Part 40 - A Cure
5 am
"Buffy, I've got news," Xander finally said gently. He hated to
do this to her, but she deserved to know what he knew about
Angel's condition.
"In the other room. Giles will want to know," she said, pulling
away and walking into the living room. She and Xander sat on the
couch, Giles was sitting on a chair facing the fireplace.
The look on Giles' face asked the question for him.
"I kinda had a breakdown," Buffy said apologetically. "I'm sure
you heard it. I'm okay now, though."
Giles nodded, not pressing her further.
*Well, out with it* Xander told himself. "So I'm sure you both
want to know what Willow, Oz and I found out about the poison.
They're still researching, but we've got a little info. It's a
mystical compound, and its name is..." He trailed off, wondering
how he'd gotten the responsibility of being the bearer of bad
news.
"Go on," Buffy prodded.
Xander sighed, "Killer of the dead."
Buffy paled, and clutched her stomach as if she'd been punched
hard. Xander put an arm around her shoulders hesitantly, wishing
again that he could say it would all be okay, but knowing that
would be a lie.
"How long will it take?" Giles asked.
"The smallest dose on record took 24 hours to do the job, the
largest dose took twelve," Xander said.
"There's a cure though," Buffy said hopefully. "There has to
be." Xander didn't look at her, and her hope sank. "Xander..."
"We're still working on that," Xander said with a shrug. "The
only info we have so far..." He trailed off again, not wanting
to finish the sentence.
"GO ON..." Buffy said irritably.
Angel's scream startled them all, and saved Xander from
answering the question momentarily. Buffy jumped up and ran into
Angel's room. He wasn't in his bed, but she finally found him.
He was in a dark corner, shaking violently. His eyes were glassy
and she doubted he knew she was there.
"Angel, it's me, Buffy," she said quietly. "I'm not going to
hurt you."
He snarled at her, and she jumped back. "Angel!"
His eyes cleared instantly and he looked up at her confusedly.
"I'm so sorry," he said. "I can't seem to keep my head clear."
"It's okay," she said reassuringly, helping him to his feet.
"Back into bed,," she added as she got him lying down again.
"We're close to a cure. Just sleep, Angel." She sat with him
until he drifted off again.
She opened his door and stepped out of the room, but stopped
short at the screaming match before her. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR
BLOODY MIND???" Giles screamed at Xander. "YOU WILL NOT TELL
HER! YOU CAN'T, NOT NOW, WHEN SHE'S LIKE THIS!"
"I can't KEEP it from her," Xander replied, in better control of
his emotions than Giles. "I promised her I'd NEVER keep
something important from her again, Giles, and I won't break
that promise. She deserves to know what we know."
"NOT IN THIS STATE OF MIND, SHE DOESN'T! IF YOU TELL HER, YOU
WILL LOSE HER FOREVER! WE ALL WILL!"
Xander shook his head, and sighed. He then looked over to the
door. "Buffy," he said with a sad look her way, then sunk to the
couch, his head in his hands. Giles' last words echoed in his
mind, but he couldn't not tell her. Even if Giles was right, he
wouldn't make the mistake of keeping anything from her again.
Because he knew for sure that that, more than anything else,
WOULD destroy any chances they had of making it through this
together.
Giles looked over at her. "Oh bloody hell," he said, and turned
away, staring at the fireplace.
"Someone tell me what's going on," Buffy requested, walking over
to Xander and looking down at him. "There's a cure? Did I hear
that right?"
Xander didn't reply, and she knelt in front of him. "Xan, you
have to tell me. Don't do this to me, not again,' she begged.
She pulled at his arms, and he finally gave in, looking into her
eyes. The torment in his eyes as he did so shocked her, though.
"I love you so much," he said, looking incredibly hopeless.
"I know you do," she replied, touching his face gently. "Tell
me," she urged. "Whatever it is, we can get through this
together."
Xander started as she unconsciously repeated his previous
thoughts, and looked down at the floor. "There was mention of a
cure, in one of the books. The vampire who was poisoned was
cured by draining the Slayer."
Buffy hesitated, letting the words sink in. "Drained. As in
completely?" she finally asked.
"He lived, she died," Xander said, looking back at her with
haunted eyes.
"Oh."
