Part 6
Cordelia decided to stay in the car with Stacy as Xander and Buffy went into Buffy's house. Once they were inside and alone, Buffy closed the door and immediately turned to Xander.
"I need to know that you're okay, Xander!" she exclaimed in a rush. "I know you! I have to know you're not going to do anything stupid like try to go after Willow on your own."
"Buffy..." Xander began calmly, "I came here with you, didn't I? I could have ducked out on everybody back at the school." He paused. "But I realize that I won't be any good to Willow if I do something...Oh, I don't know...Xanderish!"
Buffy looked at him suspiciously. "Then you aren't going to do anything stupid or crazy? You're okay?"
"I'm not going to do anything stupid or crazy." He looked at her and a
serious expression crossed his face. "But I won't tell you that I'm okay when I'm not. I will never be okay until Willow is by my side again." As he spoke, he seemed to realize that what he was saying was something he should have been saying long before now. "...Where she belongs. And I belong..." He let out a sigh. "Why do things like this take such a long time for me to grasp?" Suddenly, he stood up straight and wiped at his eyes in astonishment. "Hey, what...what is this? I'm...I'm crying?" He looked at Buffy and tried to stop himself. "No! I won't...I can't...THERE'S NO CRYING IN XANDER LAND!!"
Buffy threw her arms around her friend and hugged him. Xander returned the hug, and together they cried. When they finally managed to stop, they backed off and nervously tried to regain their composure.
Xander let out a chuckle.
Buffy looked at him curiously. "What?"
"You know...that's the first time I hugged you without thinking about being in a closet or a storage shed with you."
Buffy looked at him blankly. "What?" she repeated.
"Nothing. Forget I ever said that."
She nodded. "Okay. I will." She shrugged and said, "Well, let me check the phone messages and if my Mom called, I'll have to call her back."
Xander hesitated, "Are you going to tell her about..."
Buffy shook her head. "No. I can't."
"Buffy, your Mom is going to find out sooner or later."
She made a face. "Later...I think. I can't tell her now."
Xander leaned against the kitchen counter and regarded Buffy for a moment. She remained still because she had the sudden impression that he had something to say.
"Buffy," he began casually, "Willow and I grew up since we were toddlers. We went to the same church, the same grade school...We did everything together."
Buffy nodded encouragingly. "I know," she said softly.
"Did Willow ever mention to you about the time I saved her life?"
She shook her head. "No." She paused. "Well, sometimes she refers to you as her hero or her knight in shining armor, but...I took that as she likes you more than you thought she did and she wanted you to wake up. And be her white knight for real." She regarded him. "How did you save Willow's life, Xander?"
"We climbed up this old rickety tower when we were just kids. At the time, she didn't know it but I was afraid of heights." He smiled fondly at the memory. "I'm not now. At least I don't think I am. I have Willow to thank for that. But...up on that tower, she fell and I caught her. I kept her from falling and for the longest time, we just stayed up there." He was caught in the memory. "We were just kids. We had no idea about the birds and the bees, so we were just so happy and content to be holding each other. Like best friends...Do you know something?" He smiled. "That was the happiest day of my life, just being able to hold her and know that she was safe...that she was still with me. And...I think she saved me that day from myself."
Buffy paused to think about what he had just told her. "Do you know what I think you should do when we get Willow back?"
He didn't answer, but he waited for her to continue.
"You should grab a hold of her, hug her tightly to you, and never let her go."
Xander nodded thoughtfully. "I will, Buffy."
"Now just give me a minute or two. If I do have to call my Mom, I'll be a bit longer."
He shrugged. "I'll wait."
Buffy nodded. Then she disappeared into the other room.
Xander looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep breath. He was thinking of Willow and trying to guess where she could possibly be. Unfortunately, he had no idea where the terrorists had taken her.
He brought down his head and was looking into the living room where he could see the sofa, the lounge chair and the coffee table. He couldn't believe his eyes. There on the coffee table was another video.
