Some time before Riley had left
Angel of death.
Some time before Riley had left.
"Another night another grave… same old story…" Buffy causally muttered almost to herself as she slayed another vampire, Willow on the other hand was quite chirpy,
"Gees what's been up with you lately? You've lost your spunkiness"
Buffy let the sound of her feet rustling through the leaves distract her from answering. She suddenly paused, Willow who hasn't noticed carried on walking until Buffy called her back.
"Willow… Willow!"
"What? Oh ther- "
"Shh… can you hear something? Sounds like a baby crying…" As Buffy headed in the direction of the sound, Willow nervously hung back.
"Buffy… I don't here no sound...You know this kinda thing has big bad or even loony bad written all over it."
Buffy took no notice as she headed inside an open tomb. Inside smelt of damp moss and a smell that reminded her of old libraries and such alike. The scene before her was so cliché it she found it unnerving, Willow clumsily followed her in making enough noise to show the whole country where they was. Buffy rolled her eyes before telling her to be quiet. Too late, a large black mass overshadowed them threatening to devour their very souls. Willow took one look at Buffy as she did the same: "Run!"
They both tore through the tomb, Buffy launched Willow far out onto the grass before turning to face her enemy. The black mass began to solidify into what only Buffy could describe was pure soulless venom, pure hatred and despair threatened to consume her. The sound of the crying infant intensified – Buffy fell to her knees in pain she covered her ears trying futility to block out the sound.
"Buffy! ..." Willow screamed in absolute terror, yet although she could see the mass she could not understand why it was having such an effect on her friend. She began to drag Buffy away from the dark shadow, as she approached Willow found her eyes straying into the shadows depth, to this day Willow could not fully describe what she saw only that the mass wasn't solid yet wasn't a shadow either – the colour wasn't black but yet it was. She could see every colour imaginable yet it was black.
The mass began to dissipate once Willow got near.
"Buffy … Buffy you alright? Talk to me … please"
Buffy slumped against Willow for a moment before answering,
"We need to get moving… yeh we need to see Giles… I gotta talk to Riley."
"Buffy? What happened just then? I mean I saw the big, scary creepy shadow… but why was I more afraid than I have ever been before?"
"We need to get moving."
Riley got to Buffy's as soon as he could, his mind was filled with concern he was curious to know what, was the big urgency? Buffy paced the living room as Riley sat on the couch waiting for an explanation.
"Buffy… you wanted to talk so… well I'm not getting any younger…."
Buffy took a deep breath,
"Riley… have you ever heard of the Angel of death?"
"Well of course I have … who hasn't… what's this got to do with anything?"
"I was attacked whilst on patrolling… I'm fine!" as Riley began to reach out for her. "But … I saw something today … um it affects you… well both of us really … well everything really… or not? I'm not too sure – "
Riley got lost in her words, he could tell she was scared… but he was even more in the dark.
"Buffy… stop… just tell me."
"I'm rambling … again I have tendency's to do that…"
Riley stood and brought her close to him, Buffy inhaled his sent before whispering
"I'm pregnant."
Riley was stunned he broke their embrace and it was he who began circling the room.
Buffy in tears spoke softly,
"You let go…. You're mad I can tell… Riley? Please say something"
Riley took one look at Buffy and crumbled she looked so lost it broke him.
"Buffy… what's this got to do with patrolling?"
Buffy abit taken aback by his forwardness numbly replied,
"It doesn't matter… I just thought you wanted to know…"
Riley let his emotions subside before answering, what he really wanted to do was scream and shout; how the hell did he let this happen? It's not like they were never careful or anything.
"Buffy – "
Just as Riley began Xander, Willow and Anaya crashed through the door,
"Hey! Buffy, Riley… sorry for barging in on ya like this…but - Hey!"
Xander was cut off by the entrance of Spike,
"Er NO! you can stay outside where you belong"
"Piss off Xander," Spike retorted.
Buffy tried hard to mask the relief she was feelings, her friends had unknowingly saved her from awkward questions, she wasn't quite ready to fully face Riley. At least now she could buy for some time.
"Stop Bickering, all of you! What the hell is going on?"
Anaya and Willow rushed forward to answer her,
"DEMONS, LOTS AND LOTS OF DEMONS" they both cried in unison.
After fighting their way through the streets Buffy and the others found themselves at Giles, expecting answers.
Buffy paced the length of the hallway listening out for any stray demons that may have followed them here. Riley silently made his presence known to her, he moved swiftly before she had a chance to escape. His gentle yet firm hands grasped her shoulders. Inhaling her sent he brought her around. Cupping her face in his hands he gently whispered to her.
Anaya was confused what was with Buffy and Riley? Why are they being so distant you would have thought that they of all people would be interested in saving the world? Personally she thought that the prospect of the end of the world to be quite appealing until she remembered that she was no longer a demon herself
"I have an idea about what's happening," Giles paused as he let the group gather round.
