Shadows of sins Past by Zauriel Angelus
Disclaimer: Buffy and all related characters belong to Joss Whedon. Zauriel and hi spals belong to me and so does this story I'm telling.that's all. Enjoy !!!!!
Part four-
Faith opened her eyes and could only see blinding light. It was all around her . overwhelming all of her
senses . there was no sense of weight as she felt floating away through endless space
where am I?
" Nowhere Faith ." a voice answered
" How did you know... ? My lips weren't even moving ."
"things work a little differently here my dear ,"
"I know that voice .....Amanda.. is that really you?" a hopeful slayer asked .
Her former watcher appeared before her and smiled .
Faith was amazed at how beautiful she looked . She was glowing and radiated such warmth . Her eyes sparkled with life and her voice was tender and kind as it always was .To Faith , Amanda had been the mother she never had , bringing hope to her life and giving her purpose when she was assigned to her as a watcher . She never thought she'd see her again after Kakistos murdered her . She didn't care how or what was happening all she knew was that she was too happy for words and hugged her watcher as tightly as she possibly could.
"It is me child ."
"I thought I lost you . You won't leave me again will you ?" Faith looked up and reluctantly broke the embrace .
"I'll always be here but you have to go back . "
"NO! I want to stay here with you," Faith insisted unyielding in her stand .
"You are needed .We'll meet again. I promise you ." her voice faded as did her figure, disappearing in a mist of unknown origin ."
"wait!! Don't go !! AMANDA !!!" Faith shouted helplessly .
Then everything started spinning . Her senses shut themselves down and she felt herself falling and falling through the blackened void of emptiness . It never seemed to stop but before the slayer felt any landing , she had lost herself and all awareness.
"I'm not gonna lose you kid .not today."hope this works
Faith hadn't been breathing for the past ten minutes but Zauriel would not give up , determined to save her life by any means necessary . He won't let her die .She can't die. Not today .
Zauriel once again sat her upright on the bed as he faced her, cupping her face with his hands. He had seen this done before and even then it was never even attempted. A monk had once transferred his essence or life force to save a pregnant woman who was dying . The woman and her baby survived the transfer safely but the same could not be said of the monk who died in the process . There was another problem . He didn't know exactly how to do it either . The transference was a complicated ritual that needed magic spells and Most importantly experience . An unskilled person would certainly lose his life if he attempted it. Adding to that , the guardian was also trying to resuscitate a technically dead person.
Still Zauriel had a theory . The powers of a guardian were not exactly parasitic in nature. However he had recently discovered that the flames he wielded could draw energy from nearby fires or even increase the intensity of the blaze if he wanted to . His unique physiology might carry out the transference without any need of magick . His essence might just be enough bring her back to life .
how hard can it be ?looked simple enough. The guardian had to risk it . now or never
"breathe...."
"focus the mind...."
"cleanse the soul..."
"remember peace...."
"and let the fire flow....."
"ZAURIEL!"
The entire apartment lit up in a brilliant red as fire ruled the body of the young guardian , dancing playfully on his bare skin .Oddly the flames didn't seem to affect the slayer as he held his fiery hands onto her face nor the blanket that covered her. The guardian concentrated his strength and forced his essence through his hands into Faith . He was betting that if the transfer was done with his flames unleashed , they both would have a better chance of making it . Slowly it flowed and the flames danced on her skin as well . The color of her skin began to return and her previous wounds were now disappearing as if they never existed .
Zauriel however wasn't doing too well . It was far beyond excruciating as he felt every living cell in his body being burnt over and over again and pulled a million ways inside out . It felt like hell .His energy was quickly wearing thin but he had to press on . The transfer wasn't complete till she breathed again .Until she did , he couldn't stop as both could die simultaneously in that event . He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming as phantom knives struck repeatedly into him . His vision had started to blur and he was having trouble keeping himself conscious . He was losing his concentration and weakening with each passing second . the pain was so close to overwhelming .