Shivers actually ran up and down his spine as he moved into the living room and picked up the tape. He thought about calling out to Buffy but then he thought he heard her talking on the phone upstairs. So he looked at the tape in his hand, and then he looked at the television set against the wall. The VCR was beneath it on a shelf.
He hesitated, but gathering up his courage, he turned on the TV and the VCR and he popped in the tape.
Kneeling in front of the TV, he prayed that God would give him the strength not to hurl his fist through Buffy's television set.
He picked up the remote, grabbed a chair and pulled it right up close to the TV. He sat in it, leaned forward, and pushed play on the remote.
There was a terrorist glaring at him from the screen, but it wasn't the one who called himself the Speaker. It was the one who enjoyed tormenting Willow with taunts and his knife.
*"Infidels of Satan!!" the terrorist screamed, his veins literally bulging in his neck. "I will remind you of what your friend is facing only because you are too cowardly to bring yourself to her aid! Make no mistake! I, the Knife, will kill her myself, and I will do it slowly!"*
The scene switched to Willow in her prison, huddled in the corner on her bed as the noise bombarded her from outside her cell. Then the Knife entered after the noise had stopped and told her what he would do to her if he had been a vampire. Xander almost put his fist through the TV right then and there but he managed to stop himself.
Then a strange thing happened.
It got quiet in the cell.
He stared at Willow intently because he couldn't be sure if she were
sleeping or dead. He brought his hand up to the screen and touched the
image of Willow.
"Willow..." he said softly.
As if in response, Willow said just as softly, *"Xander..."*
Xander blinked and jerked back. He stared at the image on the screen, but Willow's eyes were closed. Maybe she was sleeping...and she was talking in her sleep. He smiled warmly. "She's dreaming about me." He kept watching. "Willow..."
He waited.
*"Xander..."*
The chills in his spine were back, but he felt daring now. True it probably wasn't going to work. Who was he kidding? He knew it wouldn't work...But he was going crazy. He touched the screen again, watching his girl intently. "Willow...please...I want to help you so badly...Tell me, Willow. Where are you?"
Murmuring in her sleep, Willow responded. *"I-I was going into the tower to be rescued by the knight from the evil dragon."*
Xander did a double take. "What?!"
*"We've been here before..."*
Xander rose to his feet and stared. This was not possible, but it all came to him. The tower. The quarry. His eyes widened. The quarry!! "That's it!" he exclaimed. "I know where Willow is! I have to tell the others! I- -"
That's when his eyes were drawn to the new scene on the screen. The Knife stormed in and shook Willow out of her sleep. He showed her his knife that he held in his hand, and it clearly had blood on it.
*"B-blood."*
*"Yes! It is blood. But now the question is...who's blood is it?"*
A look of understanding and fear crossed Willow's face. New tears began to form. *"No..."*
*"What did you say, girl?"*
"You bastard!" Xander retorted under his breath, clenching his fists in
anger.
*"No...please...don't do this..."*
Xander himself flinched when he saw the terrorist wipe the blood on Willow's pant leg. *"You can wear his blood. Call it his last parting gift to you."*
The Knife left the room roaring in laughter and Willow cried out Xander's name.
It was too much for him...and it was the last straw.
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"Sorry I took so long," Buffy said as she entered the kitchen. "My Mom just loves to get chatty on the..." She stopped when she realized that no one was in the kitchen. "Xander?"
She stepped into the living room and there was no sign of him anywhere. The television set was on, however, and the screen displayed snow. Not real snow, but the screen showed black and white scribbles, and there was the sound of static coming from the TV. Buffy did not believe that this was a good sign.
She picked up the remote and rewound the tape. She stopped and played it at a scene where the Knife had convinced Willow that he had killed Xander.
Buffy choked up and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't help it. The terrorists had Willow, and now Xander was gone.
"I've lost them both."
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TO BE CONTINUED...
