Disclaimer : Buffy belongs to Joss. This is just something that was floating around in my head and is written for fun.
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"I'm sorry, there's no reaction at all," the doctor said after shining the light in Buffy's eyes. "I'm afraid we lost her."
Joyce finally let the tears she'd been holding back burst free as she moved int her husband's arms. He held her close, stroking her hair, trying desperately to hold back his own heartbreak. They watched as the orderlies came in and gently lifted Buffy up onto the bed. As a precaution, they shackled her tiny limbs to it.
Joyce couldn't watch any longer. "Please take me home," she said in a tiny voice.
Hank nodded. He knew that his daughter would never come back from where she was. He just hoped his wife did too.
They forgave her.
She had tried to kill them, yet they still forgave her.
'Guess that's what true friendship is,' she thought to herself as she walked slowly through the deserted cemetery. She still felt incredible guilt about everything she had done, but her friends never brought it up and acted as if it had never happened. But it had and it haunted her day and night. There was still the nagging doubt in the back of her mind. What if this really wasn't real? What if I really am lying in a bed in an institution back in L.A.? What if I am stuck here in this nightmare reality by my own choice?
The words of the doctor floated back into her mind...
"Last summer...momentary awakening...pulled you back in..."
But last summer...she died. Hadn't she? And then Willow brought her back...to this. She looked around at all the tombstones. With the moonlight reflecting on them they looked almost beautiful. But each one was a stark reminder of a time she'd failed. The thought that some were years, decades, even centuries old didn't occur to her. Only the thought that she had failed someone at some point and they had ended up here. Sometimes this was only a temporary stop before they awoke and she had to slay them. Either way, they ended up here because of her.
There had to be more to her life than this?
"Slayer," came the voice she had come to know so well from behind her.
"Spike," she said softly, her heartbeat quickening just a little.
She could hear him drawing nearer and she forced herself to not turn around. She knew if she did, she'd weaken and things would go back to what they had been before. The decision had been made and there could be no going back. No matter how much she wanted him. And she wanted him badly.
"Couldn't keep away could you?" he said as he came to a stop just behind her.
"Cemetery...Slayer...Vampires. Vampires hang out in cemeteries and I must slay them," she replied, still facing away from him. "Cemeteries go with the job Spike. You know that."
"But this is my cemetery luv," he persisted. "There's many others in this dump, yet you always find your way back here. You still want me, admit it."
Buffy stiffened as she felt his cold fingers trailing over the back of her neck. He was right, and she hated him for it. She had almost forgotten how good his touch could be.
"Stop," she moaned softly, slowly turning to face him. "I meant it Spike. It...whatever we had...its over."
"You don't mean that Slayer," he whispered.
His mouth was dangerously close to her ear. She pushed him away.
"I mean it Spike."
He stood looking at the slight figure in front of him. He had never felt anything like he felt for her before in his life, or death, and he thought she had felt it too. She couldn't have meant what she said in his crypt. That was just her reaction to being caught out by her soldier boy. She had loved it when it was a secret. She couldn't get enough of him then. But now...he hurt not being with her.
"Fine," he said as he ran his hand over his short bleached hair. "We'll see how long you last without me. You'll come crawling back to me soon enough, and maybe then, I won't want you."
Buffy stood silently as she watched the tall vampire disappear into the darkness.
"Not gonna happen."
"There's been no change," the nurse with the kind eyes said.
Joyce looked up. She held Buffy's tiny hand in hers. Her fingers stroked slowly over her daughter's. She looked like she was sleeping and could awaken at any second.
"I have to keep hoping," she replied. "She will come back to us when she's ready."
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"I'm sorry, there's no reaction at all," the doctor said after shining the light in Buffy's eyes. "I'm afraid we lost her."
Joyce finally let the tears she'd been holding back burst free as she moved int her husband's arms. He held her close, stroking her hair, trying desperately to hold back his own heartbreak. They watched as the orderlies came in and gently lifted Buffy up onto the bed. As a precaution, they shackled her tiny limbs to it.
Joyce couldn't watch any longer. "Please take me home," she said in a tiny voice.
Hank nodded. He knew that his daughter would never come back from where she was. He just hoped his wife did too.
They forgave her.
She had tried to kill them, yet they still forgave her.
'Guess that's what true friendship is,' she thought to herself as she walked slowly through the deserted cemetery. She still felt incredible guilt about everything she had done, but her friends never brought it up and acted as if it had never happened. But it had and it haunted her day and night. There was still the nagging doubt in the back of her mind. What if this really wasn't real? What if I really am lying in a bed in an institution back in L.A.? What if I am stuck here in this nightmare reality by my own choice?
The words of the doctor floated back into her mind...
"Last summer...momentary awakening...pulled you back in..."
But last summer...she died. Hadn't she? And then Willow brought her back...to this. She looked around at all the tombstones. With the moonlight reflecting on them they looked almost beautiful. But each one was a stark reminder of a time she'd failed. The thought that some were years, decades, even centuries old didn't occur to her. Only the thought that she had failed someone at some point and they had ended up here. Sometimes this was only a temporary stop before they awoke and she had to slay them. Either way, they ended up here because of her.
There had to be more to her life than this?
"Slayer," came the voice she had come to know so well from behind her.
"Spike," she said softly, her heartbeat quickening just a little.
She could hear him drawing nearer and she forced herself to not turn around. She knew if she did, she'd weaken and things would go back to what they had been before. The decision had been made and there could be no going back. No matter how much she wanted him. And she wanted him badly.
"Couldn't keep away could you?" he said as he came to a stop just behind her.
"Cemetery...Slayer...Vampires. Vampires hang out in cemeteries and I must slay them," she replied, still facing away from him. "Cemeteries go with the job Spike. You know that."
"But this is my cemetery luv," he persisted. "There's many others in this dump, yet you always find your way back here. You still want me, admit it."
Buffy stiffened as she felt his cold fingers trailing over the back of her neck. He was right, and she hated him for it. She had almost forgotten how good his touch could be.
"Stop," she moaned softly, slowly turning to face him. "I meant it Spike. It...whatever we had...its over."
"You don't mean that Slayer," he whispered.
His mouth was dangerously close to her ear. She pushed him away.
"I mean it Spike."
He stood looking at the slight figure in front of him. He had never felt anything like he felt for her before in his life, or death, and he thought she had felt it too. She couldn't have meant what she said in his crypt. That was just her reaction to being caught out by her soldier boy. She had loved it when it was a secret. She couldn't get enough of him then. But now...he hurt not being with her.
"Fine," he said as he ran his hand over his short bleached hair. "We'll see how long you last without me. You'll come crawling back to me soon enough, and maybe then, I won't want you."
Buffy stood silently as she watched the tall vampire disappear into the darkness.
"Not gonna happen."
"There's been no change," the nurse with the kind eyes said.
Joyce looked up. She held Buffy's tiny hand in hers. Her fingers stroked slowly over her daughter's. She looked like she was sleeping and could awaken at any second.
"I have to keep hoping," she replied. "She will come back to us when she's ready."