.So much pain....I feel so weak...but need to keep on going
He gazed at the face before him and forgot his pain , remembering his promise and discovered newfound strength . He had to make this happen. He WILL make this happen .The dying flames rose in height and burnt brighter than ever .
"remember faith....."
And with one primal scream he forced every ounce of energy in him into the girl . The flames attacked every inch of her body , surrounding her as her eyes suddenly popped open , her natural dark brown glowing a fiery red . the flames seeped into her body as she gasped her first breath . At that very moment they both see flashes , images of a life they never lived , images of each other ....of memories forgotten , of a childhood they never known existed , feel sensations , emotions that belong to the other , the pain of loss , the discovery of joy and the end of a life they longed to return to . A hurricane of thoughts ravaged through and when it all reached the end of birth....
Calm returned and the fire ceased.
Her eyes returned to their natural color and she fell back into the bed as she mercifully returned to unconsciousness . The guardian having drained both physically and mentally promptly fell beside the now breathing slayer . Surprisingly he didn't black out right then from complete exhaustion .
"I did it..."
BOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!
"Or not....."
Flames exploded once again onto the skin of the young girl as her body squirmed and spasmed in pain. They licked at her in lust devouring her taste with glee. The terrifying sight forced the guardian to react quickly . Immediately his arms wrapped themselves around her body as he pulled her as close as possible to him , closing off all the distance between them. He needed to achieve as much body contact as possible to achieve any control over the blazing fire.
The scorching heat burnt the guardian much to his surprise but he pressed on the effort , ignoring the pain , focusing his thoughts to the raging fire , willing it die down. In moments the fire's thirst was finally quenched .
That was an...unexpected side effect
Zauriel examined the face of the girl in front of him . There were no burns at all . The supernatural flame seemed to leave her complexion unblemished for her arms bore no damage as well, the only marks were of her previous wounds and they too were already mere shadows. Her head rested on his shoulder , her body cradled carefully as it stayed limp in his arms . The guardian heaved a huge sigh of relief , a tired smile on his swollen lips.
"Rest easy kid....rest easy......" he whispered softly to her ear.
Turning his face he looked at the girl beside him. She was breathing and for now that was all that mattered. As his eyelids lost the strength to hold on to the last vestiges of vision ., he breathed weakly studying her clear face . When at long last he rested near sleep , the girl managed to breathe a word and continued her descending flight. It was but a whisper yet it still startled the guardian.
"Firdaus...?"
How...
The guardian recognized the name that was uttered by the girl's soft voice but thought no more of it . He felt more comfortable to leave it as it were although some small part of him felt glad someone spoke it. In the end it was only a name. Nothing of importance he felt but that was untrue of course. The name was his.
_was_...big emphasis on was...
Shaking off memories that threatened to return he shifted his gaze to the girl. He watched her in amusement as he remembered the shit that brought them both to each other. Somehow it all clicked naturally together. It was strange but not unpleasant. Comforting even. He forbid her to leave his embrace as he pulled the sheets over her , making a silent vow to protect her as they lay upon the bed together as time passed seamlessly by.
"Rest easy...."
---------------------------
Sunnydale High school library
1.53am
BRRIINNNNNGG BRRRRIINNNNNNGGG
The ringing of the phone jerked everyone as it broke the gloomy silence of the library. Giles picked up the phone when no one else had the courage to. Xander was at Buffy's side watching her closely, the slayer still recovering from her post connection with a dying Faith. Oz had just walked in with Willow about five minutes earlier as they came back from Faith's place of residence. None of them felt they could handle any more bad news as it is.
"Angel...found anything..?" the librarian asked with some shred of hope .
(She never even made it to Willy's. No one , human or demon , saw her there. What about you ?) the vampire said , defeat clearly in her voice.
"Nobody answered the phone . I had Oz and Willow check her place but they came up empty as well."
Giles replied. Sensing there was something the vampire was holding back he reluctantly asked.
"Is that all..?"