"From what Willow has told me from the events that led up till now it seems, that dominatio Augustalis which roughly translates as the angel of death –"
Spikes laugh interrupted Giles,
"Your telling me that the angel of death, you know … the big guy is pissed off… grate now where all doomed…"
Buffy felt her heart sink into stomach she knew this was coming and she knew why… she could barely here Giles as he continued...
"Early earth before time even… there was an agreement between the two infinite powers the angel of life and the angel of death. These supreme powers agreed to keep the balance of power and rest it solely on the shoulders of humanity, the only catch was that the angel of death could choose one life per century to claim for his own. Humanity was left in the hands of fate."
As Giles continued his history lesson Riley once again moved behind Buffy.
"You knew."
"What?" the warmth from his whisper sent shivers down her spine, Buffy almost recoiled as she answered him.
"You knew what that thing was, you told me right before…"
Riley cut off as he realised he was being watched. The rest of the group stopped and was listening intently, Willows face was full of concern every pair of eyes was on Buffy.
"What?"
"Buffy… the Angel came for you. You stopped it, thus shifting the balance."
"Basically Buffy you decided to live instead of dying like you were supposed to do. I mean it's not like you haven't got form."
"Shut up Spike" defended Riley.
"No. his right. I should be dead, it did come for me, I felt it."
"I don't care what you felt it's not happening Buffy, don't you dare play the martyr, we can find a way to stop this, we have to."
"You think this is easy for me Riley? Coz' it isn't, you should know that more than anyone!"
The whole room was silent as Buffy and Riley argued.
"Yes I do! This is exactly what you do, you avoid any chance of being happy because it scares you so much… instead of trying you give up… you know I sorta expected a little more from you, but hey that's Buffy all over!"
"You think I want to die?"
"Rather die than face the truth and any real chance of being happy!"
(Are they still talking about the same thing we were?" Anaya whispered to Xander.)
"Riley we'll talk about this later." Buffy tried to force back the tears that were threatening to devour her.
"No, let talk about this now… tell them Buffy tell them the good news!"
"No."
"Fine! Buffy is pregnant, she's having my baby and unlike her I'm happy to face the responsibility."
"Whoa I'd thought I'd never see the day! Buffy up duff!" Spike was beside himself with laughter, Buffy took one look at everyone before fleeing into the streets.
Riley and the gang were in search of Buffy, whilst Giles searched for a solution, all Riley could think about was his unborn child and Buffy, however his search was slowed down immensely by the others, he was more than capable to fight demons, yet the others such as Willow and Anaya were not, he had the responsibility to ensure there safety. Guilt was messing with his mind; he couldn't help but think that all this was his fault.
It took Buffy longer than expected to find the tomb, she knew every second gone was also a potential life gone. In her heart she was crying out in desperation, not for herself but for her child, she remembered how she felt for that brief period of time when Riley admitted he was pleased. She was angry with herself, how could she dare think that she could be happy?
Once reaching the grave she noted how many demons had circled her. Maybe this was it – she was to be ripped apart piece by piece by demons?
The frightening racket the demons were making abruptly came to a halt once the great mass began to reappear, Buffy nervously watched as they fell to their knees in what looked like utter terror.
Again the sound of a baby crying was heard raw emotion swept through her she lost all sense of time and place, she was totally disorientated all she could here was pain and suffering.
"Take me then!" She whispered in her head this was the only coherent thought that she could muster and she prayed the angel could here it.
Every demon spoke at the same moment not one breath or sound was a second in front or behind,
"You are not whom I want"
Buffy was confused so the demons repeated once more
Without realising Buffy had fell to the ground she bravely mustered all her strength to stand once more.
"tell me what you want."
Once more the demons spoke in unison,
"I want my claim you are not whom I want"
Buffy looked at each demon in turn before facing the mass once more, in it's shadowy depths she could make out shapes but it wasn't in focus tears flowed silently as she began to understand. Buffy was looking into herself, her future. Riley was comforting her as cried in hysterics, the doctors pronounced her son dead. She was to have a son, it was him it wanted not her.
"What do I have to do?" she feebly asked.
"You have two options, I can take my claim now and restore the balance, or I can take my claim once birthed."
"Will I know, will I remember you?"
"Yes. But others won't. What is your choice? Answer swiftly."
"I would rather spend one moment with him than face life without it."
Buffy found herself replaying the events earlier tonight, "Another night another grave… same old story…" Buffy causally muttered almost to herself as she slayed another vampire, Willow on the other hand was quite chirpy,
"Gees what's been up with you lately? You've lost your spunkiness"
She was about to answer when she remembered, she remembered everything.
"nothing, Willow, nothing… I'm gonna head of to Riley's."
Nine months and a bit flew past too fast for Buffy inside she knew her baby was safe, once born he wasn't. Riley was over the moon when she told him, he couldn't wait to be a farther. Tonight was the night. At half past three in the morning weighing at eight pounds two baby Joshua was born. The doctors took him away as Buffy turned away. He was dead. Still born they called it. The doctors asked her if she wanted to hold him, she gratefully agreed. Soft glows surround her and her baby but know one could see, yet Buffy felt it. The Angel kept its bargain and gave her one moment with him; one fleeting moment that would last a life time.