****************
5 am
"Buffy, I've got news," Xander finally said gently. He hated to
do this to her, but she deserved to know what he knew about
Angel's condition.
"In the other room. Giles will want to know," she said, pulling
away and walking into the living room. She and Xander sat on the
couch, Giles was sitting on a chair facing the fireplace.
The look on Giles' face asked the question for him.
"I kinda had a breakdown," Buffy said apologetically. "I'm sure
you heard it. I'm okay now, though."
Giles nodded, not pressing her further.
*Well, out with it* Xander told himself. "So I'm sure you both
want to know what Willow, Oz and I found out about the poison.
They're still researching, but we've got a little info. It's a
mystical compound, and its name is..." He trailed off, wondering
how he'd gotten the responsibility of being the bearer of bad
news.
"Go on," Buffy prodded.
Xander sighed, "Killer of the dead."
Buffy paled, and clutched her stomach as if she'd been punched
hard. Xander put an arm around her shoulders hesitantly, wishing
again that he could say it would all be okay, but knowing that
would be a lie.
"How long will it take?" Giles asked.
"The smallest dose on record took 24 hours to do the job, the
largest dose took twelve," Xander said.
"There's a cure though," Buffy said hopefully. "There has to
be." Xander didn't look at her, and her hope sank. "Xander..."
"We're still working on that," Xander said with a shrug. "The
only info we have so far..." He trailed off again, not wanting
to finish the sentence.
"GO ON..." Buffy said irritably.
Angel's scream startled them all, and saved Xander from
answering the question momentarily. Buffy jumped up and ran into
Angel's room. He wasn't in his bed, but she finally found him.
He was in a dark corner, shaking violently. His eyes were glassy
and she doubted he knew she was there.
"Angel, it's me, Buffy," she said quietly. "I'm not going to
hurt you."
He snarled at her, and she jumped back. "Angel!"
His eyes cleared instantly and he looked up at her confusedly.
"I'm so sorry," he said. "I can't seem to keep my head clear."
"It's okay," she said reassuringly, helping him to his feet.
"Back into bed,," she added as she got him lying down again.
"We're close to a cure. Just sleep, Angel." She sat with him
until he drifted off again.
She opened his door and stepped out of the room, but stopped
short at the screaming match before her. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR
BLOODY MIND???" Giles screamed at Xander. "YOU WILL NOT TELL
HER! YOU CAN'T, NOT NOW, WHEN SHE'S LIKE THIS!"
"I can't KEEP it from her," Xander replied, in better control of
his emotions than Giles. "I promised her I'd NEVER keep
something important from her again, Giles, and I won't break
that promise. She deserves to know what we know."
"NOT IN THIS STATE OF MIND, SHE DOESN'T! IF YOU TELL HER, YOU
WILL LOSE HER FOREVER! WE ALL WILL!"
Xander shook his head, and sighed. He then looked over to the
door. "Buffy," he said with a sad look her way, then sunk to the
couch, his head in his hands. Giles' last words echoed in his
mind, but he couldn't not tell her. Even if Giles was right, he
wouldn't make the mistake of keeping anything from her again.
Because he knew for sure that that, more than anything else,
WOULD destroy any chances they had of making it through this
together.
Giles looked over at her. "Oh bloody hell," he said, and turned
away, staring at the fireplace.
"Someone tell me what's going on," Buffy requested, walking over
to Xander and looking down at him. "There's a cure? Did I hear
that right?"
Xander didn't reply, and she knelt in front of him. "Xan, you
have to tell me. Don't do this to me, not again,' she begged.
She pulled at his arms, and he finally gave in, looking into her
eyes. The torment in his eyes as he did so shocked her, though.
"I love you so much," he said, looking incredibly hopeless.
"I know you do," she replied, touching his face gently. "Tell
me," she urged. "Whatever it is, we can get through this
together."
Xander started as she unconsciously repeated his previous
thoughts, and looked down at the floor. "There was mention of a
cure, in one of the books. The vampire who was poisoned was
cured by draining the Slayer."
Buffy hesitated, letting the words sink in. "Drained. As in
completely?" she finally asked.
"He lived, she died," Xander said, looking back at her with
haunted eyes.
"Oh."
****************