(I only have more bad news. Signs of a struggle in the middle of the park. There was a fight. Blood and ashes everywhere but not all of them vampire dust . Also a few gruesome monster parts in the mix .)
"The blood...is it..?"
(It's Faith's .Her jacket's there too though not much of it. Didn't find a body.)
"She could still be alive."
(Possible but very unlikely. There's a lot of blood. She might've survived the fight but her injuries still would've done her in . She wouldn't even get to the hospital on time and I checked that as well. She's not there either. Doesn't seem to be a trace of her anywhere . I know I'm being blunt but I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. This is all I have....I'm sorry..)
"It's quite alright" Giles replied as he took off his glasses. His remaining hope had slipped by with every word the vampire uttered. He glanced back at Buffy and the others who were clearly listening in to his conversation. They all had noticed the significant slump in the librarian's shoulders and knew that didn't bode well at all.
(How's Buffy doing ?)
"She's better... physically..."
(............)
(Want me to keep on searching ? We could let the others rest and I'll check back with you later if I find anything)
" I understand. Do what you can. We'll all regroup here tomorrow. I will call you if there is any development in the matter."
The librarian finished with a sigh and put down the phone , finding himself facing a slightly shaking Willow. She had already gone through the unpleasant experience of her best friend suddenly fainting without reason. The shock of learning that Faith might not be alive upped the unpleasantries considerably. She wasn't a big fan of Faith but in no way did she want her dead.
"That's it... ?" the redheaded girl asked softly.
Giles shook his head slowly and answered without meeting her eyes. It was no doubt hard for him to even talk about. " He found nothing useful. Faith could still be alive. He'll keep on searching and so shall we."
"Giles ...how did Buffy know ?" Willow asked .
"I'm not quite sure. Maybe because of the fact that they're both slayers and so shared a connection with one another. If that is true...well...." he stopped , afraid to say any more.
"Oh..." the witch understood.
Oz offered a comforting hug and wrapped his arms over his girlfriend. Everyone was grieving for Faith but right now his priority was Willow. Grieving would have to wait. Holding her close , he quietly assured her that all would be fine.
"I-I think its best if we all get some rest for the time being. I'll stay here" Giles addressed them all , turning his attention to the slayer.
"Buffy ..." he started
The slayer hadn't said a word since revealing that Faith had died. Giles was sure it had been a fairly traumatic experience for her and more so than anyone else. He couldn't even imagine how it felt to feel one's death and didn't quite know what to do to comfort her. He was still recovering from the shock himself. He was glad Xander was doing a better job at it than he would have and smiled proudly of him. The young boy hadn't left her side for even a moment.
" I think you should go home and get some rest." Giles
Buffy only blinked in response. Her gaze slowly met Xander's and she finally spoke.
"...Take me home...."
Xander smiled and pulled her into his arms as Buffy rested her head onto his shoulder. They both got up joining Willow and Oz as they began their way to his van.
The watcher looked on as they all left the library. There were still a few things that needed to be done. He approached the counter to pick up a book he was reading before , regarding some research he started earlier. He polished his glasses and continued his work till the phone rang. Giles quickly left his research and picked up the phone.
"Hello..."
(Hello Rupert , this is the council....)
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Has the slayer been taken care of ? "
" The last time I saw her she was all bloody .No way she'd survived."
The darkness hid the grimace on the sorcerer's face as he turned his gaze upon his assisstant. Staring at him , he reiterated his question , showing his discontent clearly.
"Is she dead ? " he snarled.
"I'm sure of it, My Lord."
"Where is her body then?"
The pony tailed man paused for a moment before he spoke, unsure of how to answer.
"Well...?"
"The guardian...h-he took her body."
"Zauriel is here...and you took it in your stride to NOT TELL MEEEE!!!!!!!"
A firm hand shot out from nowhere , grabbing the pony tail's neck and easily smashing him into a nearby wall. The impact caused the wall to tremble and crack , not sparing any damage to the poor assisstant either.
"Nemesis...next time don't do this again. It will not be long till we open the hellmouth so do not waste my time with such stupidity. You are capable of much more than this. Do not disappoint me."
