Divine Intervention (CH4 - Conclusion)
By Obi's Girl
Buffy scowled as she followed Angel, Jack and John. She sacrificed her after life to save him and instead, he saved her. Not that she wasn't ungrateful, she wasn't. Angel stopped, looking back at her. He knew eventually, this would come. She had been quiet during their trek from Hell to Heaven.
"Go ahead, Buffy. Get it out now." Angel stated, staring intently at her.
She shrugged, walking past him but stopped and looked back at him, "I sacrificed my after life to save you. I was ready to take Satan on...I could have beaten him. You don't know. I could have..." Before she could say another word, Angel bent down and kissed her. She smiled, "I guess that means I should shut-up and take it as is, huh?"
Angel smiled, caressing her cheek, "I'm glad you came back for me, Buffy." He paused, remembering the last time he was in Hell, "When I came back before, I was an animal, a monster...if I stayed down there any longer I probably would have become that monster again. Thank you."
"It was partly my fault you were down there to begin with. There's no need for you to carry the blame," she whispered, walking passed him.
He stood there, watching her and whispered, "There's no reason for you, either." Angel looked back at Jack and John. John had already gone ahead. Death smiled at him, gesturing he walk in front of him but Angel looked at him suspiciously before continuing on.
John seated himself next to Andrew as Buffy, Jack and Angel finally joined them. The Slayer and Angel were worn, tired and dirty. Buffy's blouse was torn a bit, but her injuries were nothing compared to Angel. Angel was still human, not an immortal so he couldn't heal himself but it looked like he was holding up okay.
Jesus nodded, "Are the two of you all right?"
Buffy smiled wearily, glancing at Angel. "I think for now, we just wanna go home. I don't think you all are ready for us. yet. Even though you'd been waiting awhile."
"Agreed." Jesus looked at John. "We've made a decision while you were away. You will be restored to your former conscience. You're right. We're not exactly ready for you yet and I don't think you're ready to be dead, either."
It took awhile for her to understand. Her mind was still a blank but when it did register, she looked up at him in disbelief, "You're going to make me alive again...and Angel?"
"You deserve it. After all you've gone through over the years, we figured you deserved a break." Peter reasoned.
"So, wait a minute. You said you're going to make Angel alive again. Does that mean un-dead alive or human alive?" she asked, glancing at him. Angel frowned. His one dream was to be human as it was Buffy's.
Jesus frowned, "Not exactly. You'll both be restored, but not at the same point you died. We're giving you back a day, specifically the day Buffy died, sacrificing herself to save Dawn. Angel will be alive, but he'll just be..."
He nodded, "Un-dead, again." Angel huffed, "So, I guess we won't remember anything that happened? Is that another catch?"
"Oh no, you'll remember. It's just the way it has to be." Thomas added as John gestured they both held hands.
Buffy looked up at Angel, and he smiled partly. She turned back to Jack, who was standing alone. She dropped Angel's hand a moment and hugged him. He smiled, "Be careful down there, Slayer. Life's not something you can toy with."
She gazed at him, smiling, "I know."
She let go and joined Angel again as Jack looked down, frowning and silently humming, "Oh Come What May, I will love you until you're dying day."
~~
"He's got two little, little holes in his neck, and all his blood's been drained. Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going, ooo?" "I was afraid of this." "Well, I wasn't! It's my first day! I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. And I don't care. Hey, I know! Why don't you kill 'em?" "I-I'm a Watcher, I-I haven't the skill..." "Oh, come on, stake through the heart, a little sunlight... It's like falling off a log." "A, a Slayer slays, a Watcher..." "...Watches?"
"Yes. No! He, he trains her, he, he, he prepares her..." "Prepares me for what? For getting kicked out of school? For losing all of my friends? For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Go ahead! Prepare me." "This is madness! What can you have been thinking? You are the Slayer! Lives depend upon you! I make allowances for your youth, but I expect a certain amount of responsibility, and instead of which you enslave yourself to this, this... Cult?" "All right, I-I'll just jump in my time machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show." "Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm." "I was ten years old when my father told me I was destined to be a Watcher. He was one, and his, uh, mother before him, and I was to be next."
"Were you thrilled beyond all measure?" "No, I had very definite plans about my future. I was going to be a fighter pilot. Or possibly a grocer, well, uh... My father gave me a very tiresome speech about, uh, responsibility and sacrifice." "I have volumes of lore, of prophecies, of predictions. But I don't have an instruction manual. We feel our way as we go along. And, I must say, as a Slayer, you're, you're doing... pretty well." "A vampire in love with a Slayer! It's rather poetic! In a maudlin sort of way." "Happy Hallow - Hello, Buffy?" "Oh - my - God." "It's a sombrero." "And it's on your head." "It seemed festive." "This is Gachnar" "Big overture. Little show." "I am the dark lord of nightmares! The bringer of terror! Tremble before me. Fear me!" "He - he's so cute!" "Tremble!" "Who's a little fear demon? Come on! Who's a little fear demon!" "Don't taunt the fear demon." "Why, can he hurt me?" "No, it's just - tacky."
