Part 4:
A/N: This part is a little more serious than the others....though I don't think the rest of it is that humorous! Oh well, once again, please r/r!
"Giles we've got a problem," Buffy called as she entered her Watcher's home. 'Not your Watcher anymore,' she reminded herself. 'He was fired, and you quit the Council, remember, Buffy?' Buffy paused as she realized that Giles had not answered her. "Giles? Are you here?" Still nothing. Racing around his apartment, Buffy yelled out, "GILES!!!" Again, there was no response. On the verge of panic, Buffy turned to Xander and Willow abruptly. "You guys search upstairs. Riley and I will look outside. Monica, stay on this level."
Buffy rushed out the door, not wanting her friends to see how scared she was for her mentor. She wouldn't be worried, but this was the Hellmouth, and Giles never forgot anything. It just wasn't like him to not show up. Especially when they were meeting at his home.
Riley quickly followed his girlfriend, concerned about her emotional well-being. "Buffy? We're gonna find him. Maybe he just went out to run some errands." Riley tried his best to comfort her, but Buffy was too focused on finding Giles.
Buffy spun on Riley angrily. "You don't know that, Riley! He could be hurt, lying somewhere helpless. He could be…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. If Giles died, Buffy would have no one to turn to. Sure, Willow was great for the girly stuff, and her mom really did understand life, though Buffy would never admit that to Joyce, but only Giles knew how to give the right comfort to Buffy when she needed it.
"He's not dead, Buffy! You have to believe that!" Riley took her in his arms. She just stood there for a moment, not moving, only standing with her boyfriends' arms around her. Suddenly, Buffy shuddered, grieving for the man she thought was lost. Buffy and Riley stood in the front courtyard like that for a long time; Buffy sobbing and Riley comforting her. "Shhh. It's ok, baby. I'm here. Just cry. It won't make everything better but it helps."
Slowly, Buffy pulled away, looking up at Riley tearfully. "Thanks. Let's head inside. He's obviously not out here." Holding hands, the couple walked back inside. "Willow? Xander? Did you find him?" Buffy called out to her friends. Then she saw them. Willow was sitting on the couch, sobbing into Xander's shoulder. Xander himself was having trouble keeping back tears. Monica stood over the both of them protectively, looking in the direction of Riley and Buffy.
"Oh, God! Is he-?" Buffy tried to ask, but the word stuck in her throat.
Xander shook his head. "Not…that thing. But Buffy, he's hurt. Worse than ever. Even the time when Angel tortured him."
Buffy flinched when she heard this. Angel was her ex-honey, a vampire with a soul who had lost that soul when he experienced perfect happiness. For months, Buffy had tried to get up the courage to kill he one true love, and before she could, he had tortured Giles ruthlessly. If it was worse than that, Buffy knew Giles didn't have long.
Choking back a sob, Buffy asked him, "Have you called 9-1-1?"
"I called less than a minute before you walked in Buffy." Monica told her.
Buffy nodded in thanks then went to sit by her friends on Giles couch. She sighed sadly, wondering if she would ever see Giles alive again. She picked up his tweed jacket that he had tossed carelessly onto the couch. She buried her face in it, just to feel closer to her Watcher. "It smells like him," she said absently. She couldn't take it anymore. Giving into grief once more, Buffy sobbed. She grieved for those who died at the hands of the demons, she grieved for the Slayer's who had come before her and she grieved for the ones who had yet to die.
Part 5:
Joyce Summers sat with Andrew in her family room, enraptured by what he was telling her. 'He's helped so many people! Just like my daughter,' she thought with pride. She gasped in fear and awe as Andrew started to glow in a golden light.
"Don't be afraid, Joyce." Andrew reassured her. Oddly, when he said that, Joyce didn't feel afraid. Only peace. "I am an Angel, sent by God to tell you that He loves you Joyce. He knows that things have been hard the past few years after you discovered Buffy's secret. And He wants you to know that your daughter was chosen for a very special purpose." Joyce looked at him questioningly. "Yes, God was the One who chose her for this dangerous task." At this, Joyce began to sob.