The hand on his neck released its vice grip and enabled Nemesis to breathe again in relief. Blood was dripping down his nostril but he ignored to wipe it and instead chose to refrain from displeasing the sorcerer lest his anger be upon him again.
" Do we finally have the location of the amulet ?" the sorcerer asked
"Not yet but we will soon, My Lord. We are almost finished in deciphering the Signar text. It might even take sooner than expected. We'll have the amulet by the end of the week."
"Good. Now leave me be."
'What about the guardian ? Do you wish of us to kill him....?"
"No..."
The cavern walls echoed the growl of the sorcerer as a wicked smile formed on his face.
"Zauriel is mine."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Summers residence
2.18am
"Buffy ...we're here." Xander told the silent slayer in his arms.
"Xander ,will you two be okay ?" the werewolf asked from the driver's seat of his van as the two alighted .
"Yeah I'll send her up and then walk myself home later. Don't worry about it man." He replied as he started towards Buffy's porch..
"You sure ?"
" Yeah. Take care of Will for me."
Oz nodded in reply "See ya later man."
The van drove off soon after, leaving Xander and Buffy alone in front of her house. They walked to her door with Xander almost carrying her. The young man proceeded to knock on the door.
"Joyce ?? Mrs Summers...?? Are you home..?" he called out.
"Mom's not home...she went to Aunt Darlene's." a soft voice said.
"Okay..."at least she's talking again "...you got keys Buff ? cos I'm thinkin it might not be cool for us to stay outside too long."
"The keys are in my purse."
The door soon opened with the right key and with a click they entered the Summers residence, shutting the door on the way in. Xander enjoyed being as close as he was with Buffy right now but suddenly felt very uncomfortable in the darkness
of her house.
"Where's the light switch ? Buff you okay ...?"
The slayer went limp and snuggled her head into his neck without a word.
"Guess I'll just take you to your room young lady." With a huff her petite frame was lifted over his shoulder like a child ."You had enough for today."
The lights were left switched off and that made the climb upstairs to the slayer's room all the more inconvenient but somehow they made it safely. Once there the young man gently tucked the weakened slayer into her bed , pulling the bed sheets up so she wouldn't get cold. Buffy clutched Mr Gordo tightly when he was within reach , closing her eyes as she started to sleep.
Xander watched the slayer in fascination. He was in Her house , in Her room , by Her bed and alone with no one else BUT her. That realization just sunk in as Buffy dozed off by his side.
"I don't blame Deadboy for watching you sleep , you look awfully cute when you do that ."Xander chuckled softly , brushing a stray hair away from her face. "..sweet dreams Buff , I'll go lock up and be back in the morning."
Xander got up to leave but a hand shot out and tugged at him. huh?
"Don't leave..." he heard Buffy cry out.
Xander sighed as her hand released the grip, returning to the slayer's side like she asked. He took her hand and gently clasped it with his own, glad to see the smile on her face as he did so.
"I'll stay...."
---------------------------
Zauriel carefully tended her face with a damp cloth, wiping off sweat and dried blood. He had watched over her religiously for hours, monitoring her progress as she recovered . The guardian had her fully clothed with what he could find, pulling the sheets up to keep her as warm as she could be. The ritual had left her cold to touch and he constantly warmed her with the heat his flames radiated. The girl looked so innocent as she laid still on the bed. An angel it seemed , slept before him.
He took her hand and checked her pulse again , taking note her body temperature.
seems to be stabilizing...
The guardian took a sip of water from a cup nearby and continued his watch. His own injuries had healed up quickly and disappeared , so there was no need to be addressing his wounds seeing his lack of any. As he drank , the girl stirred for a few moments and Zauriel came to her side immediately.
"you're safe kid...don't move too much. I think you had a concussion."
" Am I in hell...? "
"close but no...just one big dump that's all." The guardian laughed
"who are you...? Wait...who am I ?"
------------
end part four
gimme feedback people. I need it PLEASEEEEE?????????