Cordelia decided to stay in the car with Stacy as Xander and Buffy went into Buffy's house. Once they were inside and alone, Buffy closed the door and immediately turned to Xander.
"I need to know that you're okay, Xander!" she exclaimed in a rush. "I know you! I have to know you're not going to do anything stupid like try to go after Willow on your own."
"Buffy..." Xander began calmly, "I came here with you, didn't I? I could have ducked out on everybody back at the school." He paused. "But I realize that I won't be any good to Willow if I do something...Oh, I don't know...Xanderish!"
Buffy looked at him suspiciously. "Then you aren't going to do anything stupid or crazy? You're okay?"
"I'm not going to do anything stupid or crazy." He looked at her and a
serious expression crossed his face. "But I won't tell you that I'm okay when I'm not. I will never be okay until Willow is by my side again." As he spoke, he seemed to realize that what he was saying was something he should have been saying long before now. "...Where she belongs. And I belong..." He let out a sigh. "Why do things like this take such a long time for me to grasp?" Suddenly, he stood up straight and wiped at his eyes in astonishment. "Hey, what...what is this? I'm...I'm crying?" He looked at Buffy and tried to stop himself. "No! I won't...I can't...THERE'S NO CRYING IN XANDER LAND!!"
Buffy threw her arms around her friend and hugged him. Xander returned the hug, and together they cried. When they finally managed to stop, they backed off and nervously tried to regain their composure.
Xander let out a chuckle.
Buffy looked at him curiously. "What?"
"You know...that's the first time I hugged you without thinking about being in a closet or a storage shed with you."
Buffy looked at him blankly. "What?" she repeated.
"Nothing. Forget I ever said that."
She nodded. "Okay. I will." She shrugged and said, "Well, let me check the phone messages and if my Mom called, I'll have to call her back."
Xander hesitated, "Are you going to tell her about..."
Buffy shook her head. "No. I can't."
"Buffy, your Mom is going to find out sooner or later."
She made a face. "Later...I think. I can't tell her now."
Xander leaned against the kitchen counter and regarded Buffy for a moment. She remained still because she had the sudden impression that he had something to say.
"Buffy," he began casually, "Willow and I grew up since we were toddlers. We went to the same church, the same grade school...We did everything together."
Buffy nodded encouragingly. "I know," she said softly.
"Did Willow ever mention to you about the time I saved her life?"
She shook her head. "No." She paused. "Well, sometimes she refers to you as her hero or her knight in shining armor, but...I took that as she likes you more than you thought she did and she wanted you to wake up. And be her white knight for real." She regarded him. "How did you save Willow's life, Xander?"
"We climbed up this old rickety tower when we were just kids. At the time, she didn't know it but I was afraid of heights." He smiled fondly at the memory. "I'm not now. At least I don't think I am. I have Willow to thank for that. But...up on that tower, she fell and I caught her. I kept her from falling and for the longest time, we just stayed up there." He was caught in the memory. "We were just kids. We had no idea about the birds and the bees, so we were just so happy and content to be holding each other. Like best friends...Do you know something?" He smiled. "That was the happiest day of my life, just being able to hold her and know that she was safe...that she was still with me. And...I think she saved me that day from myself."
Buffy paused to think about what he had just told her. "Do you know what I think you should do when we get Willow back?"
He didn't answer, but he waited for her to continue.
"You should grab a hold of her, hug her tightly to you, and never let her go."
Xander nodded thoughtfully. "I will, Buffy."
"Now just give me a minute or two. If I do have to call my Mom, I'll be a bit longer."
He shrugged. "I'll wait."
Buffy nodded. Then she disappeared into the other room.
Xander looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep breath. He was thinking of Willow and trying to guess where she could possibly be. Unfortunately, he had no idea where the terrorists had taken her.
He brought down his head and was looking into the living room where he could see the sofa, the lounge chair and the coffee table. He couldn't believe his eyes. There on the coffee table was another video.
