Chapter 12: Performing a Miracle
******The Next Day******
Dawn was sitting at a table with Elena and Caroline in the cafeteria. Dawn was listening to another tale about their recent trip to Los Angeles. It was the fifth one since they'd returned, but Dawn didn't mind. Things had been tense enough with both girls since Dawn had befriended them that she was glad to see them both in such a good mood.
"I'm glad you guys had so much fun," Dawn commented. "Buffy and I have many good memories of L.A."
"Oh, that's right! You're from there, right?" Caroline asked.
Dawn nodded. "That's where I was born," she said automatically. Then she grimaced. "Well, I guess it'd be more accurate to say that's where my fake memories say I was born. We moved to Sunnydale after my parents divorced."
"Divorce sucks," Caroline said with sympathy. "Do you spend much time with your dad? My dad and I were really close before he found out I was a vampire. My mom's been surprisingly cool about it. She and I weren't really that close back when I was human."
"My dad was great when my parents were married. When we first moved to Sunnydale, he saw us. We spent our first summer with him. Then he started traveling more with his job. We kind of got lost it seemed," Dawn said with a frown. "He couldn't even bother to show up for my mom's funeral."
"That's harsh!" Caroline said.
"I'm sorry," Elena said with compassion.
"But I did go see him before we moved here. We cleared the air. He coughed up some money for back child support," Dawn said. "Buffy's still pretty ticked at him. They don't really talk anymore. Giles is more of a father to her anyway."
"I bet it's hard to have a relationship with him if he and your sister are on the outs," Elena said with understanding.
"Yeah, that's true," Dawn said. "So enough about lame parentals. Tell me more about your hot crush."
Caroline looked surprise. "Me? I don't have a hot crush!" she insisted.
Elena grinned. "That would involve her having to pick one of the brothers who worship at her feet! She's got crushes!" Elena teased.
"That's funny coming from the once favorite toy of two Salvatores!" Caroline replied, smirking.
"Ouch!" Elena said with a wince. "Well, neither one is very interested now."
"Stefan is just seduced by that too sexual slayer. He'll be back. Don't worry!" Caroline said. "You guys are soulmates."
"I'm not waiting for Stefan," Elena said firmly.
"That's probably for the best," Dawn said, not wanting to share what she knew about Faith and Stefan in Ohio.
"No, she's got her eyes on the bad, banished brother," Caroline said with a grin.
"Did something happen between you and Damon when you saw him?" Dawn asked with interest.
Matt showed up, interrupting their gossip. He sat down next to Dawn. "Where's Bonnie?" he asked.
"She's having lunch with Willow in her classroom. They're finalizing stuff for the spell for Xander," Dawn explained. "Elena here was about to dish about Damon."
"I thought Caroline was supposed to dish about which Original brother she fancied the most?" Elena asked.
Matt shook his head. "You girls will never learn, will you? Vampires will break your heart every time," he said knowingly.
Dawn reached out for his hand. "I like my guy a little more hot blooded," she said with a warm smile.
Matt grinned and kissed her.
"You two are so cute!" Caroline said, smiling. It was good to see Matt so happy. She hadn't seen him like this in a long time it seemed.
Matt pulled back, slipping his arm around Dawn's shoulders and gave his best friends a sheepish smile. "So tell me. Who are you going to pick? Klaus or his brother?" Matt asked.
"I say go for Oz. He's the best!" Dawn enthused.
Caroline grinned. "He is pretty awesome. Both brothers seem to be under his spell," Caroline agreed. "And to answer your nosy question. I'm not picking either brother. I'm friends with both of them."
"I saw how Klaus was looking at you. He's completely taken with you," Elena said knowingly.
"I doubt he looked at me the way I saw Damon looking at you," Caroline replied pointedly.
Elena looked away. The she said, "Damon and I are really just friends. I mean there's an attraction there. I care about him."
"And he's in love with you," Caroline reminded her.
"Maybe. But Stefan is always there between us," Elena said quietly.
Her friends gave her a look of understanding. Then the bell rang. The girls and Matt all got up. Matt took Dawn's tray to throw away. Dawn was falling him a few behind when a guy purposely-accidentally ran into her shoulder. She winced and looked at the guy in surprise. When the guy didn't apologize, she said, "Excuse you!"
The guy stopped and glared at her. "No, I won't excuse you. My brother spent a night in jail because you don't know how to take a bit of harmless flirting," the guy said.
Dawn's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you serious? You're related to those two losers who thought it was okay to put their hands on their waitress? They were warned to chill and didn't listen," Dawn said. "You should just be grateful my sister didn't kick their ass and humiliate them further!"
Matt made his way back to Dawn. "What's going on here?" he asked. "Jake, is there a problem?"
"Did you know your girlfriend here got my brother and his best friend thrown in jail last night?" Jake asked.
