Ladybard chapter15, by Slayergirl.
*** *** *** ***
Estrellita called to Buffy and Spike. "I am going to your world. The time has come for one of your loved ones to leave their life as they know it and join you here. Do you wish to come? You may help me, if you will it so."
They looked at each other, and nodded, wondering whose time had come.
*** ***
"Shut up, Angel!" hissed Dawn. "Fighting at a wedding is not the done thing!"
"You started it," he groused. "I don't understand your problem with it! You say you love me, that you'd never leave me, no matter what, that you'd spend your whole life with me. So why not let me claim you?"
"Because I don't want you to claim me. Now be quiet, and don't spoil their reception! God, can't you even behave at your own son's wedding?"
"But why? You said you had no problem with claiming in general, the idea of it. And Spike claimed Buffy," he whined.
"Doesn't mean I want to be claimed. Oh, look, doesn't Stella look lovely? They look so happy together!" she said as she waved them off on honeymoon, desperately trying to change the subject.
"Why not?" he persisted as the guests started drifting away.
"Maybe I think you should just trust me!" she said, knowing it wasn't the real reason.
"I do trust you!"
"No you don't! You think I'll be like Cordy, not able to deal with it, the whole soul thing. Well, I can!"
"Dawn…"
"Just shut up and stop being such an asshole! I'm going home." She turned on her heel and left him, angry, and hating herself for fighting with him. And for not being able to tell him the real reason she didn't want him to claim her.
She took Mr. Pointy out of her handbag, walking quickly but cautiously. She found her thoughts turning to Spike and Buffy.
She was almost face to face with the vampire before she was even aware of its presence. She clutched the stake, waiting for the vampire to move. He walked round her slowly, carefully, not noticing the stake. "Well now, what's a pretty girl like you doing here?" he leered.
"What's it to you?" she replied, tensing.
"Nothing. Still gonna kill you," he shrugged. Then he attacked.
She almost had the stake at his chest when he twisted it out of her grasp and threw it out of reach. Shoving her against a gravestone he pulled her head back, ready to bite. She started to regret deciding to take the short-cut home.
'Buffy!' She thought as she struggled. 'What would Buffy have done?' She closed her eyes as he bent his head, unable to fight back. 'Spike!' she thought desperately, mentally screaming for him.
Then the vampire was gone. She heard a sickening crunch, which she imagined to be breaking bones, then a small thump. She opened her eyes.
There was another vampire, standing the other side of a screen of dust. But this one held his arms out to her.
She went to him, falling into his arms. "You came! You came for me," she said, hugging him.
"Sh, Nibblet. Yeah, I got you. Come on, let me take you home."
"How come you're here? Where have you been? Where's Buffy?" demanded Dawn as she walked beside him.
"I came because – well, it's a bit complicated, they're all linked together. We've been in another dimension, the one we went to before. We're allowed to come back once in a while, for – certain purposes. Buffy isn't far away. But I came to find you because you were in danger."
"How did you know?" she whispered, noticing for the first time that the air seemed to shimmer round him.
He smiled. "You're still bound to me, Nibblet."
She looked at him sorrowfully. "Angel wants to claim me."
"You're together now?" He seemed surprised. "You don't seem too happy about the idea."
"No. I don't want him to."
"Why?"
"I'm bound to you. I want it to stay that way. But he doesn't know that."
"Oh." He ruffled her hair. "Different kind of claim."
"Yeah, but… won't it break your claim on me?"
He smiled. "Does it matter, when I'm in a different dimension?"
She nodded, slowly. "Somehow – I think it matters even more."
"Well, I can't make your decisions for you."
"I know. So, where's Buffy? Why did they let you out?"
He frowned. "When Estrellita comes to collect someone to take to her dimension, we can come with her."
Dawn felt cold suddenly. "And – you're collecting – me?"
Spike looked at her, stunned. "Hell, no! Buffy's with him now!"
*** ***
Giles looked up at the shining figure as she entered. He was old and weary. He'd known it would be soon.
"I knew it was nearly time," he said softly. "But I'd no idea they'd send an angel to bear me to my rest."
She laughed, quietly. "I'm no angel, Giles. You of all people should know that."
He smiled. "You were always my angel, Buffy. The daughter I never had. Now your own daughter is married, and has no more need of me. It's time."
She perched on the arm of the chair. "What were you doing?"
"Oh, studying the stars. There seems to be some planetary movement. I was wondering what it was. Old habits die hard. Wesley thinks it's nothing, but I'm not so sure. Maybe it foretells another apocalypse… maybe something more benign…"
Dawn burst in. "Thank God! I thought you'd have gone!" she said, hugging him. "Couldn't let you go without saying goodbye…" Spike stepped through the door, followed by Estrellita. Dawn turned to her sister. "Hey."
Buffy's eyes misted over as she hugged her. "All grown up!" she said wistfully.
"It is time. We must go," murmured Estrellita. She turned to Dawn. "Your time will come. Watch for me – for us – when you are weary." Then the light blinded her momentarily.
She was alone in Giles' study. High in the cloudless sky, another star sparkled on its course.
TBC… (Did I trick you into thinking it was Dawn they were after? ( No, I wouldn't let Angel be lonely!)
