Part Two
Night had fallen. The moon was a frail sliver in the sky, amongst a billion stars. Trees loomed above, limbs and leaves blowing slightly in the cool breeze. The family and friends of the Slayer, and people who knew they owed their life to her stood silently in the cemetery. Each held a candle and a rose, as they formed a loose circle around the hole in the ground. Next to it was the casket, holding their friend, their savior, their love, their daughter, their Buffy. They all lovingly placed their rose on the casket before it was slowly lowered down into the earth, saying their silent goodbyes. Eventually the group had dwindled to those who knew her best. Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander, Spike, Dawn, Tara, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, and Anya gazed wordlessly, for what could they say now. Spike was sitting on the ground staring straight ahead at nothing, his candle beside him, shining light on his stricken face.
No one had the ability to speak at that moment as they realized that as they buried Buffy, the girl that had been in their lives for the past 5 years, they buried a part of them they would never be able to tell another human being as long as they lived. The hurt they felt couldn't be expressed, because it was so complicated. And they all knew it. Willow cried silently. Tears had been sliding down her cheeks since she had first seen the casket, Buffy's finally resting place, from which she would never rise again. Dawn sat down by Spike, realizing that he didn't acknowledge her. He blamed himself the way she blamed herself, and in that fact they shared a bond. Xander and Anya had finally set a date for the wedding, reluctantly, knowing there would be something missing. Angel and the rest of the L.A. gang decided to move back to Sunnydale because since there was no slayer to guard it, it was in terrible jeopardy. And that made Angel mad, Buffy had given her life to save the world, and here they were worrying about when they were going to have to save it next.
When the stranger strode up beside them, they all looked. He held in his hands one single black rose, the thorns dripping with the blood from the wounds in his own hands. He kissed the petal softly, then threw it into the grave. Angel knew he was a human, but he wanted to know who. "Tis a shame really." The man said, making a clicking noise with his tongue. "She was really cute. I would have loved to know her better." He grinned as a soft growl came from both the vampires. But he was not afraid of them. In fact, he could feel the power radiating off of them. "You might all want to know me. I'm the one that will be killing you shortly. My name is Aaron." Everyone looked at him, disbelieving it. It wasn't registering in their minds, and that made Aaron angry. "You see… I wanted to kill her but, she got there first. Alas, I'm stuck with all of you. Not that I mind. Your love for her gives you more power than she ever had. And I can't wait to cut that power out with a dull knife. Rusty perhaps." He walked around the group as they all eyes him. "You especially, little one." He said to Dawn, and Spike and her stood. "You have so much power. Glory didn't use you right. I can't wait to get you most of all." He grinned and brought a finger underneath her chin. All the men in the group took a step towards him, but he held up his hands. "I will kill you. But not tonight." He smiled at them. "Sleep well." He winked at Dawn, then strolled into the shadows.
"Who the hell was that?" Angel asked, coming to stand next to Dawn. "I don't know. I've never seen him." Xander said, looking to the place the man was last seen. "He's going to kill us?" Willow asked, wrapping an arm around Tara's waist and shivering a bit. "Not if I can stop him." Spike said, walking off into the shadows. "He was human." Angel said, looking at Giles. "That means Spike can't hurt him." Giles realized, looking after him, knowing that he should chase him, but he just couldn't get his legs to move. Angel started to go after Spike, but Dawn put a hand on his arm, "Don't go." He heard the pleading in her voice, saw her eyes afraid. He'd observed that she'd hardly ever left Spike's side, and had a feeling that if Spike was gone she needed someone else to be with her. Angel nodded and came back to the group. They stared off at where they'd last saw him before Giles knew it was time that they leave the cemetery. The group left filing into their different cars, but going to the same destination. Before they'd decided they wanted to go over to Giles' afterwards, just so they wouldn't have to be alone.
Spike strode to the mausoleum that went down to what used to be the Master's lair. Contrary to what the others thought, he wasn't going after Aaron. He hurried down the stairs and through the corridors, a look of determination set on his face. Ever since Buffy had died, and he'd gotten past the sheer horror and grief of loosing her, he'd been looking for ways to bring her back. Automatically he'd nixed the plan of action Dawn had tried to bring their mom back, obviously that hadn't worked. Then he remembered what had happened with the Gatekeeper. And most importantly: The Ghost Roads. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling Buffy would be on them, depressing as it was. He'd heard how many past Slayer's were stuck there, feeling like they still had work they needed to do, but not knowing how to do it. The thought that Buffy was in there, lost, was unnerving, but it was his only shot. To go on the Ghost Roads without being dead he knew you had to be supernatural, and he was technically dead, and even if that ploy didn't work, he was definitely supernatural. Spike finally reached the buried church that used to house the Master. It was dark and damp, no candles lit it like the last time he'd been in there. It would have been pitch black except that vampire's sight in the dark was a little better than average. His eyes scanned the room and, despite the fact that he had no heat in him, he shivered. He grabbed the book he had 'borrowed' from the magic shop and looked at its yellow pages. He took a moment to center himself before he began to speak. "Ghost Roads that house the haunted and lonely, lend me your passage. Protect me from the evil that lurks in your halls and bring what I most desire. Lead her to me for a moment for counsel. As it is here, so as below. So Mote It Be." Before him a flash appeared, lighting even the darkest corners of the cavern. A purple light encompassed a hole tore in the fabric of the world, leading to a ghostly place where he only hoped he could find her. Before setting off he did something he hadn't done in over 150 years. He prayed. "God save her."
