These characters aren't mine. Someday they will be, you know, when I take over the world!
Life Lessons Part Nine
Please read it and review it...I like reviews (the good ones anyway).
Special thanks to Heidi...you're a cool girl!
Xander stood in shock as he looked down at the two bodies. His world disappeared in an instant. Willow was on the ground still screaming as she sat on her knees in front of the bodies. She kept leaning over each one again and again, like she couldn't decide which one to mourn first.
Finally, she wrapped her arms around the body of the young woman. Willow cradled the girl's head in her arms. The only visible part left of her mutilated head was her blond hair.
Xander regained his mind and thoughts and went to Willow. He tried to hold her, but Willow remained glued to the girl. Xander moved to the next figure. He knelt down and placed his hand over the area of the heart. Silence. Xander stood up and walked out of the church.
He was lost in his thoughts. He didn't hear Anya come stand behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. Xander's thoughts kept on jumping to the two bodies that they on the floor of the church. He turned towards Anya and kissed her on the forehead. His mind kept skipping between the love he saw in her eyes, and the madness he had just seen in Willow's.
He was still staring into her eyes when a tall shadow walked out of the church carrying a small figure in his arms. Angel walked straight passed Xander without a word or glance.
"Angel! Where are you taking her?" Angel turned around, the figure in his arms was Buffy, the red stain on her shirt having expanded to a larger size. "I'm going to the hospital. She needs help."
Xander let him go without saying another word. He couldn't blame Angel. If he were just a little less shocked, he would have done the same thing. Xander however, hadn't even checked to see how Buffy had faired. His mind kept going back to Giles and Tara, the lifeless bodies lying on the floor of the abandoned church.
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The funeral was two days later. Closed casket ceremony because of the horrible shape of the victims. Everybody that had survived was there. At least in body if not in mind. Angel held on to Buffy as she sat in a chair at the front of the crowd. She had lost a lot of blood by the time that Angel could get her to a hospital, but the doctors had given her a transfusion and stated that she would be fine, after a couple of nights under hospital care.
Buffy was anything but all right. She hadn't cried once since learning that Giles and Tara had both died in the fight. She sat in the front row, swallowed by a black dress that would have fit her a couple of days and fifteen pounds before, and stared at the coffin that held her beloved watcher.
Willow was being comforted by Spike, though she had no idea at the time. Willow hadn't responded to anything or anyone since her breakdown at the church. Her glazed eyes stared at nothing in particular. He would every so often say something into her ear, and push her hair out of her face, but it was all lost to her.
Xander had his arm around Anya's waist on one side, and he was gripping Cordelia's hand on the other side. He looked tired. Xander had made the arrangements for the funerals, and spent hours a day with Buffy and Willow, trying to get any response from either one of them.
He looked up at the sky, the rain was washing down his face, and the full moon was illuminating the tracks that the droplets made. The ceremony was over, and the mourners began to leave. The Scoobies stayed around. No one moved and no one said anything to anyone else. The rain fell heavily on each person. No one had wanted to be covered by an umbrella.
Xander, who had unwillingly become the strong one, began to lead Cordelia and Anya toward the waiting car. He then went back and motioned for Angel to take Buffy to the car as well. He nodded to Spike to follow the couple.
When everybody had left, Xander knelt down next to Willow. "Hey Will" he started quietly "I know this is all really hard on you right now, but you can talk to me." Willow looked down at him, her expression void of any emotion, and then she looked back at where the two caskets lay.
With a sigh of frustration, Xander jumped to his feet. He opened his mouth ready to unleash all the anger that had been building inside of him, but that's when he heard a branch break behind him. Xander whipped around only to see a short redhead hesitantly come forward.
"Will?" At the sound of Oz's voice, Willow's head shot to where he was standing. In an instant, she had flung herself into his arms. As the rain poured over the city, Willow wept loudly as Oz stroked her hair. Xander wore a small smile as he made his way back to the car.
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The next day, all of the Scoobies were at Giles' lawyer's office for the reading of the will. Willow still looked sick, but she was glued to Oz. Everyone looked up at the lawyer as he walked into the room, carrying a stack of papers with him.
"Mr. Giles changed his will a number of times. Things were added and deleted on a number of occasions, therefore, he decided that Miss Buffy Summer's was to have the final say on anything not here disclosed."
Buffy looked down at her hands that had begun to shake. She still hadn't cried for Giles. "Now, part of his estate, the house he resided in, will be auctioned off in order to pay for various bills and fees that Mr. Giles accumulated over the years.
