time before all of that occurred. Tomorrow. She would see him tomorrow, at his apartment. The cold wrapped it self around her heart, and squeezed until she didn't think she could breathe, and didn't care if she could. She thought being pulled out of heaven was bad?
She had forgotten what it was like to be in hell.
Ok let me know what you think! Chapter 1 is done and will be posted shortly.