All the memories are slowed down to a less head-achy pace.
"Who are you?" "I apologize. I assumed you knew. I am Dracula." "Get out!" "You have been tasted." "He was-" "Unworthy. He let you go. But the embrace... his bite... you remember." "No." "All those years fighting us. Your power so near to our own... and you've never once wanted to know what it is that we fight for? Never even a taste?" "If I drink that-" "I have not drunk enough for you to change. You must be near death to become one of us. And that comes only when you plead for it." "I'm not hungry." "No. Your craving goes deeper than that. You think you know... what you are... what's to come. You haven't even begun. Find it. The darkness. Find your true nature." You haven't been my Watcher for a while. I haven't been training... and I haven't really needed to come to you for help." "I agree." "And then this whole thing with Dracul ... it made me face up to some stuff. Ever since we did that spell where we called on the first slayer ... I've been going out a lot. Every night." "Patrolling?" "Hunting. That's... what Dracula called it. And he was right. He understood my power better than I do. He saw darkness in it." "I need to know more. About where I come from, about the other slayers. I mean, maybe... maybe if I could learn to control this thing, I could be stronger, I could be better. But... I'm scared. I know it's gonna be hard. And I can't do it... without you. I need your help. I need you to be my Watcher again." "Boy, I just, I just keep talking, don't I? I'm sorry, you-you had something you wanted to say?" "No... it's nothing."
~~
Giles removed his glasses, staring down at the dead body of his Slayer. He always knew at some point, the Slayer would die but for Buffy, the thought was unconceivable. She always managed, finding some way to bypass Death. He glanced up at Xander as he carried Anya. Dawn was just coming down the stairs, holding her side where the Doc slashed her. The Watcher wasn't sure what Buffy said to her up there. It looked like they had some argument and Buffy won, obviously. Willow buried her head in Tara's shoulder as she cried, staring at her.
Dawn walked forward, kneeling down in front of her sister. "She looks so peaceful. Like there was no pain." She turned back to Giles, "Do you think she felt any pain?"
He only shrugged as Dawn looked back at her sister, her hero.
Suddenly, Buffy moved her shoulder, twitching slightly. Dawn glanced back at Giles and the others. She looked back at her sister as Buffy bolted up, coughing for air. Giles rushed to her side, steadying her. Willow and Tara looked at each other. They knew it was a long fall and it was virtually impossible she would live...
Dawn smiled, hugging Buffy, crying emphatically. Silently, she thanked God or whatever God was listening for returning her sister back to her.
The End
By Obi's Girl
Buffy scowled as she followed Angel, Jack and John. She sacrificed her after life to save him and instead, he saved her. Not that she wasn't ungrateful, she wasn't. Angel stopped, looking back at her. He knew eventually, this would come. She had been quiet during their trek from Hell to Heaven.
"Go ahead, Buffy. Get it out now." Angel stated, staring intently at her.
She shrugged, walking past him but stopped and looked back at him, "I sacrificed my after life to save you. I was ready to take Satan on...I could have beaten him. You don't know. I could have..." Before she could say another word, Angel bent down and kissed her. She smiled, "I guess that means I should shut-up and take it as is, huh?"
Angel smiled, caressing her cheek, "I'm glad you came back for me, Buffy." He paused, remembering the last time he was in Hell, "When I came back before, I was an animal, a monster...if I stayed down there any longer I probably would have become that monster again. Thank you."
"It was partly my fault you were down there to begin with. There's no need for you to carry the blame," she whispered, walking passed him.
He stood there, watching her and whispered, "There's no reason for you, either." Angel looked back at Jack and John. John had already gone ahead. Death smiled at him, gesturing he walk in front of him but Angel looked at him suspiciously before continuing on.
John seated himself next to Andrew as Buffy, Jack and Angel finally joined them. The Slayer and Angel were worn, tired and dirty. Buffy's blouse was torn a bit, but her injuries were nothing compared to Angel. Angel was still human, not an immortal so he couldn't heal himself but it looked like he was holding up okay.
Jesus nodded, "Are the two of you all right?"
Buffy smiled wearily, glancing at Angel. "I think for now, we just wanna go home. I don't think you all are ready for us. yet. Even though you'd been waiting awhile."
"Agreed." Jesus looked at John. "We've made a decision while you were away. You will be restored to your former conscience. You're right. We're not exactly ready for you yet and I don't think you're ready to be dead, either."
It took awhile for her to understand. Her mind was still a blank but when it did register, she looked up at him in disbelief, "You're going to make me alive again...and Angel?"
"You deserve it. After all you've gone through over the years, we figured you deserved a break." Peter reasoned.
"So, wait a minute. You said you're going to make Angel alive again. Does that mean un-dead alive or human alive?" she asked, glancing at him. Angel frowned. His one dream was to be human as it was Buffy's.
Jesus frowned, "Not exactly. You'll both be restored, but not at the same point you died. We're giving you back a day, specifically the day Buffy died, sacrificing herself to save Dawn. Angel will be alive, but he'll just be..."