Night had fallen. The moon was a frail sliver in the sky, amongst a billion stars. Trees loomed above, limbs and leaves blowing slightly in the cool breeze. The family and friends of the Slayer, and people who knew they owed their life to her stood silently in the cemetery. Each held a candle and a rose, as they formed a loose circle around the hole in the ground. Next to it was the casket, holding their friend, their savior, their love, their daughter, their Buffy. They all lovingly placed their rose on the casket before it was slowly lowered down into the earth, saying their silent goodbyes. Eventually the group had dwindled to those who knew her best. Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander, Spike, Dawn, Tara, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, and Anya gazed wordlessly, for what could they say now. Spike was sitting on the ground staring straight ahead at nothing, his candle beside him, shining light on his stricken face.
No one had the ability to speak at that moment as they realized that as they buried Buffy, the girl that had been in their lives for the past 5 years, they buried a part of them they would never be able to tell another human being as long as they lived. The hurt they felt couldn't be expressed, because it was so complicated. And they all knew it. Willow cried silently. Tears had been sliding down her cheeks since she had first seen the casket, Buffy's finally resting place, from which she would never rise again. Dawn sat down by Spike, realizing that he didn't acknowledge her. He blamed himself the way she blamed herself, and in that fact they shared a bond. Xander and Anya had finally set a date for the wedding, reluctantly, knowing there would be something missing. Angel and the rest of the L.A. gang decided to move back to Sunnydale because since there was no slayer to guard it, it was in terrible jeopardy. And that made Angel mad, Buffy had given her life to save the world, and here they were worrying about when they were going to have to save it next.
When the stranger strode up beside them, they all looked. He held in his hands one single black rose, the thorns dripping with the blood from the wounds in his own hands. He kissed the petal softly, then threw it into the grave. Angel knew he was a human, but he wanted to know who. "Tis a shame really." The man said, making a clicking noise with his tongue. "She was really cute. I would have loved to know her better." He grinned as a soft growl came from both the vampires. But he was not afraid of them. In fact, he could feel the power radiating off of them. "You might all want to know me. I'm the one that will be killing you shortly. My name is Aaron." Everyone looked at him, disbelieving it. It wasn't registering in their minds, and that made Aaron angry. "You see… I wanted to kill her but, she got there first. Alas, I'm stuck with all of you. Not that I mind. Your love for her gives you more power than she ever had. And I can't wait to cut that power out with a dull knife. Rusty perhaps." He walked around the group as they all eyes him. "You especially, little one." He said to Dawn, and Spike and her stood. "You have so much power. Glory didn't use you right. I can't wait to get you most of all." He grinned and brought a finger underneath her chin. All the men in the group took a step towards him, but he held up his hands. "I will kill you. But not tonight." He smiled at them. "Sleep well." He winked at Dawn, then strolled into the shadows.
"Who the hell was that?" Angel asked, coming to stand next to Dawn. "I don't know. I've never seen him." Xander said, looking to the place the man was last seen. "He's going to kill us?" Willow asked, wrapping an arm around Tara's waist and shivering a bit. "Not if I can stop him." Spike said, walking off into the shadows. "He was human." Angel said, looking at Giles. "That means Spike can't hurt him." Giles realized, looking after him, knowing that he should chase him, but he just couldn't get his legs to move. Angel started to go after Spike, but Dawn put a hand on his arm, "Don't go." He heard the pleading in her voice, saw her eyes afraid. He'd observed that she'd hardly ever left Spike's side, and had a feeling that if Spike was gone she needed someone else to be with her. Angel nodded and came back to the group. They stared off at where they'd last saw him before Giles knew it was time that they leave the cemetery. The group left filing into their different cars, but going to the same destination. Before they'd decided they wanted to go over to Giles' afterwards, just so they wouldn't have to be alone.
Spike strode to the mausoleum that went down to what used to be the Master's lair. Contrary to what the others thought, he wasn't going after Aaron. He hurried down the stairs and through the corridors, a look of determination set on his face. Ever since Buffy had died, and he'd gotten past the sheer horror and grief of loosing her, he'd been looking for ways to bring her back. Automatically he'd nixed the plan of action Dawn had tried to bring their mom back, obviously that hadn't worked. Then he remembered what had happened with the Gatekeeper. And most importantly: The Ghost Roads. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling Buffy would be on them, depressing as it was. He'd heard how many past Slayer's were stuck there, feeling like they still had work they needed to do, but not knowing how to do it. The thought that Buffy was in there, lost, was unnerving, but it was his only shot. To go on the Ghost Roads without being dead he knew you had to be supernatural, and he was technically dead, and even if that ploy didn't work, he was definitely supernatural. Spike finally reached the buried church that used to house the Master. It was dark and damp, no candles lit it like the last time he'd been in there. It would have been pitch black except that vampire's sight in the dark was a little better than average. His eyes scanned the room and, despite the fact that he had no heat in him, he shivered. He grabbed the book he had 'borrowed' from the magic shop and looked at its yellow pages. He took a moment to center himself before he began to speak. "Ghost Roads that house the haunted and lonely, lend me your passage. Protect me from the evil that lurks in your halls and bring what I most desire. Lead her to me for a moment for counsel. As it is here, so as below. So Mote It Be." Before him a flash appeared, lighting even the darkest corners of the cavern. A purple light encompassed a hole tore in the fabric of the world, leading to a ghostly place where he only hoped he could find her. Before setting off he did something he hadn't done in over 150 years. He prayed. "God save her."