"Next would be the Magic Box. This has been left to Anya...I'm sorry, but there is no last name."
"That's me." Anya said sort of shyly. She looked at Xander with tears in her eyes. "This means that he liked me, right? Giles really did like me, didn't he, Xander?"
Xander nodded and kissed her forehead. Anya smiled brightly as tears of happiness rolled down her face.
"Mr. Giles also seemed to have a number of books in his possession. Those he left to Miss Willow Rosenberg." The lawyer looked around the room for Willow.
"I'm Willow" came the quiet voice.
"Miss Rosenberg, Mr. Giles has numerous books in his home, as well as the UC Sunnydale library. There were also a number that were kept in the library at Sunnydale High, but I'm sure you're aware of that unfortunate circumstance." The group looked uneasily at each other, remembering graduation.
"Then there are many others that are on loan to various libraries around the world. You have every option of claiming those books back, or continuing to keep them on loan. Mr. Giles does however receive a sizeable sum for his donations. Those checks would now come to you."
Willow just looked dazed. Oz tightened his hold around her as her shoulders began to shake once more as she cried.
"Yes...well...We can talk about your options when you're feeling more up to it." The lawyer said, not knowing what else to say. "Moving on, Mr. Giles kept quite a collection of antique weaponry. His collection, which is quite large if I do say so, shall be divided up between Mr. Alexander Harris and Mr. Spike.... I'm sorry, there's no last name here either."
Both men looked terribly confused to be given such possessions, but for different reasons. "He left notes that might be able to help you understand, and from the looks on your faces, I think that they will come in handy."
Xander and Spike took their respective notes and read the short statement written by Giles' hand. The looks of confusion left their faces, replaced by a certain amount of pride.
"Mr. Giles came regularly to my office, and seeing his mode of transportation, I am most surprised by what was left to Miss Cordelia Chase."
"Giles left me something?" Cordelia sounded really confused.
"Yes, it has been in his possession for a while, however he has had it in storage since he first moved to Sunnydale. A Bentley VII. It is in a controlled climate garage in LA" The lawyer produced a large manila envelope and handed it to Cordelia. "Here is all the information you will need on the car; papers, directions to the garage, etc. Oh, and I believe he had a plate made for it also."
Cordelia pulled out the license plate that proclaimed 'VSNGRL'. The note attached simply read, 'A classy car for a classy woman...I made sure there were aspirin in the glove compartment.'
Cordelia read the note and smiled happily to everyone, right before she started crying. Angel went over to her and held her for a minute. The lawyer started to continue, and as soon as he said, "Miss Summers?" Cordelia straightened up and nodded at him. He smiled gratefully at her and went to provide comfort for Buffy.
"That would be Dawn." The lawyer said. Dawn perked up at hearing her name. "That's me," she said.
"Miss Summers, Mr. Giles left you a spell book. It is the only one that was not left to Miss Rosenberg. Mr. Giles said that this would be most beneficial to you."
Dawn took the book, beaming with pride over the fact that Giles had thought of her.
"Now, for the other Miss Summers, Mr. Giles left all other possessions to you. Various stocks and shares. Personal saving accounts, an estate in England, various antiques. I took it upon myself to catalog Mr. Giles' possessions. The final worth of all goods that is left to you, Miss Summers, is three point four million dollars. Then there is this box, the contents of which I have yet to see.
Buffy was too stunned to reach for the box or the envelope that was handed to her. Angel took it from the lawyer with a small smile and handed it over to Buffy. Buffy held the box and stared down at it. She made no move to open it or the letter.
The lawyer started once again, speaking to Angel. "I assume you are Liam Connelly. Or Angel. Both names are mentioned. Mr. Giles left you a letter. It is up to you to decide if you want the package that goes along with it." The lawyer looked at Angel expectantly.
When Angel said nothing, the lawyer continued. "Mr. Giles was very cryptic with the will when it came to you, Mr. Connelly. If you read the letter and want the package, come back to my office and it's yours." Now the lawyer addressed the group. "But you young people have already gone through so much, so you can take your time and get back to me if you have any questions."
The stunned group paused for a moment, then headed out one by one. Once on the sidewalk in front of the attorney's office, the group stood in silence. The only sound came from various night animals.
"Should we go someplace and talk?" Cordelia asked hesitantly
Feeling a little uneasy, Xander tried to lighten the mood with a joke, "Yeah, Cordy can drive and dinner is on Buffy." His joke just got blank stares.
"Guys, I'm going to go home now. I want to be alone." Everyone turned to look at Buffy. That was the most she had said ever since she woke up at the hospital.