"Now, Jake, you know your brother can be an ass. You also know that you guys are just mad 'cause he got rejected by both Summers girls," Matt said with an easy smile.
Caroline appeared. "Dawn, are you coming? We're going to be late to English," Caroline said crossly. She looked at Jake. She frowned as she realized there was tension. "Are you bothering my friend?"
Jake gave Caroline a weary look. "Your friend here got my brother arrested!" he said.
"Whatever!" Caroline said, rolling her eyes. "Your brother is a jerk and you know it. Don't start fights on his behalf or you'll regret it." She gave the guy a cold look and took Dawn's hand. "Let's go."
Dawn waved at Matt as Caroline dragged her off. Matt stepped in front of Jake. "You know I thought we were friends," he said.
Jake eyed Donovan warily. Everyone liked Matt for a reason. He was a nice guy, and he'd always made Tyler Lockwood more tolerable. The guy had a rough deal the past year, so Jake didn't want to upset him. "We are," he replied.
Matt's air of congeniality left as he glared at Jake. "My friends don't harass my girlfriend," he said pointedly.
Jake looked contrite. "Sorry, dude. It won't happen again," he said.
"I hope not," Matt said. Then he turned and headed to class. He hated bullies more than anything. It was the one quality Tyler had a tendency to show that he'd battled against their entire lives. He liked to think he'd been a good influence on his best friend. He missed Tyler every day. But he especially missed him when they were at school. It was where his absence was most obvious to Matt. Having Dawn in his life helped fill the void that seem to be growing with each loss.
After school, Alaric went to Willow's classroom. "Willow, I found a doctor for us," he told her.
She looked up from her desk. "Really? Who?"
"The Sheriff introduced me to Meredith Fell. Her family is a founding family. She's aware of the things your best friend battles," he said with a grin.
"So she's on board with the magics?" Willow asked.
"Not so sure about that. But she'll be at your house at seven," Alaric told her.
"Good. Everything's ready," she said.
Alaric stepped closer to her desk. "Are you sure you can do this? Giving someone back a body part is a big deal. There's no rush," he said.
"I-I think I'm good. I mean I feel good about it," she said haltingly. "I've done a lot with magic. I've not tried any thing like this without tapping in to the dark side of magic. However, Bonnie and I have a spell we think will do it."
Alaric nodded. "Okay. I'll see you at your house in a few," he said.
Willow took a deep breath. She hoped nothing went wrong. Xander deserved this, and she wanted to be the one to make him whole again. After all, it was he who had helped her find her way in the darkness when her darkness had almost destroyed the world. She owed him everything.
*******A Few Hours Later*******
Rebekah stood back and observed the people assembled in Willow's house. She was trying not to feel out of place. Willow had done much to make sure she felt welcomed in her home. The fact that she'd so quickly insisted on staying with Rebekah when her ex was in town had done a lot to reassure Rebekah. Rebekah had never had much luck in the romance department. Her brother Niklaus had never found any of the men she liked worth anything. If Rebekah hadn't gotten bored or the guy hadn't betrayed her, her brother normally found a way to end things. This time, however, Rebekah knew her big brother would not be allowed to interfere. For the first time in their very long lives, they had met someone who was strong enough to stand with them or against them. Willow could handle her brother. That knowledge filled Rebekah with confidence. It allowed her to let down the walls she'd normally always keep in place. Her feelings for Willow were surprisingly strong considering the short time they'd known each other.
Rebekah eyed the slayer who was obviously still in love with Willow. Kennedy's dark looks every time she glanced at Rebekah spoke volumes. Rebekah knew she had to watch her back. She wasn't exactly concerned. After all, there wasn't much the slayer could do to her. However, she didn't want to be goaded into a fight with the girl. She might kill Kennedy and that would upset Willow. Willow wasn't like Rebekah. She didn't hate her exes. She still cared both for her brother's hybrid Oz and for this slayer. Her tremendous capacity to love was one of the things that drew Rebekah close. For many long centuries, Rebekah have been starving for love and affection. Niklaus was so haphazard in his affections. He punished as quickly as he showed her love. It naturally made Rebekah a bit wary. However, Willow was full of love and compassion. The spell she was trying to do now was proof of how much she loved her friends. It made Rebekah feel very lucky that she was the recipient of Willow's wealth of love and affection. She glanced again at Kennedy. Rebekah wasn't about to let anyone ruin what she'd found.
"Bekah," Willow called, holding out her hand. "I'm going to need you in the circle, too."
The door bell rang. Dawn went over to answer it. "The hot doctor is here!" she called out.
All eyes turned to look at the new arrival. Xander stepped forward. "Wow, you're not kidding, Dawnie," he said with a grin. He stepped forward and held out his hand. "Welcome. Dr. Fell, right? I'm Xander Harris, the patient." He pointed to his eye patch.