Shivers actually ran up and down his spine as he moved into the living room and picked up the tape. He thought about calling out to Buffy but then he thought he heard her talking on the phone upstairs. So he looked at the tape in his hand, and then he looked at the television set against the wall. The VCR was beneath it on a shelf.
He hesitated, but gathering up his courage, he turned on the TV and the VCR and he popped in the tape.
Kneeling in front of the TV, he prayed that God would give him the strength not to hurl his fist through Buffy's television set.
He picked up the remote, grabbed a chair and pulled it right up close to the TV. He sat in it, leaned forward, and pushed play on the remote.
There was a terrorist glaring at him from the screen, but it wasn't the one who called himself the Speaker. It was the one who enjoyed tormenting Willow with taunts and his knife.
*"Infidels of Satan!!" the terrorist screamed, his veins literally bulging in his neck. "I will remind you of what your friend is facing only because you are too cowardly to bring yourself to her aid! Make no mistake! I, the Knife, will kill her myself, and I will do it slowly!"*
The scene switched to Willow in her prison, huddled in the corner on her bed as the noise bombarded her from outside her cell. Then the Knife entered after the noise had stopped and told her what he would do to her if he had been a vampire. Xander almost put his fist through the TV right then and there but he managed to stop himself.
Then a strange thing happened.
It got quiet in the cell.
He stared at Willow intently because he couldn't be sure if she were
sleeping or dead. He brought his hand up to the screen and touched the
image of Willow.
"Willow..." he said softly.
As if in response, Willow said just as softly, *"Xander..."*
Xander blinked and jerked back. He stared at the image on the screen, but Willow's eyes were closed. Maybe she was sleeping...and she was talking in her sleep. He smiled warmly. "She's dreaming about me." He kept watching. "Willow..."
He waited.
*"Xander..."*
The chills in his spine were back, but he felt daring now. True it probably wasn't going to work. Who was he kidding? He knew it wouldn't work...But he was going crazy. He touched the screen again, watching his girl intently. "Willow...please...I want to help you so badly...Tell me, Willow. Where are you?"
Murmuring in her sleep, Willow responded. *"I-I was going into the tower to be rescued by the knight from the evil dragon."*
Xander did a double take. "What?!"
*"We've been here before..."*
Xander rose to his feet and stared. This was not possible, but it all came to him. The tower. The quarry. His eyes widened. The quarry!! "That's it!" he exclaimed. "I know where Willow is! I have to tell the others! I- -"
That's when his eyes were drawn to the new scene on the screen. The Knife stormed in and shook Willow out of her sleep. He showed her his knife that he held in his hand, and it clearly had blood on it.
*"B-blood."*
*"Yes! It is blood. But now the question is...who's blood is it?"*
A look of understanding and fear crossed Willow's face. New tears began to form. *"No..."*
*"What did you say, girl?"*
"You bastard!" Xander retorted under his breath, clenching his fists in
anger.
*"No...please...don't do this..."*
Xander himself flinched when he saw the terrorist wipe the blood on Willow's pant leg. *"You can wear his blood. Call it his last parting gift to you."*
The Knife left the room roaring in laughter and Willow cried out Xander's name.
It was too much for him...and it was the last straw.
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"Sorry I took so long," Buffy said as she entered the kitchen. "My Mom just loves to get chatty on the..." She stopped when she realized that no one was in the kitchen. "Xander?"
She stepped into the living room and there was no sign of him anywhere. The television set was on, however, and the screen displayed snow. Not real snow, but the screen showed black and white scribbles, and there was the sound of static coming from the TV. Buffy did not believe that this was a good sign.
She picked up the remote and rewound the tape. She stopped and played it at a scene where the Knife had convinced Willow that he had killed Xander.
Buffy choked up and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't help it. The terrorists had Willow, and now Xander was gone.
"I've lost them both."
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TO BE CONTINUED...