Until next time I remain..................
Disclaimer: Buffy and all related characters belong to Joss Whedon. Zauriel and hi spals belong to me and so does this story I'm telling.that's all. Enjoy !!!!!
Part four-
Faith opened her eyes and could only see blinding light. It was all around her . overwhelming all of her
senses . there was no sense of weight as she felt floating away through endless space
where am I?
" Nowhere Faith ." a voice answered
" How did you know... ? My lips weren't even moving ."
"things work a little differently here my dear ,"
"I know that voice .....Amanda.. is that really you?" a hopeful slayer asked .
Her former watcher appeared before her and smiled .
Faith was amazed at how beautiful she looked . She was glowing and radiated such warmth . Her eyes sparkled with life and her voice was tender and kind as it always was .To Faith , Amanda had been the mother she never had , bringing hope to her life and giving her purpose when she was assigned to her as a watcher . She never thought she'd see her again after Kakistos murdered her . She didn't care how or what was happening all she knew was that she was too happy for words and hugged her watcher as tightly as she possibly could.
"It is me child ."
"I thought I lost you . You won't leave me again will you ?" Faith looked up and reluctantly broke the embrace .
"I'll always be here but you have to go back . "
"NO! I want to stay here with you," Faith insisted unyielding in her stand .
"You are needed .We'll meet again. I promise you ." her voice faded as did her figure, disappearing in a mist of unknown origin ."
"wait!! Don't go !! AMANDA !!!" Faith shouted helplessly .
Then everything started spinning . Her senses shut themselves down and she felt herself falling and falling through the blackened void of emptiness . It never seemed to stop but before the slayer felt any landing , she had lost herself and all awareness.
"I'm not gonna lose you kid .not today."hope this works
Faith hadn't been breathing for the past ten minutes but Zauriel would not give up , determined to save her life by any means necessary . He won't let her die .She can't die. Not today .
Zauriel once again sat her upright on the bed as he faced her, cupping her face with his hands. He had seen this done before and even then it was never even attempted. A monk had once transferred his essence or life force to save a pregnant woman who was dying . The woman and her baby survived the transfer safely but the same could not be said of the monk who died in the process . There was another problem . He didn't know exactly how to do it either . The transference was a complicated ritual that needed magic spells and Most importantly experience . An unskilled person would certainly lose his life if he attempted it. Adding to that , the guardian was also trying to resuscitate a technically dead person.
Still Zauriel had a theory . The powers of a guardian were not exactly parasitic in nature. However he had recently discovered that the flames he wielded could draw energy from nearby fires or even increase the intensity of the blaze if he wanted to . His unique physiology might carry out the transference without any need of magick . His essence might just be enough bring her back to life .
how hard can it be ?looked simple enough. The guardian had to risk it . now or never
"breathe...."
"focus the mind...."
"cleanse the soul..."
"remember peace...."
"and let the fire flow....."
"ZAURIEL!"
The entire apartment lit up in a brilliant red as fire ruled the body of the young guardian , dancing playfully on his bare skin .Oddly the flames didn't seem to affect the slayer as he held his fiery hands onto her face nor the blanket that covered her. The guardian concentrated his strength and forced his essence through his hands into Faith . He was betting that if the transfer was done with his flames unleashed , they both would have a better chance of making it . Slowly it flowed and the flames danced on her skin as well . The color of her skin began to return and her previous wounds were now disappearing as if they never existed .
Zauriel however wasn't doing too well . It was far beyond excruciating as he felt every living cell in his body being burnt over and over again and pulled a million ways inside out . It felt like hell .His energy was quickly wearing thin but he had to press on . The transfer wasn't complete till she breathed again .Until she did , he couldn't stop as both could die simultaneously in that event . He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming as phantom knives struck repeatedly into him . His vision had started to blur and he was having trouble keeping himself conscious . He was losing his concentration and weakening with each passing second . the pain was so close to overwhelming .