*** *** *** ***
Estrellita called to Buffy and Spike. "I am going to your world. The time has come for one of your loved ones to leave their life as they know it and join you here. Do you wish to come? You may help me, if you will it so."
They looked at each other, and nodded, wondering whose time had come.
*** ***
"Shut up, Angel!" hissed Dawn. "Fighting at a wedding is not the done thing!"
"You started it," he groused. "I don't understand your problem with it! You say you love me, that you'd never leave me, no matter what, that you'd spend your whole life with me. So why not let me claim you?"
"Because I don't want you to claim me. Now be quiet, and don't spoil their reception! God, can't you even behave at your own son's wedding?"
"But why? You said you had no problem with claiming in general, the idea of it. And Spike claimed Buffy," he whined.
"Doesn't mean I want to be claimed. Oh, look, doesn't Stella look lovely? They look so happy together!" she said as she waved them off on honeymoon, desperately trying to change the subject.
"Why not?" he persisted as the guests started drifting away.
"Maybe I think you should just trust me!" she said, knowing it wasn't the real reason.
"I do trust you!"
"No you don't! You think I'll be like Cordy, not able to deal with it, the whole soul thing. Well, I can!"
"Dawn…"
"Just shut up and stop being such an asshole! I'm going home." She turned on her heel and left him, angry, and hating herself for fighting with him. And for not being able to tell him the real reason she didn't want him to claim her.
She took Mr. Pointy out of her handbag, walking quickly but cautiously. She found her thoughts turning to Spike and Buffy.
She was almost face to face with the vampire before she was even aware of its presence. She clutched the stake, waiting for the vampire to move. He walked round her slowly, carefully, not noticing the stake. "Well now, what's a pretty girl like you doing here?" he leered.
"What's it to you?" she replied, tensing.
"Nothing. Still gonna kill you," he shrugged. Then he attacked.
She almost had the stake at his chest when he twisted it out of her grasp and threw it out of reach. Shoving her against a gravestone he pulled her head back, ready to bite. She started to regret deciding to take the short-cut home.
'Buffy!' She thought as she struggled. 'What would Buffy have done?' She closed her eyes as he bent his head, unable to fight back. 'Spike!' she thought desperately, mentally screaming for him.
Then the vampire was gone. She heard a sickening crunch, which she imagined to be breaking bones, then a small thump. She opened her eyes.
There was another vampire, standing the other side of a screen of dust. But this one held his arms out to her.
She went to him, falling into his arms. "You came! You came for me," she said, hugging him.
"Sh, Nibblet. Yeah, I got you. Come on, let me take you home."
"How come you're here? Where have you been? Where's Buffy?" demanded Dawn as she walked beside him.
"I came because – well, it's a bit complicated, they're all linked together. We've been in another dimension, the one we went to before. We're allowed to come back once in a while, for – certain purposes. Buffy isn't far away. But I came to find you because you were in danger."
"How did you know?" she whispered, noticing for the first time that the air seemed to shimmer round him.
He smiled. "You're still bound to me, Nibblet."
She looked at him sorrowfully. "Angel wants to claim me."
"You're together now?" He seemed surprised. "You don't seem too happy about the idea."
"No. I don't want him to."
"Why?"
"I'm bound to you. I want it to stay that way. But he doesn't know that."
"Oh." He ruffled her hair. "Different kind of claim."
"Yeah, but… won't it break your claim on me?"
He smiled. "Does it matter, when I'm in a different dimension?"
She nodded, slowly. "Somehow – I think it matters even more."
"Well, I can't make your decisions for you."
"I know. So, where's Buffy? Why did they let you out?"
He frowned. "When Estrellita comes to collect someone to take to her dimension, we can come with her."
Dawn felt cold suddenly. "And – you're collecting – me?"
Spike looked at her, stunned. "Hell, no! Buffy's with him now!"
*** ***
Giles looked up at the shining figure as she entered. He was old and weary. He'd known it would be soon.
"I knew it was nearly time," he said softly. "But I'd no idea they'd send an angel to bear me to my rest."
She laughed, quietly. "I'm no angel, Giles. You of all people should know that."
He smiled. "You were always my angel, Buffy. The daughter I never had. Now your own daughter is married, and has no more need of me. It's time."
She perched on the arm of the chair. "What were you doing?"
"Oh, studying the stars. There seems to be some planetary movement. I was wondering what it was. Old habits die hard. Wesley thinks it's nothing, but I'm not so sure. Maybe it foretells another apocalypse… maybe something more benign…"
Dawn burst in. "Thank God! I thought you'd have gone!" she said, hugging him. "Couldn't let you go without saying goodbye…" Spike stepped through the door, followed by Estrellita. Dawn turned to her sister. "Hey."
Buffy's eyes misted over as she hugged her. "All grown up!" she said wistfully.
"It is time. We must go," murmured Estrellita. She turned to Dawn. "Your time will come. Watch for me – for us – when you are weary." Then the light blinded her momentarily.
She was alone in Giles' study. High in the cloudless sky, another star sparkled on its course.
TBC… (Did I trick you into thinking it was Dawn they were after? ( No, I wouldn't let Angel be lonely!)