"I always wondered who had decided that Buffy was going to be a super hero. If I had a face to picture, then I had someone to blame. But not knowing only caused me to doubt my own skills as a parent. Maybe if I had done something different, she wouldn't be the Slayer. It kills me inside knowing that I will probably outlive my only daughter by several years." Joyce wiped the tears from her face, saddened by this thought, yet happier than she had been in months.
"You're not angry at God?" Andrew asked, surprised. When most people found out that God was a kind and loving God, they wanted to know why He had let so much pain and suffering happen.
Joyce shook her head. "Being mad at Him doesn't change the fact that my little girl is the Chosen One. Why bother? All I know is that He did choose her. I may never know why, but I do know that it has made her into a beautiful, self-competent young women. I would never trade anything for those qualities in my baby."
Andrew found himself in awe of the quiet strength that radiated from this woman. It was no wonder that her daughter was the Slayer. "You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that. So many people blame God for the problems of the world. He gave every human being on this planet the gift of free will. It's up to all of you to decide how you use it. Sadly, many people abuse that gift." Andrew paused, breathing deeply to calm his nerves. He knew it was time to tell Joyce why he had appeared to her.
"Joyce, there is a reason that I am here. You see…I am the Angel of Death." Andrew stopped to see how she would take the news.
"Is my little girl going to die?" She asked in a panic.
"Truthfully, it is a possibility. She may be fighting her final battle this very night. Unless my friend Monica can get Buffy to accept God and that He made her so very special, she will lose. Only will her opponent be defeated if she accepts Him on her side. A full member of the Scooby Gang," he said with a small smile.
Joyce smiled slightly at Andrew's attempt at humor. "How do I help? She's my girl. I'm not ready to lose her."
"You must help her to find the Truth. It is possible that Monica will lead her to it without problems, but you must be prepared to help her. Are you ready for that?"
Joyce nodded with determination.
A/N: This part is a little more serious than the others....though I don't think the rest of it is that humorous! Oh well, once again, please r/r!
"Giles we've got a problem," Buffy called as she entered her Watcher's home. 'Not your Watcher anymore,' she reminded herself. 'He was fired, and you quit the Council, remember, Buffy?' Buffy paused as she realized that Giles had not answered her. "Giles? Are you here?" Still nothing. Racing around his apartment, Buffy yelled out, "GILES!!!" Again, there was no response. On the verge of panic, Buffy turned to Xander and Willow abruptly. "You guys search upstairs. Riley and I will look outside. Monica, stay on this level."
Buffy rushed out the door, not wanting her friends to see how scared she was for her mentor. She wouldn't be worried, but this was the Hellmouth, and Giles never forgot anything. It just wasn't like him to not show up. Especially when they were meeting at his home.
Riley quickly followed his girlfriend, concerned about her emotional well-being. "Buffy? We're gonna find him. Maybe he just went out to run some errands." Riley tried his best to comfort her, but Buffy was too focused on finding Giles.
Buffy spun on Riley angrily. "You don't know that, Riley! He could be hurt, lying somewhere helpless. He could be…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. If Giles died, Buffy would have no one to turn to. Sure, Willow was great for the girly stuff, and her mom really did understand life, though Buffy would never admit that to Joyce, but only Giles knew how to give the right comfort to Buffy when she needed it.
"He's not dead, Buffy! You have to believe that!" Riley took her in his arms. She just stood there for a moment, not moving, only standing with her boyfriends' arms around her. Suddenly, Buffy shuddered, grieving for the man she thought was lost. Buffy and Riley stood in the front courtyard like that for a long time; Buffy sobbing and Riley comforting her. "Shhh. It's ok, baby. I'm here. Just cry. It won't make everything better but it helps."