.So much pain....I feel so weak...but need to keep on going
He gazed at the face before him and forgot his pain , remembering his promise and discovered newfound strength . He had to make this happen. He WILL make this happen .The dying flames rose in height and burnt brighter than ever .
"remember faith....."
And with one primal scream he forced every ounce of energy in him into the girl . The flames attacked every inch of her body , surrounding her as her eyes suddenly popped open , her natural dark brown glowing a fiery red . the flames seeped into her body as she gasped her first breath . At that very moment they both see flashes , images of a life they never lived , images of each other ....of memories forgotten , of a childhood they never known existed , feel sensations , emotions that belong to the other , the pain of loss , the discovery of joy and the end of a life they longed to return to . A hurricane of thoughts ravaged through and when it all reached the end of birth....
Calm returned and the fire ceased.
Her eyes returned to their natural color and she fell back into the bed as she mercifully returned to unconsciousness . The guardian having drained both physically and mentally promptly fell beside the now breathing slayer . Surprisingly he didn't black out right then from complete exhaustion .
"I did it..."
BOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!
"Or not....."
Flames exploded once again onto the skin of the young girl as her body squirmed and spasmed in pain. They licked at her in lust devouring her taste with glee. The terrifying sight forced the guardian to react quickly . Immediately his arms wrapped themselves around her body as he pulled her as close as possible to him , closing off all the distance between them. He needed to achieve as much body contact as possible to achieve any control over the blazing fire.
The scorching heat burnt the guardian much to his surprise but he pressed on the effort , ignoring the pain , focusing his thoughts to the raging fire , willing it die down. In moments the fire's thirst was finally quenched .
That was an...unexpected side effect
Zauriel examined the face of the girl in front of him . There were no burns at all . The supernatural flame seemed to leave her complexion unblemished for her arms bore no damage as well, the only marks were of her previous wounds and they too were already mere shadows. Her head rested on his shoulder , her body cradled carefully as it stayed limp in his arms . The guardian heaved a huge sigh of relief , a tired smile on his swollen lips.
"Rest easy kid....rest easy......" he whispered softly to her ear.
Turning his face he looked at the girl beside him. She was breathing and for now that was all that mattered. As his eyelids lost the strength to hold on to the last vestiges of vision ., he breathed weakly studying her clear face . When at long last he rested near sleep , the girl managed to breathe a word and continued her descending flight. It was but a whisper yet it still startled the guardian.
"Firdaus...?"
How...
The guardian recognized the name that was uttered by the girl's soft voice but thought no more of it . He felt more comfortable to leave it as it were although some small part of him felt glad someone spoke it. In the end it was only a name. Nothing of importance he felt but that was untrue of course. The name was his.
_was_...big emphasis on was...
Shaking off memories that threatened to return he shifted his gaze to the girl. He watched her in amusement as he remembered the shit that brought them both to each other. Somehow it all clicked naturally together. It was strange but not unpleasant. Comforting even. He forbid her to leave his embrace as he pulled the sheets over her , making a silent vow to protect her as they lay upon the bed together as time passed seamlessly by.
"Rest easy...."
---------------------------
Sunnydale High school library
1.53am
BRRIINNNNNGG BRRRRIINNNNNNGGG
The ringing of the phone jerked everyone as it broke the gloomy silence of the library. Giles picked up the phone when no one else had the courage to. Xander was at Buffy's side watching her closely, the slayer still recovering from her post connection with a dying Faith. Oz had just walked in with Willow about five minutes earlier as they came back from Faith's place of residence. None of them felt they could handle any more bad news as it is.
"Angel...found anything..?" the librarian asked with some shred of hope .
(She never even made it to Willy's. No one , human or demon , saw her there. What about you ?) the vampire said , defeat clearly in her voice.
"Nobody answered the phone . I had Oz and Willow check her place but they came up empty as well."
Giles replied. Sensing there was something the vampire was holding back he reluctantly asked.
"Is that all..?"
