Family relations chapter three
Xander walked unsteadily towards the Summers residence with his best friend in his arms, he was worried; the redhead hadn't even said a word since she'd broken down on the Bluff.
At the moment her head rested on his undamaged shoulder, she was as still as a statue- catatonic.
God, he hoped that she wasn't completely broken beyond repair.
He shook his head angrily, he should've helped her- her and Buffy. He'd let both his friends down.
They had let each other down; Buffy had been devastated at being torn from heaven and Willow had been falling off the bandwagon.
He of course had dumped Anya at the alter because he had been so scared that he'd turn out like his abusive drunken father, it happened in a lot of families; the abused became the abusers.
He knows that there is a strong possibility that he could succumb to his dark past and all the traumatizing events that had happened to him practically since birth.
He didn't want to hurt Anya- she was his everything. And so was Willow in a platonic sense.
So, he had left his almost-wife at the alter; he didn't mean to make the entire ordeal humiliating- he shouldn't have freaked out so much that he had felt disorientated.
He was too wrapped up in his own life to realize that Willow had needed help as well as Buffy.
Every time he thought about what Willow's magic withdrawals were like he kicked himself- god, had she been crying and shaking with pain and misery all alone feeling the coldness of her bed?
He should've been there to hold her and encourage her- they all should've.
And Buffy, how could he have been so damn blind- so completely stupid!
If he ever caught Spike again he'd kill him; vamp-strength be damned! He abused a vulnerable young woman who needed psychiatric help.
How could she not! She dug herself from the goddamn ground!! God what had happened to their group?
He knew the answer.
Giles.
Giles had left thinking that they could take care of themselves on their own- he thought wrong.
Not that he blamed the ex-watcher, he had obviously been getting tired; he was after all in his mid-late forties and had been looking to live the rest of his life in peace.
God, they all thought that they could handle the independence. They might be young adults but they had the world on their shoulders and a responsibility that no one should have.
They needed help, they had made so many mistakes. It was hard to think about when it started going bad.
When they had started drifting apart.
Xander walked up to the door and didn't need to even knock because Buffy came running out quickly.
"Xander! Are you ok- Willow? She isn't?"
He wasn't surprised that she had asked, "She's not dead, she's okay…well,…"
He trailed off.
Without another word Xander followed Buffy inside.
Meanwhile at San Fran
Levi stood at the roadside and hailed a cab over.
"Sunnydale," he said and the driver nodded.
Levi jumped in and the vehicle pulled out from the curb and towards his destination and his sister.
His coven had been reluctant to let him go alone, but after some convincing and a reminder that he was more protected from Athos than anyone else that had grudgingly let him go.
He had butterflies in his stomach; he was so nervous.
He was going to see Willow for the first time in seventeen years and he was kinda scared, what if she really did hate him? Or had forgotten him?
He pushed those feelings away and focused on the fact that his enemy was probably after her; the only thing he had to worry about was if he could save his little sister.
Then he would take her away from Sunnydale and get her some magical training- she obviously needed it.
He should've talked to her long before now, he should've gone to Sunnydale earlier even if it meant being rejected, then he would've known that she needed training.
It could've been prevented.
He had to find some way to make it up to her somehow- hopefully she'd let him at least try.
10 hours later; back in Sunnydale
Buffy hugged her best friend tighter as the redhead screamed again from yet another nightmare, god, she hated this!
She was the Slayer, the leader of the Scoobies and she had let Willow down. She'd let her go under after she had went through hell to make herself better.
So many mistakes!
Not talking sucked! It gave her too much time to think about all the times they could've avoided this and avoided Tara's death.
She thought about all the times that they all should've realized that Willow needed help, the witch had stayed and helped her fight the darkness and it wasn't even her destiny. She could've left whenever she wanted.
But she didn't.
She had stayed just like Xander, Anya and Tara had, neither of them had a destiny- they had all the chances in the world to back out.
She'd messed up big time, they all had.
She just hoped that they all had a chance to repair all the damage.
She hugged the redhead as she whimpered in her nightmares, she saw another pair of arms stroke Willow's hair back from her tear-stained face; Xander was hugging the young witch as well.
This was the first time in a long time that the three of them had exhibited this much unity.
Buffy had decided then and there that things would improve- no matter how hard it was, things weren't going to deteriorate this much ever again.
Xander and Buffy hadn't been able to leave Willow alone, not like this.
After Buffy had cleaned Willow up in the shower and got her dressed into night clothes she had then helped Xander get patched up and then they had comforted their buddy as much as they could.
Dawn was in her room probably trying to sleep but not succeeding. Anya was probably downstairs watching television and mourning over her almost-husband.
Giles was most likely either nursing a glass of scotch or talking to the coven that he had got his magic from.
They were a pathetic group weren't they?
They thought that they were infallible; they were wrong.
Meanwhile in the middle of Sunnydale
Levi Rosenberg looked at the slip of paper in his right hand; 'Revello Drive'. Where's that?
He was trying to navigate his way through this town and was also trying not to run into any beasties along the way; he could feel his sister through his connection to her.
She was extremely distressed and he knew that she was dreaming, he hoped she was safe until he got there.
If wasn't in such an emotional state she would've felt him through the link as well, it also would've been the first time.
The link had opened up about four years ago but it only would've been one-sided so she would've felt it at all.
He walked past a building called 'The Bronze' which was obviously a club for entertainment, also a perfect feeding ground for the walking dead; people could be so stupid sometimes.
All it took was a passing vampire and they would be dead, that never stopped them though.
He shook his head disbelievingly but pushed the thoughts away and continued trying to find the house that his sis was in.
A cat screeched suddenly and made him jump; he grew a fireball but stopped as it was obviously not a demon, he extinguished the fire and rolled his eyes irritably- this town gave him the wiggins.
He grinned a several minutes later as he found the 'Revello' sign and looked at the numbers on the houses quickly in turn.
He sped up the drive towards the right door and paused suddenly with his hand in a fist ready to knock.
What would he say? Would she remember him? Would the Slayer think he was a demon or something?
He shook his head fiercely- he was doing this for his sister. The warlock might be trying to kill her.
He needed to help.
The redheaded man raised him fist once more and knocked loudly.
He swallowed hard and waited for someone to answer it.
