Waking Up (cont.)
****
Cordelia walked into the Bronze. It was Friday night, but people mostly chose to stay in these days. It was summer and there were throngs of people out during the day, but most people didn't want to stay. Cordelia was having a bad day. Her father had IRS problems and her mother had begun to see many doctors and gather many pills. Summer vacation had begun and everything was just horrible.
Cordelia hated the fact that she knew why. She was among the select few who knew exactly why Sunnydale was going to hell.
The Slayer was dead and any one else who knew didn't care enough to do anything.
The vampires were winning.
****
"I'm very disappointed young lady," Shelia Rosenberg looked from the paper in her hands to her daughter.
"Willow how are you ever going to get into college with these grades?"
Willow shrugged. She had stopped caring. The tears had started, but she still felt lost
Shelia had done everything to get her daughter to work on her grades. All Willow had done was stare into the distance.
"Since you don't seem to be caring about much then I'll make the decision for you," Shelia said haughtily, "You are going to go to summer school at a private school in New England. You will get wonderful grades or you will be sent to a very strict Jewish school in LA."
The only response that Shelia received was a shrug.
"Good. Then the only thing left is that you will never see that friend Xander again. I tolerate him because he never seemed to have any adverse effect on you. Obviously you were not able to withstand the dementia from the Harris clan. I forbid you to see him again."
Willow looked up at her mother with dull eyes. Willow didn't want to explain. She didn't want to tell her mother that she had seen another Slayer killed. She didn't want to put up a fight. It just wasn't worth it anymore.
Willow left the next day without saying good-bye.
****
Buffy turned to Whistler, "You're making this up!"
Whistler shook his head, "This is what is real."
****
Giles' house looked like a bomb had hit it and it smelled worse.
"I let two die," he muttered and passed out.
***
Xander was really alone. That was new.
There had always been Jesse and Willow. Jesse had turned un-dead. Willow had left without saying good-bye.
Xander sat on the battered couch that had been in his house all of his life. It was stained and it was gross, but it was home.
Home was a nasty word to him. It was a place where he was miserable. Harsh ugly words were thrown around like there was no tomorrow.
Xander looked down.
For them there was no tomorrow.
Xander stared and waited.
The television lit the room in a blue glow.
When they rose, they fell to dust. Xander thought that maybe something would be different this time.
It wasn't though.
Jesse had fallen to dust.
Now his parents were all over the carpet, just like any other vampire.
And Xander was alone for the first time in his life.
****
All over town children disappeared. Parents were found dead. Humans were loosing.
****
"That is what you've never seen Slayer," Whistler said quietly, "The bigger picture. Your Sunnydale has 24,000 happy inhabitants that sleep soundly at night knowing they are protected. This Sunnydale, the real Sunnydale has 18,000 people. Lots of deaths and people moving away. Plus no one really wants to move here."
Buffy wiped away her tears.
"Please just show me how it changed, I need to know," Buffy whispered.
****
Cordelia walked into the Bronze and saw Angel. She marched right over to him without a second thought.
"You're a vampire, can you answer me a question."
Angel looked down at the girl and felt a smile for the first time in a long time.
"What is it?"
Cordelia flipped her hair back.
"Why can't the vampires kill losers?"
Angel looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Well what I mean is that I realize that I made a mistake forsaking all that I am in order to play kissy face with Xander Harris, I mean that was foolish. I got so involved in those sessions in the boiler room that I completely forgot about popularity. Then one day I get a wake up call. Then the next day the freak of a Slayer gets herself killed. That is all good, but then the vampires come in droves. They've taken all the Cordettes. Meanwhile the loser patrol is doing nothing although it is their duty to save the innocent, yadda, yadda. I just want to know why they can't be killed off instead of the geeks. I mean I do more to save the world these days."
Angel looked surprised, "You patrol?"
"You really should try more facial expressions, they work on you," Cordelia said approvingly, "No I don't' patrol, but I'm smart enough to find a purse that fits a stake."
"Impressive."
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "It's obnoxious. I mean I am looking forward to senior year, prom queen and all that, but my friends are dead and there is no one to do something about it."
"Do you want coffee?" Angel asked suddenly.
Cordelia looked at him, it was her turn to be startled, "I guess."
Angel smiled at her and Cordelia felt it in her toes.
****
"No comment?" Whistler asked.
Buffy blinked back the tears, "I just thought he would wait for me at least a few years after my death. I meant the guy is immortal."
"Buffy he did wait until you were dead. It took the beautiful Ms. Chase two years before he would give her the time of day."
****
"Giles," Willow called wading through his house.
"Here."
It was a weak reply, but it was a reply none the less.
Willow took one look at Giles and her heart fell. He looked horrible. The usually pristine apartment Giles kept was in disarray. Willow had seen the alcoholic binges in the apartment. The transformation from that den was almost as amazing. He had attempted to push that away and now there were books everywhere.
Giles looked at Willow with scared eyes.
"You came," he said simply.
Willow nodded, "Of course, what is it that you need."
"It's Dawn. She's sick." Giles said nervously, "I need you to help me. Sunnydale will fall under demon rule if we don't do something. I need you to help me."
Willow bit her lip, "What do you want from me?"
"I need you to help me fight the vampires."
Willow suddenly looked scared, "I, I can't Giles. I have school…"
Giles looked at her in desperation, "I can't let another Slayer die. I can't stand it."
His guilt was apparent. He had only given Kendra and Faith half a chance. He felt like he had allowed them to die. If only he had worked harder. Underneath those was an undertone. He had felt like he had ordered Buffy to death, instead of the reality that she was destined to follow the child into hell. No amount of training could change that.
Willow didn't have the words to comfort him. Words were inadequate. This man needed something more. This man needed her help.
"I can't do this alone." Willow began, Giles looked crestfallen.