(I only have more bad news. Signs of a struggle in the middle of the park. There was a fight. Blood and ashes everywhere but not all of them vampire dust . Also a few gruesome monster parts in the mix .)
"The blood...is it..?"
(It's Faith's .Her jacket's there too though not much of it. Didn't find a body.)
"She could still be alive."
(Possible but very unlikely. There's a lot of blood. She might've survived the fight but her injuries still would've done her in . She wouldn't even get to the hospital on time and I checked that as well. She's not there either. Doesn't seem to be a trace of her anywhere . I know I'm being blunt but I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. This is all I have....I'm sorry..)
"It's quite alright" Giles replied as he took off his glasses. His remaining hope had slipped by with every word the vampire uttered. He glanced back at Buffy and the others who were clearly listening in to his conversation. They all had noticed the significant slump in the librarian's shoulders and knew that didn't bode well at all.
(How's Buffy doing ?)
"She's better... physically..."
(............)
(Want me to keep on searching ? We could let the others rest and I'll check back with you later if I find anything)
" I understand. Do what you can. We'll all regroup here tomorrow. I will call you if there is any development in the matter."
The librarian finished with a sigh and put down the phone , finding himself facing a slightly shaking Willow. She had already gone through the unpleasant experience of her best friend suddenly fainting without reason. The shock of learning that Faith might not be alive upped the unpleasantries considerably. She wasn't a big fan of Faith but in no way did she want her dead.
"That's it... ?" the redheaded girl asked softly.
Giles shook his head slowly and answered without meeting her eyes. It was no doubt hard for him to even talk about. " He found nothing useful. Faith could still be alive. He'll keep on searching and so shall we."
"Giles ...how did Buffy know ?" Willow asked .
"I'm not quite sure. Maybe because of the fact that they're both slayers and so shared a connection with one another. If that is true...well...." he stopped , afraid to say any more.
"Oh..." the witch understood.
Oz offered a comforting hug and wrapped his arms over his girlfriend. Everyone was grieving for Faith but right now his priority was Willow. Grieving would have to wait. Holding her close , he quietly assured her that all would be fine.
"I-I think its best if we all get some rest for the time being. I'll stay here" Giles addressed them all , turning his attention to the slayer.
"Buffy ..." he started
The slayer hadn't said a word since revealing that Faith had died. Giles was sure it had been a fairly traumatic experience for her and more so than anyone else. He couldn't even imagine how it felt to feel one's death and didn't quite know what to do to comfort her. He was still recovering from the shock himself. He was glad Xander was doing a better job at it than he would have and smiled proudly of him. The young boy hadn't left her side for even a moment.
" I think you should go home and get some rest." Giles
Buffy only blinked in response. Her gaze slowly met Xander's and she finally spoke.
"...Take me home...."
Xander smiled and pulled her into his arms as Buffy rested her head onto his shoulder. They both got up joining Willow and Oz as they began their way to his van.
The watcher looked on as they all left the library. There were still a few things that needed to be done. He approached the counter to pick up a book he was reading before , regarding some research he started earlier. He polished his glasses and continued his work till the phone rang. Giles quickly left his research and picked up the phone.
"Hello..."
(Hello Rupert , this is the council....)
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Has the slayer been taken care of ? "
" The last time I saw her she was all bloody .No way she'd survived."
The darkness hid the grimace on the sorcerer's face as he turned his gaze upon his assisstant. Staring at him , he reiterated his question , showing his discontent clearly.
"Is she dead ? " he snarled.
"I'm sure of it, My Lord."
"Where is her body then?"
The pony tailed man paused for a moment before he spoke, unsure of how to answer.
"Well...?"
"The guardian...h-he took her body."
"Zauriel is here...and you took it in your stride to NOT TELL MEEEE!!!!!!!"
A firm hand shot out from nowhere , grabbing the pony tail's neck and easily smashing him into a nearby wall. The impact caused the wall to tremble and crack , not sparing any damage to the poor assisstant either.
"Nemesis...next time don't do this again. It will not be long till we open the hellmouth so do not waste my time with such stupidity. You are capable of much more than this. Do not disappoint me."
