Sorry for the long delay, even before ff.net went down.
Please read and review!
You could have heard a pin drop in the Magic Box.
Xander, Anya, Giles, Dawn and The Fang Gang were having a huge research party, snacks and all.
Wesley, Angel, Cordelia, Fred and Gunn had arrived two days ago. Giles had gotten the first flight he could back from England and had arrived in Sunnydale the previous day.
Xander threw his book down on the table causing everyone in the room to jump.
"Do you have to?" Giles snapped. He whipped his glasses off the bridge of his nose and cleaned them.
"Sorry." Xander said, "Ahn, pass me another book please."
Anya handed him the next book off a pile of fourteen without her eyes leaving the page she was on.
Cordelia, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, sighed and stood up, closing her book, "Nothing."
"This is useless!" Xander cried, throwing his new book on top of the other. He looked at the clock.
"Oh, what a shame." He said sarcastically, "Anya and I are due at Buffy's to take over Willow and Tara."
Anya handed the book she was reading to Gunn who was empty handed, after giving up. He just looked at her. She glared at him and he started to read with a sigh.
"I'll go on watch after you two." said Angel.
"Ok. See you in an hour." Xander said.
"Willow and Tara have been on watch for three hours!" Dawn protested.
Xander ignored her, grabbed Anya's arm and pulled her towards the door.
"Bye!" he called, which was met by a few grunts.
"Before Willow gets here, do we have the spell to bind her yet?" Cordelia asked.
"Yes. As soon as we have brought Buffy out of the coma we can start on Willow. Because we might need her with her powers to get Buffy out of the coma." Wesley explained.
"Can't she just reverse the spell?" Dawn asked.
"No." Giles said patiently, although he already explained to her, "We would be back to square one."
"With her bleeding to death." Gunn put in helpfully. Fred nudged him.
"I'm sure we will find something soon." Fred told Dawn.
"Why do we need all those magicy people?" Dawn asked.
"To bind Willow and get Buffy out of the coma." Giles sighed.
"Will stopped before. Why can't she do it again? We will help again." Dawn pestered.
"She's too powerful, she's spiraling out of control. Our simple 'help' won't do it this time."
"Oh." Dawn said, before stuffing a whole doughnut into her mouth.
Cordelia grimaced, "Even Xander doesn't do that, well didn't."
"Gere gice." Dawn mumbled, her mouth full.
"Has anyone patrolled?" Wesley asked.
"I did earlier. " Angel told him.
"I helped." Cordelia put in.
"Who's on duty with Buffy after Angel?" Fred asked.
"Why does she need people to watch her anyway?" Dawn said, "She's in a coma."
"In case she wakes up or something." Cordelia snapped.
"C..can I go on patrol tomorrow night?" Dawn asked.
"No!" Giles cried. "Why don't you go back to the house."
Dawn looked annoyed before getting up and walking out, slamming the shop door behind her.
"Brat." Gunn mumbled.
Giles groaned. "I suppose I better go after her. We're under a lot of stress and could do without the persistent questions being asked again and again."
"So what are we trying to find? How to wake a Slayer in a coma?" Gunn asked.
Wesley put the book down he was reading, "We need something about the spell Willow used to Buffy. She told us which spell, we are looking for something like, maybe the side effects."
"Here's something!" Giles cried, moving to sit in-between Wesley and Angel to show them. "The spell Willow used was black magic, obviously." He scanned the text looking more and more worried as he read. "Buffy's soul, it has gone to another dimension. Which one, I don't know."
"Another dimension?" Fred repeated.
The door opened, Willow and Tara walked through.
"Hello!" Willow greeted.
"Hi." Tara said shyly.
"We found out why Buffy won't wake up." Gunn told them.
Willow looked around for an empty seat, there was only one so they both shared.
"The spell you used, it was black magic and although healed her physically, somehow it caused her soul to go to another dimension." Giles explained.
They both looked shocked.
"Which one?" Willow asked, "We can get her back."
"With more magic?" Angel snapped.
"It shouldn't be too hard." Willow said, "I can..." she trailed off. "Which one?" she repeated.
"We don't know." Giles told her.
"N..not, a h..heavenly one?" Tara asked, her stutter coming back when ever she was nervous.
"It might be." Giles said.
"But it might not." Wesley put in.
"Why would you think it's heavenly one?" Angel asked.
"That's where she was before." Willow said quietly.
"In heaven?" Fred asked, missing the point she added, "Wow"
"That's where she was? I thought she was in hell." Angel cried, "And you pulled her out of Heaven?"
"Willow thought she was in hell too." Tara said, putting a hand on Willow's arm. After the argument they had had before, Tara had avoided Willow, but Willow looked so upset from everyone blaming her, Tara had made up with her.
"No wonder she looked so...her eyes..." Angel said quietly still trying to get his head around it.
"She didn't tell you where she was?" Cordelia asked.
"No. I just jumped to the conclusion she was in hell. No wonder she winced every time I mentioned it."