He nodded, "Un-dead, again." Angel huffed, "So, I guess we won't remember anything that happened? Is that another catch?"
"Oh no, you'll remember. It's just the way it has to be." Thomas added as John gestured they both held hands.
Buffy looked up at Angel, and he smiled partly. She turned back to Jack, who was standing alone. She dropped Angel's hand a moment and hugged him. He smiled, "Be careful down there, Slayer. Life's not something you can toy with."
She gazed at him, smiling, "I know."
She let go and joined Angel again as Jack looked down, frowning and silently humming, "Oh Come What May, I will love you until you're dying day."
~~
"He's got two little, little holes in his neck, and all his blood's been drained. Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going, ooo?" "I was afraid of this." "Well, I wasn't! It's my first day! I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. And I don't care. Hey, I know! Why don't you kill 'em?" "I-I'm a Watcher, I-I haven't the skill..." "Oh, come on, stake through the heart, a little sunlight... It's like falling off a log." "A, a Slayer slays, a Watcher..." "...Watches?"
"Yes. No! He, he trains her, he, he, he prepares her..." "Prepares me for what? For getting kicked out of school? For losing all of my friends? For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Go ahead! Prepare me." "This is madness! What can you have been thinking? You are the Slayer! Lives depend upon you! I make allowances for your youth, but I expect a certain amount of responsibility, and instead of which you enslave yourself to this, this... Cult?" "All right, I-I'll just jump in my time machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show." "Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm." "I was ten years old when my father told me I was destined to be a Watcher. He was one, and his, uh, mother before him, and I was to be next."
"Were you thrilled beyond all measure?" "No, I had very definite plans about my future. I was going to be a fighter pilot. Or possibly a grocer, well, uh... My father gave me a very tiresome speech about, uh, responsibility and sacrifice." "I have volumes of lore, of prophecies, of predictions. But I don't have an instruction manual. We feel our way as we go along. And, I must say, as a Slayer, you're, you're doing... pretty well." "A vampire in love with a Slayer! It's rather poetic! In a maudlin sort of way." "Happy Hallow - Hello, Buffy?" "Oh - my - God." "It's a sombrero." "And it's on your head." "It seemed festive." "This is Gachnar" "Big overture. Little show." "I am the dark lord of nightmares! The bringer of terror! Tremble before me. Fear me!" "He - he's so cute!" "Tremble!" "Who's a little fear demon? Come on! Who's a little fear demon!" "Don't taunt the fear demon." "Why, can he hurt me?" "No, it's just - tacky."
All the memories are slowed down to a less head-achy pace.
"Who are you?" "I apologize. I assumed you knew. I am Dracula." "Get out!" "You have been tasted." "He was-" "Unworthy. He let you go. But the embrace... his bite... you remember." "No." "All those years fighting us. Your power so near to our own... and you've never once wanted to know what it is that we fight for? Never even a taste?" "If I drink that-" "I have not drunk enough for you to change. You must be near death to become one of us. And that comes only when you plead for it." "I'm not hungry." "No. Your craving goes deeper than that. You think you know... what you are... what's to come. You haven't even begun. Find it. The darkness. Find your true nature." You haven't been my Watcher for a while. I haven't been training... and I haven't really needed to come to you for help." "I agree." "And then this whole thing with Dracul ... it made me face up to some stuff. Ever since we did that spell where we called on the first slayer ... I've been going out a lot. Every night." "Patrolling?" "Hunting. That's... what Dracula called it. And he was right. He understood my power better than I do. He saw darkness in it." "I need to know more. About where I come from, about the other slayers. I mean, maybe... maybe if I could learn to control this thing, I could be stronger, I could be better. But... I'm scared. I know it's gonna be hard. And I can't do it... without you. I need your help. I need you to be my Watcher again." "Boy, I just, I just keep talking, don't I? I'm sorry, you-you had something you wanted to say?" "No... it's nothing."
~~
Giles removed his glasses, staring down at the dead body of his Slayer. He always knew at some point, the Slayer would die but for Buffy, the thought was unconceivable. She always managed, finding some way to bypass Death. He glanced up at Xander as he carried Anya. Dawn was just coming down the stairs, holding her side where the Doc slashed her. The Watcher wasn't sure what Buffy said to her up there. It looked like they had some argument and Buffy won, obviously. Willow buried her head in Tara's shoulder as she cried, staring at her.
Dawn walked forward, kneeling down in front of her sister. "She looks so peaceful. Like there was no pain." She turned back to Giles, "Do you think she felt any pain?"
He only shrugged as Dawn looked back at her sister, her hero.
Suddenly, Buffy moved her shoulder, twitching slightly. Dawn glanced back at Giles and the others. She looked back at her sister as Buffy bolted up, coughing for air. Giles rushed to her side, steadying her. Willow and Tara looked at each other. They knew it was a long fall and it was virtually impossible she would live...
Dawn smiled, hugging Buffy, crying emphatically. Silently, she thanked God or whatever God was listening for returning her sister back to her.
The End