"I'll walk you home." Angel said, and he steered her in the direction of her house.
About ten minutes later, Angel walked into a diner and saw the group talking in one of the booths. He pulled a chair from another table and sat down at the head. Everyone had broken into groups talking about what they got, and what everyone else got and the fact that Giles was worth more than three million dollars.
"Hey mate, what'd your little note say?" Spike asked of Xander
"'Practice makes Perfect'. Yours?"
"I got 'Only for good, never for evil'. What'd your note say, Peaches?"
"I don't know Spike. I'll read it tomorrow, when Buffy's feeling more up to it."
"Well Red snapped out of her mood, can't see why Buffy doesn't do the same. Course seeing that you're going to leave doesn't give her all that much to look forward to."
Shut up, Spike! I've had it up to here from you!" Angel blew up at the other vampire.
"Stop it! Both of you! We have all gone through a lot. Just give Buffy some time, okay!" The group stopped talking and stared at Cordelia. "Stop staring at me."
Everyone went back to their conversations, but Spike and Angel just glared at each other.
"Angel? Angel? Are you here?" Cordelia was in the crypt that Angel and Spike had been sharing lately.
"Sorry Cor, but the big poof isn't here." Cordelia jumped and Spike lazily stepped out from a shadow.
"God, Spike! You scared me! Where did Angel go?"
"I'd check the Slayer's house. He likes to keep an eye out for her when it's convenient for him."
"What put you in a mood? Somebody pee in your Count Chocula's?"
"Check the slayer's house." Spike said once more and slipped back into the shadows.
"Weird, Spike! You are very, very weird!" And she left for Buffy's house
Buffy came awake slowly. She stretched and opened her eyes. Angel was sitting in the chair in a corner, watching her sleep. She smiled at him, then the thoughts of the past few days came rushing to her mind.
One minute, Buffy was smiling at him, and the next she was back in zombie mode. Angel was so frustrated. He went to the side of her bed and took her face in his hands.
"Buffy, you can't do this to yourself anymore. Please baby, talk to me. Talk to anyone. Just let someone in. You're killing yourself."
Buffy opened her mouth as if to say something, when Cordelia came rushing through the doorway. "Angel, we need to talk. Right Now!"
"Cordelia, this really isn't a good time." Angel said a little tiredly
"Gunn called, and he said that your 'girls' were tearing LA apart. Literally, limb from limb. We've got to back, tonight."
Angel looked at Cordelia's concerned, determined face. "Alright, we'll leave as soon as we get our things together."
"Already done. Say your goodbye and let's go." With that, Cordelia walked out of Buffy's room.
Angel turned back to Buffy. "I'm so sorry, Buffy. I have to go. I can't let them have a field day in LA when I know I can stop them."
Buffy looked at him. Deep down she knew that he needed to go, but it still hurt. She opened her mouth to tell him that it was okay, but nothing came out. She could only nod her head. Angel kissed her mouth gently. Then he was gone.
Buffy rolled over on her bed. She felt something take hold of her, something she couldn't explain. Subconsciously she knew she would feel better if she just cried. With a tired, haggard sigh, Buffy reached for the box and letter that Giles had left her. Her heart clinched as she read in her mind what words were written there. Once again, Buffy fell back into unconsciousness, depriving herself of tears once again.
"Buffy's gone!" The gang had decided to have a little memorial service of their own for Giles and Tara, and they had waited while Dawn went upstairs to get Buffy.
"What do you mean she's gone?"
"No, Xander! She is gone. 'Gone' gone. Like, no Buffy, no clothing, no money, no nothing...Gone!"
"It's okay, Dawn, calm down. She couldn't have gone too far. And we all know that she prefers the bus as her way out of town..."
"Xander, this is no time for jokes! Buffy has been really upset lately. Maybe she and Angel went somewhere together?" Willow said hopefully
"No chance of that, Red. Peaches and his Girl Friday took off for LA last night. I don't think she'd be following him there. Do you?"
"Angel left her? Why would he do that?" Dawn did not believe what she was hearing.
"Seems like Dru and Darla are causing quite a bit of noise in the big city."
"So maybe she went to help..." Dawn said quietly
"Well, let's call Angel and find out." Willow said with determination.
Meanwhile, at the Sunnydale Airport:
"Very good, Mrs. Black, you'll be flying non-stop to JFK. You're flight will leave out of gate A5. Enjoy your flight." The flight desk attendant said happily.
"Thank you." The short woman with black hair said, "It will be good to get home." With as much of a smile as she could muster, Buffy turned and started for Concourse A.
End part nine...