"Shouldn't we just leave her then? I mean, I know you would lose your friend, but..." Fred asked.
"But she might not be in heaven again. It might be some kind of hell." Wesley said again.
"Fifty, fifty chance." Gunn added.
"So, what does it say in that book?" Angel asked.
"There is a ritual, to go to the dimension she is in. But you might get, well, stuck there too."
"What does the ritual involve?" Willow asked.
"Blood, sacrifice, the usual..." Wesley said, reading over Giles's shoulder.
"Sacrifice?" Tara repeated..
"Just a sister of the person the spell is for."
"Dawn?" Gunn asked.
"We can't sacrifice Dawn!" Tara cried, looking around for support. Everyone remained silent.
"It's only Dawn." Giles said.
Tara went white, "Buffy would never forgive you.. I wouldn't let you."
"Joke." Wesley chuckled.
Everyone laughed in a strained sort of way, except Tara and Angel.
"So what do we really have to do?" Angel asked.
"We have to make a circle with Buffy in the middle. Someone will also go in the middle with Buffy. We have to chant and open a kind of portal to the dimension she is in. The person in the centre will then go through." Giles explained.
"Who will go?" Fred asked.
"Me." Angel said.
Willow shook her head, "No, I put her there. I will go."
"I'll go." Angel said determined.
"Resolve face, I'm going." Willow argued.
"I don't give a shit about you're 'resolve face.'" Angel shouted, "I'm going. You are only going because you feel guilty."
"And you're going because, you 'love her'?" Willow cried.
Angel looked down. "So much you buggered off to LA and left her." she continued.
"I thought I was doing the right thing at the time."
"At the time?" Cordelia echoed.
"I left her so she wasn't in the dark and could be in the sunshine. I think she's more in the dark than she ever was." He said sadly.
"The only time she was happy is when she was with you." Willow confirmed, cooling down.
"But what about the no kids thing and she'll grow old and you won't" Gunn pointed out.
"She's not going to have children." Willow said, "She's the Slayer and plus she has Dawn."
"Don't Slayer's have short lives anyway? So you won't see her grow old." Cordelia added.
Gunn kicked her.
"Ow! I'm just saying the facts." she defended.
"She's right, you know." Wesley told Angel.
Angel nodded, "I know."
"Willow I mean." Wesley said hurriedly.
Angel nodded again.
"So, lets get this ritual started. Buffy's house, then we won't have to get her anywhere."
"I'll lock up then, shall I?" Cordelia called after them, as they all went through the shop door.
Please read and review!
You could have heard a pin drop in the Magic Box.
Xander, Anya, Giles, Dawn and The Fang Gang were having a huge research party, snacks and all.
Wesley, Angel, Cordelia, Fred and Gunn had arrived two days ago. Giles had gotten the first flight he could back from England and had arrived in Sunnydale the previous day.
Xander threw his book down on the table causing everyone in the room to jump.
"Do you have to?" Giles snapped. He whipped his glasses off the bridge of his nose and cleaned them.
"Sorry." Xander said, "Ahn, pass me another book please."
Anya handed him the next book off a pile of fourteen without her eyes leaving the page she was on.
Cordelia, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, sighed and stood up, closing her book, "Nothing."
"This is useless!" Xander cried, throwing his new book on top of the other. He looked at the clock.
"Oh, what a shame." He said sarcastically, "Anya and I are due at Buffy's to take over Willow and Tara."
Anya handed the book she was reading to Gunn who was empty handed, after giving up. He just looked at her. She glared at him and he started to read with a sigh.
"I'll go on watch after you two." said Angel.
"Ok. See you in an hour." Xander said.
"Willow and Tara have been on watch for three hours!" Dawn protested.
Xander ignored her, grabbed Anya's arm and pulled her towards the door.
"Bye!" he called, which was met by a few grunts.
"Before Willow gets here, do we have the spell to bind her yet?" Cordelia asked.
"Yes. As soon as we have brought Buffy out of the coma we can start on Willow. Because we might need her with her powers to get Buffy out of the coma." Wesley explained.
"Can't she just reverse the spell?" Dawn asked.
"No." Giles said patiently, although he already explained to her, "We would be back to square one."
"With her bleeding to death." Gunn put in helpfully. Fred nudged him.
"I'm sure we will find something soon." Fred told Dawn.
"Why do we need all those magicy people?" Dawn asked.
"To bind Willow and get Buffy out of the coma." Giles sighed.
"Will stopped before. Why can't she do it again? We will help again." Dawn pestered.
"She's too powerful, she's spiraling out of control. Our simple 'help' won't do it this time."
"Oh." Dawn said, before stuffing a whole doughnut into her mouth.
Cordelia grimaced, "Even Xander doesn't do that, well didn't."
"Gere gice." Dawn mumbled, her mouth full.
"Has anyone patrolled?" Wesley asked.
"I did earlier. " Angel told him.
"I helped." Cordelia put in.