The hand on his neck released its vice grip and enabled Nemesis to breathe again in relief. Blood was dripping down his nostril but he ignored to wipe it and instead chose to refrain from displeasing the sorcerer lest his anger be upon him again.
" Do we finally have the location of the amulet ?" the sorcerer asked
"Not yet but we will soon, My Lord. We are almost finished in deciphering the Signar text. It might even take sooner than expected. We'll have the amulet by the end of the week."
"Good. Now leave me be."
'What about the guardian ? Do you wish of us to kill him....?"
"No..."
The cavern walls echoed the growl of the sorcerer as a wicked smile formed on his face.
"Zauriel is mine."
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Summers residence
2.18am
"Buffy ...we're here." Xander told the silent slayer in his arms.
"Xander ,will you two be okay ?" the werewolf asked from the driver's seat of his van as the two alighted .
"Yeah I'll send her up and then walk myself home later. Don't worry about it man." He replied as he started towards Buffy's porch..
"You sure ?"
" Yeah. Take care of Will for me."
Oz nodded in reply "See ya later man."
The van drove off soon after, leaving Xander and Buffy alone in front of her house. They walked to her door with Xander almost carrying her. The young man proceeded to knock on the door.
"Joyce ?? Mrs Summers...?? Are you home..?" he called out.
"Mom's not home...she went to Aunt Darlene's." a soft voice said.
"Okay..."at least she's talking again "...you got keys Buff ? cos I'm thinkin it might not be cool for us to stay outside too long."
"The keys are in my purse."
The door soon opened with the right key and with a click they entered the Summers residence, shutting the door on the way in. Xander enjoyed being as close as he was with Buffy right now but suddenly felt very uncomfortable in the darkness
of her house.
"Where's the light switch ? Buff you okay ...?"
The slayer went limp and snuggled her head into his neck without a word.
"Guess I'll just take you to your room young lady." With a huff her petite frame was lifted over his shoulder like a child ."You had enough for today."
The lights were left switched off and that made the climb upstairs to the slayer's room all the more inconvenient but somehow they made it safely. Once there the young man gently tucked the weakened slayer into her bed , pulling the bed sheets up so she wouldn't get cold. Buffy clutched Mr Gordo tightly when he was within reach , closing her eyes as she started to sleep.
Xander watched the slayer in fascination. He was in Her house , in Her room , by Her bed and alone with no one else BUT her. That realization just sunk in as Buffy dozed off by his side.
"I don't blame Deadboy for watching you sleep , you look awfully cute when you do that ."Xander chuckled softly , brushing a stray hair away from her face. "..sweet dreams Buff , I'll go lock up and be back in the morning."
Xander got up to leave but a hand shot out and tugged at him. huh?
"Don't leave..." he heard Buffy cry out.
Xander sighed as her hand released the grip, returning to the slayer's side like she asked. He took her hand and gently clasped it with his own, glad to see the smile on her face as he did so.
"I'll stay...."
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Zauriel carefully tended her face with a damp cloth, wiping off sweat and dried blood. He had watched over her religiously for hours, monitoring her progress as she recovered . The guardian had her fully clothed with what he could find, pulling the sheets up to keep her as warm as she could be. The ritual had left her cold to touch and he constantly warmed her with the heat his flames radiated. The girl looked so innocent as she laid still on the bed. An angel it seemed , slept before him.
He took her hand and checked her pulse again , taking note her body temperature.
seems to be stabilizing...
The guardian took a sip of water from a cup nearby and continued his watch. His own injuries had healed up quickly and disappeared , so there was no need to be addressing his wounds seeing his lack of any. As he drank , the girl stirred for a few moments and Zauriel came to her side immediately.
"you're safe kid...don't move too much. I think you had a concussion."
" Am I in hell...? "
"close but no...just one big dump that's all." The guardian laughed
"who are you...? Wait...who am I ?"
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end part four
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Until next time I remain..................