Slowly, Buffy pulled away, looking up at Riley tearfully. "Thanks. Let's head inside. He's obviously not out here." Holding hands, the couple walked back inside. "Willow? Xander? Did you find him?" Buffy called out to her friends. Then she saw them. Willow was sitting on the couch, sobbing into Xander's shoulder. Xander himself was having trouble keeping back tears. Monica stood over the both of them protectively, looking in the direction of Riley and Buffy.
"Oh, God! Is he-?" Buffy tried to ask, but the word stuck in her throat.
Xander shook his head. "Not…that thing. But Buffy, he's hurt. Worse than ever. Even the time when Angel tortured him."
Buffy flinched when she heard this. Angel was her ex-honey, a vampire with a soul who had lost that soul when he experienced perfect happiness. For months, Buffy had tried to get up the courage to kill he one true love, and before she could, he had tortured Giles ruthlessly. If it was worse than that, Buffy knew Giles didn't have long.
Choking back a sob, Buffy asked him, "Have you called 9-1-1?"
"I called less than a minute before you walked in Buffy." Monica told her.
Buffy nodded in thanks then went to sit by her friends on Giles couch. She sighed sadly, wondering if she would ever see Giles alive again. She picked up his tweed jacket that he had tossed carelessly onto the couch. She buried her face in it, just to feel closer to her Watcher. "It smells like him," she said absently. She couldn't take it anymore. Giving into grief once more, Buffy sobbed. She grieved for those who died at the hands of the demons, she grieved for the Slayer's who had come before her and she grieved for the ones who had yet to die.
Part 5:
Joyce Summers sat with Andrew in her family room, enraptured by what he was telling her. 'He's helped so many people! Just like my daughter,' she thought with pride. She gasped in fear and awe as Andrew started to glow in a golden light.
"Don't be afraid, Joyce." Andrew reassured her. Oddly, when he said that, Joyce didn't feel afraid. Only peace. "I am an Angel, sent by God to tell you that He loves you Joyce. He knows that things have been hard the past few years after you discovered Buffy's secret. And He wants you to know that your daughter was chosen for a very special purpose." Joyce looked at him questioningly. "Yes, God was the One who chose her for this dangerous task." At this, Joyce began to sob.
"I always wondered who had decided that Buffy was going to be a super hero. If I had a face to picture, then I had someone to blame. But not knowing only caused me to doubt my own skills as a parent. Maybe if I had done something different, she wouldn't be the Slayer. It kills me inside knowing that I will probably outlive my only daughter by several years." Joyce wiped the tears from her face, saddened by this thought, yet happier than she had been in months.
"You're not angry at God?" Andrew asked, surprised. When most people found out that God was a kind and loving God, they wanted to know why He had let so much pain and suffering happen.
Joyce shook her head. "Being mad at Him doesn't change the fact that my little girl is the Chosen One. Why bother? All I know is that He did choose her. I may never know why, but I do know that it has made her into a beautiful, self-competent young women. I would never trade anything for those qualities in my baby."
Andrew found himself in awe of the quiet strength that radiated from this woman. It was no wonder that her daughter was the Slayer. "You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that. So many people blame God for the problems of the world. He gave every human being on this planet the gift of free will. It's up to all of you to decide how you use it. Sadly, many people abuse that gift." Andrew paused, breathing deeply to calm his nerves. He knew it was time to tell Joyce why he had appeared to her.
"Joyce, there is a reason that I am here. You see…I am the Angel of Death." Andrew stopped to see how she would take the news.
"Is my little girl going to die?" She asked in a panic.
"Truthfully, it is a possibility. She may be fighting her final battle this very night. Unless my friend Monica can get Buffy to accept God and that He made her so very special, she will lose. Only will her opponent be defeated if she accepts Him on her side. A full member of the Scooby Gang," he said with a small smile.
Joyce smiled slightly at Andrew's attempt at humor. "How do I help? She's my girl. I'm not ready to lose her."
"You must help her to find the Truth. It is possible that Monica will lead her to it without problems, but you must be prepared to help her. Are you ready for that?"
Joyce nodded with determination.