Part 8

Sunnydale Memorial Cemetery
December 24, 2001
8:15pm

"Innie, Minie, Miney…"

He points and shoots when he says, "Moe."

The arrow flies toward Buffy but it stops six inches from her chest, floating in mid-air.

"What the," Spike started.

Lorie appears in front of Buffy, holding the arrow.

"You're not getting this one William," the angel said.

"I don't know who you are, but just how are you going to stop me?"

"Careful Spikey," Drusilla said. "I sense a strong power in her. It fills my head. It says terrible things."

Spike stalks towards Lorie. He swings in for a punch, but she grabs his hand before it connects.

"How…" Spike started. "OWWWW!"

Spike screamed in pain as he felt his hand begin to burn.

"What are you," Spike asked.

"If you come near Buffy again, you'll be dust before you can say 'Bloody hell.'"

Lorie vanished into thin air.

"Goes to show you, you should never piss off a slayer's guardian angel," Buffy said.

"She was an angel," Spike said. "No wonder the bitch burned my hand."

Spike looked down and put his game face on. Laney whipped out her stake.

"You never listen do you Peroxide Pest," Buffy said.

"She can kill me for all I care," Spike said. "I just want to take you out love."

Laney tries to rush Spike, but Spike pushes her towards Drusilla. She and Dru fall to the ground. Dru lands on top of Laney and vamps out. Laney kicks Dru off of her. She jumps up and assumes her fighting stance. Meanwhile, Spike moves closer and closer to Buffy.

"Why don't I smell fear Slayer…you know…the last slayer I killed…she begged for her life," Spike said.

"No, she didn't," Buffy, replied. "You were on a New York City subway, you went through a tunnel and snapped her neck."

Spike was surprised she knew that.

"How did you know that? I was alone."

"You told me," Buffy said.

Spike looked confused. Buffy used this moment to punch Spike. Spike recoils and punches her back. While she is dazed, he rushes her to the ground and pins her.

"You look good enough to taste," Spike said menacingly.

"Kill me. Won't make much difference," Buffy said.

"Fine with me," Spike replied.

He prepares to bare his fangs into Buffy, but a dark haired person attacks him. He begins to wail punches on the blond vampire. Buffy stands up slowly and watches the man punch Spike. His back is towards her, so she can't see her face. A few feet away, Laney slams Dru against a mausoleum. She knees her in the gut several times, punches her with a right then a left. She lifts the vampire over her head and throws her into a head stone. She races towards her, grabs her stake and leaps toward Dru. As Dru stands up, Laney drop kicks her, lifts her up and stakes her.

"Shi-" Dru said as she turned to dust.

"Xander," Buffy asked as she moved closer to the dark haired man still punching Spike.

Spike manages enough strength to kick the man off of him. He flies and lands on Buffy.

"Man that hurt," Jesse said.

Spike looks around for Drusilla and sees Laney dusting herself off.

"You…you killed Dru," Spike said.

He tries to attack Laney, but Buffy gets to him first. She grabs him by his jacket and throws him to the ground. Buffy picks up the crossbow and aims it at him.

"I suggest you get out of here," Jesse said as he stood behind Buffy with Laney.

"She won't kill me," Spike said. "I can sense it."

"You're wrong," Buffy said. "I want you out of this town by sunrise. Laney or me see you again…you're dust."

Spike decides not to provoke the slayers and runs.

Spike thought as he ran.

Buffy turns to Jesse.

"Thank you."

"No problem," Jesse responded. "Couldn't let Spike kill you now could I?"

"Not just that," Buffy said. "You helped me realize something."

"And what's that," Laney said as they headed out of the cemetery.

"Xander is more important to me than I thought," Buffy said.

Lorie appeared in front of them, startling the group.

"You can't knock," Laney said.

Lorie looks around.

"I don't see a door around here…do you?"

"What are you doing here," Buffy said.

"I'm here because you are almost done here."

"Good. I'm ready to go back home."

"Not quite time for that…first finish telling them what you were saying."

Buffy turns back to Laney and Jesse.

"As I was saying…Xander is more important to me than I thought. Whenever I needed him, he's been there. I took that for granted. He saved me time and time again, but I was too stubborn to thank him, or admit I needed him. When I found out he was part of the reason I was ejected from Heaven…I was hurt. But it's still no excuse for the things I said. I think I need him. And who could blame him over getting upset over catching me with Spike."

"Good," Lorie said. "Now we just need to change that think…to know."

Lorie touched Buffy's forehead and the vanished.

"She could have at least given all of us a proper goodbye before the teleported out of here like Captain Kirk," Jesse said.

"Don't worry…We'll get Amy to do a spell to visit her world one of these days."

Laney and Jesse start to leave the cemetery.

"I could have staked Spike," Jesse said.

"I know," Laney replied. "But you spent too much time beating the snot out of him."

"But it was fun," Jesse said happily. "Come on, Wesley is waiting for us to get back so we can open presents."

At the word presents, Laney grabbed Jesse's arm and ran out of the cemetery with him close behind.

Unknown Place
Unknown Time

Buffy and Lorie re-appear in another place. Buffy looks around. The skies are blood red. Dark clouds strike lightening every few minutes.

"What is this place," Buffy asked.

"Don't you recognize Sunnydale," The angel said.

Buffy can't believe what she sees is Sunnydale.

"This isn't Sunnydale…this hell," Buffy said.

"Close enough. This is Sunnydale if Xander never existed and Angel never decided to stop the Master. That night the Hellmouth opened. Willow, Cordelia, Miss Calendar, and Mr. Giles were killed by the Hellmouth demon. Once it was free, other demons worse than that one emerged. By morning, well, by the time it should have been morning, hundreds of demons were roaming the streets, killing people. The clouds became blood red and the skies have remained darkened since that day. Now you see what a difference one person can make. Xander touched lives. He saved yours. In doing that, he saved the world. He's done it several times since then by keeping you alive."

A loud screech startles Buffy from her the thoughts that were beginning to form. They two of them look up and see a large dragon like demon flying through the sky.

"You've seen this world, the other world I was nice enough to show you, and you've seen your world. Tell me which one would you want to live in? Your family and friends to live in?"

"Does it matter? Either world I'm either dead or feel dead."

"I still haven't gotten through to you have I? Fine," Lorie said.

She snaps her fingers and they appear in Xander's room at the hospital. Buffy sees Xander laying on the bed.

"Why did you bring me here," Buffy asked.

"He's not doing so good. Got into a terrible accident this evening. Right now he's in a coma. Only one person can pull him out of it and that's you. You can't do it…by morning…he'll be dead."

Buffy looks towards Lorie then towards Xander. A respirator is helping him breathe, a machine shows that his heartbeat is slow and faint, but still beating.

"What am I supposed to say?"

"What's in your heart," Lorie says.

Buffy takes a seat next to Xander's bed and grabs his hand.

End Part 8