"Who's on duty with Buffy after Angel?" Fred asked.
"Why does she need people to watch her anyway?" Dawn said, "She's in a coma."
"In case she wakes up or something." Cordelia snapped.
"C..can I go on patrol tomorrow night?" Dawn asked.
"No!" Giles cried. "Why don't you go back to the house."
Dawn looked annoyed before getting up and walking out, slamming the shop door behind her.
"Brat." Gunn mumbled.
Giles groaned. "I suppose I better go after her. We're under a lot of stress and could do without the persistent questions being asked again and again."
"So what are we trying to find? How to wake a Slayer in a coma?" Gunn asked.
Wesley put the book down he was reading, "We need something about the spell Willow used to Buffy. She told us which spell, we are looking for something like, maybe the side effects."
"Here's something!" Giles cried, moving to sit in-between Wesley and Angel to show them. "The spell Willow used was black magic, obviously." He scanned the text looking more and more worried as he read. "Buffy's soul, it has gone to another dimension. Which one, I don't know."
"Another dimension?" Fred repeated.
The door opened, Willow and Tara walked through.
"Hello!" Willow greeted.
"Hi." Tara said shyly.
"We found out why Buffy won't wake up." Gunn told them.
Willow looked around for an empty seat, there was only one so they both shared.
"The spell you used, it was black magic and although healed her physically, somehow it caused her soul to go to another dimension." Giles explained.
They both looked shocked.
"Which one?" Willow asked, "We can get her back."
"With more magic?" Angel snapped.
"It shouldn't be too hard." Willow said, "I can..." she trailed off. "Which one?" she repeated.
"We don't know." Giles told her.
"N..not, a h..heavenly one?" Tara asked, her stutter coming back when ever she was nervous.
"It might be." Giles said.
"But it might not." Wesley put in.
"Why would you think it's heavenly one?" Angel asked.
"That's where she was before." Willow said quietly.
"In heaven?" Fred asked, missing the point she added, "Wow"
"That's where she was? I thought she was in hell." Angel cried, "And you pulled her out of Heaven?"
"Willow thought she was in hell too." Tara said, putting a hand on Willow's arm. After the argument they had had before, Tara had avoided Willow, but Willow looked so upset from everyone blaming her, Tara had made up with her.
"No wonder she looked so...her eyes..." Angel said quietly still trying to get his head around it.
"She didn't tell you where she was?" Cordelia asked.
"No. I just jumped to the conclusion she was in hell. No wonder she winced every time I mentioned it."
"Shouldn't we just leave her then? I mean, I know you would lose your friend, but..." Fred asked.
"But she might not be in heaven again. It might be some kind of hell." Wesley said again.
"Fifty, fifty chance." Gunn added.
"So, what does it say in that book?" Angel asked.
"There is a ritual, to go to the dimension she is in. But you might get, well, stuck there too."
"What does the ritual involve?" Willow asked.
"Blood, sacrifice, the usual..." Wesley said, reading over Giles's shoulder.
"Sacrifice?" Tara repeated..
"Just a sister of the person the spell is for."
"Dawn?" Gunn asked.
"We can't sacrifice Dawn!" Tara cried, looking around for support. Everyone remained silent.
"It's only Dawn." Giles said.
Tara went white, "Buffy would never forgive you.. I wouldn't let you."
"Joke." Wesley chuckled.
Everyone laughed in a strained sort of way, except Tara and Angel.
"So what do we really have to do?" Angel asked.
"We have to make a circle with Buffy in the middle. Someone will also go in the middle with Buffy. We have to chant and open a kind of portal to the dimension she is in. The person in the centre will then go through." Giles explained.
"Who will go?" Fred asked.
"Me." Angel said.
Willow shook her head, "No, I put her there. I will go."
"I'll go." Angel said determined.
"Resolve face, I'm going." Willow argued.
"I don't give a shit about you're 'resolve face.'" Angel shouted, "I'm going. You are only going because you feel guilty."
"And you're going because, you 'love her'?" Willow cried.
Angel looked down. "So much you buggered off to LA and left her." she continued.
"I thought I was doing the right thing at the time."
"At the time?" Cordelia echoed.
"I left her so she wasn't in the dark and could be in the sunshine. I think she's more in the dark than she ever was." He said sadly.
"The only time she was happy is when she was with you." Willow confirmed, cooling down.
"But what about the no kids thing and she'll grow old and you won't" Gunn pointed out.
"She's not going to have children." Willow said, "She's the Slayer and plus she has Dawn."
"Don't Slayer's have short lives anyway? So you won't see her grow old." Cordelia added.
Gunn kicked her.
"Ow! I'm just saying the facts." she defended.
"She's right, you know." Wesley told Angel.
Angel nodded, "I know."
"Willow I mean." Wesley said hurriedly.
Angel nodded again.
"So, lets get this ritual started. Buffy's house, then we won't have to get her anywhere."
"I'll lock up then, shall I?" Cordelia called after them, as they all went through the shop door.