Meredith smiled. Med school had prepared her well to be center of attention. Although she was only in her first year of residency, she still felt confident in nearly every situation. She took his hand. "Please, call me Meredith," she said with a friendly smile.
"Great! And you may call me anything you want!" Xander said with a wink.
Meredith laughed. Buffy stepped forward and began introducing everyone in the room to the doctor.
"So what exactly are you guys going to do with Xander?" Meredith asked.
"Will here is going to give me back my eye!" Xander said excitedly.
Meredith looked dubious. "And how is she going to do that exactly?" she asked.
"Magic!" Willow said with a wide smile.
"Willow is a witch and can do amazing things," Dawn boasted.
Buffy's house was crowded because everyone wanted to witness Willow perform a miracle. Matt, Jeremy, Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline were there. Alaric, of course, was there. He was chatting now with the doctor. Xander began telling her how he lost his eye. Rick had heard the story from Buffy. However, hearing Xander tell it made it even more horrifying to hear.
The doorbell rang. "Oh, that's probably my mom!" Caroline said. She went and opened the door. Her mom entered the crowded house.
"Hey, Sheriff!" Xander waved. He excused himself and walked over to her.
"Xander. How are you doing?" Liz asked.
"Great!" he said with enthusiasm. "Will's going to give me back my eye!"
Liz frowned. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.
"What if she gives you, like, a third eye by mistake?" Caroline pointed out.
"No doubting allowed!" Dawn admonished.
"Don't worry, Sheriff. I trust Will. She can do it," Xander said. "Giles wanted me to send you his regards."
"He did?" Liz asked, feeling her face flush. Caroline, detecting her quickened heartbeat, gave her mom a sharp look but said nothing.
Xander nodded. "I keep trying to convince him to Skype, but he is still resistant to technology. Maybe you can call or email him? He doesn't get out much," Xander said.
"He emails?" Caroline couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, Willow got him doing that before she left England. Even he agrees it's most efficient," Xander said, mimicking Giles.
"Okay, Bonnie and I are ready!" Willow announced to the room. "I need Buffy, Kennedy, Rebekah, and Caroline to form a circle around Xander. Rebekah, you stand next to me. Buffy, you stand next to Bonnie." Kennedy moved to stand between Buffy and Caroline.
"Why are we doing this?" Caroline asked.
"You all have super strength. We'll draw on your energy to conduct the spell. With so many of you, no one should be drained," Willow said.
Caroline gave Bonnie a questioning gaze. "Don't worry, Care. We got this," Bonnie assured.
Matt whispered to Dawn, "What's going to happen if things go haywire?"
"Best not to think about that," Dawn said. "It's been awhile since Will's messed up a spell."
"She messes up spells?" Matt asked in surprise. Dawn ssh'd him, turning her attention to Willow and Bonnie.
"Xander, you're going to have to take off your eye patch," Willow told him with an apologetic smile.
He nodded and removed it. His eye was basically a black hole. Those that had a direct line to him winced at the sight. All except for Dr. Fell. She stood directly behind Willow and gave Xander an encouraging smile. Xander figured it was a good sign if the good doctor hadn't gagged at the sight of his gauged out eye.
Willow and Bonnie linked hands with their friends and began chanting in Latin. After a few minutes, the room was filled with a whirlwind of energy. Willow and Bonnie's linked hands began to glow. Willow looked up as her eyes and hair turned completely white. Those who'd never seen her perform strong magics gasped at the display. Willow let go of Rebekah's hand; Bonnie released Buffy's. In unison, the two women stepped up to Xander. Willow put her free hand over Xander's missing eye. "Let the eye be made whole again. Let his sight be restored. Let him see all there is to see. As I will so it will be!" she called out.
Xander started screaming. He tried to pull back. Willow glanced at Rebekah, who stepped forward to hold him in place. "Willow! You're hurting him!" Buffy yelled, upset. Xander hadn't screamed like this since Caleb put his finger through Xander's eye.
Willow ignored Buffy, not pausing. Bonnie didn't falter either but kept chanting. Xander's screams seemed to intensify.
"What's she doing to him?" Elena asked in concern. Her eyes filled with tears at the obvious pain the man was going through.
Buffy warred with her desire to protect Xander and her trust in Willow. "Will, is this supposed to happen? He's in agony!" Buffy called.
Meredith put her hand on Buffy's shoulder. "If she's actually repairing the nerves and giving him back his eye, the pain isn't surprising," Meredith said.
Her words served to bring some calm to the group. Finally, Willow removed her hand from Xander as his screams stopped. She put her arms around him, hugging him. "I'm so sorry, Xander. I was afraid it could hurt you, but I wasn't sure. Please forgive me," she begged.
