CHAPTER 8
Historical Note:
This story takes place during the seventh season of Buffy, during the series finale.Disclaimer:
I don't own any of the characters from either Buffy or Angel; although I wish I did!!Authors Note:
Last chapter! I hope I did some justice for the B/A fans out there, and didn't totally screw up this episode. Thanks so much for the feedback. If you're a B/A fan and you wanna read more of my stuff, check out The trilogy I got going; Prophecy Birth, Return, Choices. Also, I was thinking about posting another story that I had already written that's; of coarse, a B/A. Whatcha think? Do you guys wanna read another? LOL. Let me know!After watching the final episode of Buffy, I was a little disappointed that Angel wasn't there for the actual battle, so I decided to re-write the last episode including Angel in the final battle. Otherwise, everything else is the same. Also, since it broke my heart to see Xander's eye get gouged out, I'm just going to pretend it never happened!
Summary:
The apocalypse is drawing dangerously close for Buffy and the group, and with the potential slayers being killed off one by one, both Buffy and Faith are realizing this time both slayers may be in over their head.Then all of a sudden, someone from Buffy's past comes to help them with the fight; causing old feelings to stir. Faced with what seems to be the final battle; Buffy is forced to face her past as well as her greatest love; as he joins her in the last battle.
Disclaimer II:
A good amount; not all, but a good amount came from a book called 'Chosen.' I just wanted to make a note of that. I'm not trying to pass this whole story as being all my idea, obviously. But the idea of having Angel stay there for the fight was in fact mine, so there!As Buffy made it up to the main level of the school, she realized not only the school was crumbling, but also the whole town was going with it. Quickly, Buffy looked for the next flight of stairs to get to the roof level, and climbed them as fast as she could.
Up on the roof, Buffy ran towards the end of the school, and without breaking speed, she made an impossible jump off the building, and landed on top of the bus. She could hear the whole town being sucked into the hell-mouth as she gripped the rooftop for her life as it continued to drive away from the town of Sunnydale. Collecting all the courage she had left, she turned around and looked at the cracks chasing them. The entire town was sinking into a smoking black crater, and the bus just barely made it to the edge of the town and away from the destruction.
All of a sudden, the bus screeched to a stop. Buffy then quickly jumped off the bus as everyone started piling out. Dawn opened the back door and jumped out. With a huge relieved smile on her face, Dawn ran towards Buffy and hugged her. Buffy felt relieved knowing her sister had made it out alive. As she hugged her sister, she thought about all of the other possible survivors, and who died out of t he battle. As she pulled away from her hug with her sister, she felt just as relieved when she saw Giles standing beside them looking into the distance.
"I don't understand. What did this?" Giles asked. Buffy turned and looked into the distance at what used to be Sunnydale.
"Spike," she said as she mourned for him. But at the same time she was glad for him. He died a hero; a good man, she thought to herself as she walked closer to the monstrous crater. Giles and Dawn then began to walk over towards her as the wind began to blow. Buffy looked out with a saddened face as she continued to look on to what used to be her home; her town.
As Xander got off of the bus, he saw Andrew, and walked over to him. He knew the second he got onto the bus, but he had to ask.
"So did you see?" Xander asked.
"I, I was scared. I'm sorry," Andrew said as he tried to walk past Xander. He felt like he couldn't face him. Xander put his arm out and stopped him. He pushed it. He pushed harder than he had ever pushed for anything in his life. But deep down her knew… She was gone.
"Did you see what happened?" he asked as he searched Andrew's face for an answer. "Was she..." he trailed off.
Andrew gazed at him. The tears were there, along with the answer.
"She was incredible," Andrew told him. "She died saving my life," he said. Xander put a hand on Andrew's shoulder as he held back tears.
"That's my girl. Always doing the stupid thing." He thought of Anya as he walked over to Buffy. I do Anya, I do, he said to himself.
~*~
On the bus, Faith looked at Robin's stomach wound as he sat in the driver's seat of the bus.
"It's not bad," she lied, "Just sit here. I'll get someone to-"
"Hey. Did we make it?" Robin asked in a whispered, pained voice. Faith nodded as she squatted down beside him.
"We made it. We won," she told him. Robin smiled, then all of a sudden he went still. Faith's smile disappeared as she realized what happened. Robin hadn't made it. She stayed there for a second and just looked at him thinking of what could've been. She then moved to close his eyes when all of a sudden he coughed, spasming back to life. She quickly pulled back her hand.
"Surprise," he whispered as he looked at her. Faith smiled at him. Not lost, she thought to herself. A new beginning. She realized as she looked at him with happiness. All of a sudden, one of the slayers walked over to them with supplies in her hand. She bent down as she began to clean up his wounds.
~*~
As Buffy continued to stand in silence and look into the distance, she felt a strong hand touch her shoulder. She quickly turned around to see Angel covered in a blanket smiling at her.
"Angel!" She said happily as she hugged him. "You made it," she said.
"Of coarse I did," he said as he carefully moved his arms around him, covering her in the blanket with him as well. It was a miracle there was a blanket, or else he would have been burned; would be burning now.
"Looks like the hell-mouth is officially closed for business," Faith declared as she walked over to the group. Buffy carefully pulled away and looked at Faith and smiled. She counted all of her friends. Xander, Dawn, Angel, Faith, Willow, but she didn't see... oh no, she said to herself. Anya didn't make it. She then looked over at Xander. He knew what she was thinking, and just nodded. Buffy closed her eyes for a second to say goodbye to Anya before returning her gaze once more to the large crater. Buffy stood beside Angel and her sister. Buffy slowly reached under the blanket for Angel's hand and stood there as the two of then held hands looking out.
"Well, there's another one in Cleveland," Giles told them. They all looked at him. "Not to spoil the moment," he added quickly as he knelt down and picked up a rock. He then stood up and tossed the rock into the crater.
"We saved the world," Xander said as he helped Willow over to the group. She still felt weak from the spell.
"We changed the world," she added. "I can feel them Buffy. All over, slayers awakening everywhere," she said.
"We'll have to find them," Dawn said.
"We will," Willow assured her.
"Yes because the mall was actually in Sunnydale, so there are no hopes of going there tomorrow," Giles added.
"We destroyed the mall?" Dawn said. "I fought on the wrong side," she said jokingly.
"All those shops gone. The GAP, Starbucks, Toys R Us? Who will remember all those landmarks unless we tell the world about them," Xander said chiding in finally.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us," Giles agreed. Faith looked at him.
"Can I push him in?" Faith asked Willow.
"You've got my vote," she assured her. Faith looked back at Giles and jokingly pushed him.
"I just want to sleep, yo, for like a week!" she told him. Willow laughed.
"I guess we all could...if we wanted to," Dawn said as she looked at Buffy.
"Yeah, the First is gone, so what do you think we should Buffy?" Willow asked Buffy as she moved a clump of hair from her face.
"Yeah you're not the one and only 'chosen' anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How does that feel?" Faith asked Buffy.
Buffy smiled. For once in her life, she could actually find out what it was like to live like a regular person without having to carry the burden of being the chosen one.
"Yeah Buffy, what are we going to do now?" Dawn asked.
"Whatever we want," she told her as she squeezed Angel's hand. She looked at him and smiled. She knew that sooner or later he'd have to go to back to L.A., but for the time being she'd have him there with her, and that was enough for her.
She continued to look out into the distance, and silently said goodbye to everyone who was lost in the battle. Each and every person was brave, and died hero's.
THE END
"The Battle Continues..".
