What You Are (Part 3/?)
AUTHOR: Rebecca Parker
EMAIL: Buffonian@aol.com
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Buffy, attacked by several vampires, heals instantaneously.
Riley takes her away from the hospital while the Scooby Gang
worries about where she is.
SPOILERS: Seasons 1-4
FEEDBACK: What a silly question! Of COURSE I want some damn feedback! I
will never write another word unless I am showered in the gooey
stuff! (BTW....I've had WAY too much sugar today!) Seriously
though, I'm feeling unloved in the feedback sense. I have big ideas
for this story, but if I dont feel people are enjoying it, why should
I bother?
DISCLAIMER: Disclaimer?!? I don't need no stinkin' disclaimer! I own them
all!! Bwahahahahaha! (once again- too much sugar!) Seriously,
Joss owns all.
DEDICATION: To the Usual Suspects- Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin. No. Wait.
The OTHER Usual Suspects. Emmy, Jen, Jodi, Emily and a very
special addition- Naomi, aka Prophecy. This girl has done so much
for me in the past few days and I cant thank her enough.




"What about another hospital?" Xander asked, a look of desperation
setting into his eyes. "She has to be somewhere. Riley wouldn't just take her
to his love shack if she was on death's door."
"We've checked all the other hospitals in town. She isn't at any of
them. Apparently, they are on the lookout for her as well, although they
won't tell me why," Giles said, slamming the phone down.
"Well what about a spell? Like the one to locate the demon?" Xander
offered, his gaze on Willow and Tara.
"Oh you mean that spell that failed miserably?" Willow asked, looking at
Tara whose gaze had fixed on a non-specific point elsewhere. "I don't know.
The spell was designed to find a demon. I'd have to look to see if there was
a spell to find humans."
"There might be," Tara said, turning back to Willow and smiling shyly.
"I-I remember reading about one in a book on Thespia."
"The same Goddess as before?" Willow asked, skeptically.
"Well yes," Tara said, sighing. "But I think- I think I might now what
our problem was before. I-I'd have to go back to my room to look something
up."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Willow asked, her fingers brushing along
Tara's palm.
"N-no. I'll be OK and I'll call as soon as I find something." Tara got
to her feet, brushing her hands against her skirt. "Call me if you find
Buffy."
"Ok," Willow said, watching as her girlfriend left the apartment.
"So what do we do now?" Xander asked, looking to Giles for an answer.
"I'll continue my calls though they seem to be doing no good whatsoever."
"And?"
"And we wait."

********

Buffy frowned as she watched people gasp at her, pointing to her while
covering their mouths. She instinctively moved closer to Riley, who grasped
her hand tighter.
"Maybe I should have taken a shower before we left," she said, looking up
at Riley. "I must look like I've come back from the prom with Sissy Spacek."
"Well that's one way of putting it," Riley said, kissing her forehead.
"We're almost there. I'm sure Giles will let you take a shower at his place
while I explain what happened. You were, after all, unconscious for most of
it."
Buffy nodded, lowering her head. She hated feeling like this. She spent
most of her life feeling strong- as if she could fight and defeat anything.
She hadn't felt this vulnerable since the night the Master had almost pulled
her down to Hell with him. Tonight, she had been overcome by
It made no difference that physically she felt stronger than ever.
Mentally, she felt like a little girl frustrated that she couldn't reach the
counter in a candy store.
Riley looked over at his girlfriend, frowning. "Hey," he said, stopping
mid-stride. "Don't think that."
"Don't think what?"
"You know what. Buffy, I know you too well. It doesn't matter what almost
happened, it matters what actually did. You survived. You're too strong and
stubborn to let death get in the way."
Buffy grinned. "Giles said something like that once. That not even death
would stop me."
"Giles is a very smart man."
"Yes he is. The smartest."
They walked the rest of the way in silence; Riley occasionally
strengthening his grip on Buffy's hand in a form of physical reassurance.
"Do I look OK?" Buffy asked as they reached Giles' front door. " I
mean...I know I look like a bloodied mess. But do I look like a pretty
bloodied mess?"
"The prettiest," Riley said, smiling.
"Good," she said, sighing as she raised her hand and knocked on the door
to Giles' apartment, strangely reminded of her return to Sunnydale after her
runaway summer. The pangs of nervousness she felt in her stomach were
different than the ones she had felt then- she was sure that Giles would take
her back this time.
The door opened swiftly, revealing a haggard looking Giles whose look
went from desperation to relief in the two seconds it took the door to fully
open.
"Buffy. Dear God," he said, his smile automatically disappearing as his
eyes took in the sight of Buffy, her clothes covered in blood. Are you- are
you ok?" Giles, took hold of Buffy's arm, pulling her into the house.
Riley reluctantly let go and followed, his eyes remaining on Buffy.
"Buffy! Oh my God," Willow said, jumping up and rushing towards her
friend, Xander shortly behind.
"I-I'm fine," Buffy said, her voice shaking nervously as she became aware
of all the eyes focused on her."
"Well you look horrible," Anya piped in from her seat on the couch from
which she had not moved. "You look like you should be dead."
"Anya!" Xander shouted, angry eyes pointing at his girlfriend. "I think
this should be one of those times that we talked about where you just
shouldn't speak at all."
"Xander," Buffy said, placing a hand on her worried friend's arm. "It's
ok. She's right. I should be dead."
"But...I don't understand Buff. I brought you to the hospital. You were
really bad. The doctors said there was a chance you wouldn't..."
"I know. But something happened." Buffy turned to her Watcher. "Giles,
look at me. I know I have all this blood on me, but there's no bites."
"You healed? Already?" Giles said, removing his glasses. "It hasn't been
long enough. The Slayer does not have healing qualities, her biochemistry
simply speeds along the process."
"Well then hand that biochemistry of mine a ticket because it was
speeding way faster than normal."
Xander smiled at Buffy, his eyes darting downward.
"I know," Buffy said, grinning. "My sense of humor needs work. But I'm
injured or WAS... Cut me some slack!"
Giles cleared his throat, signaling the fun and games to stop. "This just
doesn't make sense Buffy."
"Tell me about it."
"I think I need to call the Watcher's Council, as much as I hate even the
suggestion of the very act. Perhaps this has happened before. I haven't
heard of it though."
"Good. You do that and I'm going to take a shower. That is, of course,
if Spike isn't sleeping in it like in the good ole days when we had him
locked up."
"No," Giles said. "Alas, those days are long gone and Spike is currently
occupying the Weiss Crypt in Restfield."
"Oh and I was wondering what all the vampires were laughing at when I
passed it on my patrol," Buffy said, grinning.
"Well take your shower. Riley and I will discuss what happened at the
hospital," Giles said, sliding his glasses back on his nose.
"Uh, Giles?"
"Yes Buffy? Is everything alright?"
"No. I have a big issue."
Riley moved over to her, instantly taking her hand in his. "What is it?"
"Clothes," Buffy said, smiling. "I need clothes."
"Oh," Giles said, breathing a sigh of relief. "You had me worried there.
Uh- I believe Olivia left some from her last, uh, stay here."
"Ooh. After-sex clothes. I keep mine under Xander's bed so his mother
won't see them."
Xander fidgeted nervously. "Um. Buff! That shower's looking pretty darn
appealing right now."
"I'm going," Buffy said, stifling a laugh. "Giles, can you just leave the
clothes out on your bed? You don't mind if I change there, do you?"
"No. Not at all."
"Ok. I'll just...go shower."
Buffy waved at the group nervously and headed up the stairs towards the
bathroom, counting the seconds until the dried blood would be washed away and
maybe things would start to make sense again.


To Be Continued...