Xander pushed her away, his hands going to his eye. He was afraid to open his eyes. What if he went through all that pain for no reason? What if it hadn't work?
"It's okay, Xander," Willow reassured him. She slowly moved his hands away from his eye. "Open your eyes. It's okay."
Buffy had stepped up to him as had Dawn. Both looked on in concern. Finally, Xander took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. The bright light from the overhead light pierced his eyes, and he winced. "The light is too bright!" he exclaimed, covering his face.
"Turn off the light," Meredith ordered. She moved to turn on a nearby lamp. "Okay, you can open your eyes. Do it slowly."
Xander obeyed and cautiously opened his eyes. The pain had mostly receded. As his eyes opened completely, he realized he was able to see. His hand went to his once missing eye. He felt his eyeball and grinned. "You did it, Will!" he exclaimed. He covered his good eye to test the new one. He looked at Willow's beaming face. "I can see!" He picked her up in a bear hug and spun her around. "You are a goddess!"
Everyone in the room began clapping and cheering. After so many horrible things they'd witnessed in the past year, it was so wonderful to see a true miracle.
He put Willow down and turned to Bonnie. "Thank you, Bonnie!" he said. Then he pulled her in for a tight hug. "Thank you!"
Bonnie felt embarrassed at his exuberant affection, but it also made her feel good. Willow had shown her something she'd forgotten. Magic was meant for healing and nurturing. It came out of nature. The vampires had forced it to be used as a weapon so many times that Bonnie had pushed aside most of her Gram's earlier teachings. Although Willow often pushed the boundaries of magic, Bonnie still felt a deep sense of thanksgiving that she'd been brought into Bonnie's life. Even though she loved Elena and Caroline like sisters, they really couldn't understand the connection she felt with Willow. Magic made them family in another way. Bonnie treasured the growing friendship.
Her friends surrounded her, offering her their congratulations. It felt good to be a part of something she knew her Grams would've been proud of.
Xander stopped hugging everyone when he came to the hot doctor. He grinned at her. "What do you think, Doc? Did Will do good?" he asked.
Meredith considered herself a scientist. The existence of vampires and the healing properties she knew that existed in their blood was something she thought could be explained through science. She saw them as an evolution or aberration of the species. An anomaly. Their existence was more than just legend. She knew them to be real. The new knowledge of the slayers served to show her that nature had a way of counterbalancing something that was getting of out hand. Culling the herd. Magic, however, was out of her realm of expertise and experience. She thought she had faith in God. She'd seen people come too close to death and suddenly, inexplicably, be pulled back from its brink too many times to doubt that God existed. However, watching someone use magic to regenerate an eye in a matter of minutes was so terrifying and miraculous that she didn't have words. She looked at Xander and shook her head. Finally, she simply smiled.
"I am stunned speechless," she said. She reached in her bag and pulled out a pen light. "May I?" When he nodded, she stepped forward to examine his eye. It looked perfectly normal—exactly like the other eye. "It looks perfect to me."
"It feels perfect," he said proudly.
"Is the pain gone?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yes. There's still a dull ache, but nothing at all like the stabbing agony a few minutes ago," he said.
Willow flashed him a guilty look as she listened. "I'm really sorry about that, Xander!"
He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Hey, I don't mind, especially if this is the result!" he assured her.
"Do you live in Mystic Falls?" Meredith asked.
"No. I live in England mostly," he said. "Buffy, Willow, and Dawnie are my family, though. I come to see them when I can."
"Well, I'd like you to come see me in two days at the hospital, so I can examine you more thoroughly and see if the eye is still okay," Meredith said.
"Sure!" he agreed easily, happy to have a valid excuse to see her again.
"Thanks so much for coming," Buffy said to her. "We'll keep an eye on him—no pun intended—and let you know know if there's any problems."
"Please do," she said. She handed Xander her card. "Here's my number. Feel free to call me if anything comes up." She gave Xander and his miracle eye one last lingering look before leaving.
When she left, Xander sighed loudly. "I think I'm in love!" he exclaimed.
"She was very beautiful," Willow agreed with a grin.
Rebekah frowned, not liking her admiring any other woman but her. "Hey!" she exclaimed.
"Not as beautiful as you, of course!" Willow replied with a grin. She put her arm around Rebekah's waist, placing her head on her shoulder. "No one is."
Rebekah smiled. "Thank you," she replied, pleased.
Kennedy gave them a dark look and turned to go out of the room. If she had to spend one more minute with the vampire, she wasn't sure what she'd do. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Dawn's friend drinking blood out of a blood bag. She stopped in surprise. "You're a vampire!" she exclaimed as the realization hit her. Quickly, she pulled out her stake and charged Caroline.
Caroline's eyes widened in fear and dismay as the vampire slayer bore down on her.
******To Be Continued******
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