"Can you and the Council pull get Xander out of the Marines early? He needs to come back too."
Giles gave her a grateful smile.
"You are willing to help?" he asked.
Willow could have told him of how bored she was in her mundane life. How much she missed Xander and Sunnydale. She could go on how empty her life seemed in the hallowed halls. The pristine world of the ivy league left her feeling as if there really was no purpose to any of it. All those kids were learning things from books that were reprinted and mass produced. What she had learned, what she knew came from books that were utterly unique. Books these people would scoff at for being childish. Books that kept the world in existence.
She didn't explain, for Giles already knew. He had found the same listlessness in the halls of Oxford.
"Hey anybody can go to Princeton. How many get to help the Slayer?"
Willow plugged in her lap top and began to help Giles with a way to find the cure to Dawn. An hour later Willow met Oz, Dawn's boyfriend. The three of them looked and looked. A month later Xander came home and they continued to look. Dawn got sicker and sicker.
They never stopped looking, but hope was beginning to escape.
***
"If you need an answer to what you are doing here let that be it. You are the hope that they have lost. They haven't had it easy and they have no reason to trust. But you give them hope."
"Xander's parents are dead?" Buffy asked weakly.
Whistler nodded, "Yeah, poor kid never graduated high school. GED. He had to work his way and then he just gave up and decided for the Marines. The worst though is the witch. She doesn't even know she is a witch."
"What?" Buffy exclaimed.
Whistler shrugged, "Well how would she, she only learned of her power when you needed her to restore Angel's soul. That is when the redhead realized she was more than just a girl."
Buffy rubbed her temples, "Could you do me a favor and write all of this up in some kind of brochure. I'd like that. It would help."
"Sorry kiddo no cookie."
"I was the chosen one. This isn't fair I don't want to be chosen again," Buffy pouted, "Isn't that against he rules anyway?"
"We made an entire day disappear," Whistler pointed out, "I think we can call you twice."
Buffy rolled his eyes, "Thanks so much for letting me remember that now."
"So do you want to go back and see what awaits you this time?" Whistler asked.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Everybody has a choice."
"Will I dream again?"
Whistler shook his head, "You're done dreaming. You either live or die now."
Buffy looked at him, "You've given me a choice. Now I get to choose."
She stalked away from her. Her tears still hadn't dried on her face. She held her head high and her spine was straight.
Whistler watched her, "That is one great girl. I think that she can do it."
****
Cordelia walked into the Bronze. It was Friday night, but people mostly chose to stay in these days. It was summer and there were throngs of people out during the day, but most people didn't want to stay. Cordelia was having a bad day. Her father had IRS problems and her mother had begun to see many doctors and gather many pills. Summer vacation had begun and everything was just horrible.
Cordelia hated the fact that she knew why. She was among the select few who knew exactly why Sunnydale was going to hell.
The Slayer was dead and any one else who knew didn't care enough to do anything.
The vampires were winning.
****
"I'm very disappointed young lady," Shelia Rosenberg looked from the paper in her hands to her daughter.
"Willow how are you ever going to get into college with these grades?"
Willow shrugged. She had stopped caring. The tears had started, but she still felt lost
Shelia had done everything to get her daughter to work on her grades. All Willow had done was stare into the distance.
"Since you don't seem to be caring about much then I'll make the decision for you," Shelia said haughtily, "You are going to go to summer school at a private school in New England. You will get wonderful grades or you will be sent to a very strict Jewish school in LA."
The only response that Shelia received was a shrug.
"Good. Then the only thing left is that you will never see that friend Xander again. I tolerate him because he never seemed to have any adverse effect on you. Obviously you were not able to withstand the dementia from the Harris clan. I forbid you to see him again."
Willow looked up at her mother with dull eyes. Willow didn't want to explain. She didn't want to tell her mother that she had seen another Slayer killed. She didn't want to put up a fight. It just wasn't worth it anymore.
Willow left the next day without saying good-bye.
****
Buffy turned to Whistler, "You're making this up!"
Whistler shook his head, "This is what is real."
****
Giles' house looked like a bomb had hit it and it smelled worse.
"I let two die," he muttered and passed out.
***
Xander was really alone. That was new.
There had always been Jesse and Willow. Jesse had turned un-dead. Willow had left without saying good-bye.
Xander sat on the battered couch that had been in his house all of his life. It was stained and it was gross, but it was home.
Home was a nasty word to him. It was a place where he was miserable. Harsh ugly words were thrown around like there was no tomorrow.
Xander looked down.
For them there was no tomorrow.
Xander stared and waited.
The television lit the room in a blue glow.
When they rose, they fell to dust. Xander thought that maybe something would be different this time.
It wasn't though.
Jesse had fallen to dust.
Now his parents were all over the carpet, just like any other vampire.
And Xander was alone for the first time in his life.
****
All over town children disappeared. Parents were found dead. Humans were loosing.
****
"That is what you've never seen Slayer," Whistler said quietly, "The bigger picture. Your Sunnydale has 24,000 happy inhabitants that sleep soundly at night knowing they are protected. This Sunnydale, the real Sunnydale has 18,000 people. Lots of deaths and people moving away. Plus no one really wants to move here."
Buffy wiped away her tears.
"Please just show me how it changed, I need to know," Buffy whispered.
****
Cordelia walked into the Bronze and saw Angel. She marched right over to him without a second thought.
"You're a vampire, can you answer me a question."
Angel looked down at the girl and felt a smile for the first time in a long time.
"What is it?"
Cordelia flipped her hair back.
"Why can't the vampires kill losers?"
Angel looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Well what I mean is that I realize that I made a mistake forsaking all that I am in order to play kissy face with Xander Harris, I mean that was foolish. I got so involved in those sessions in the boiler room that I completely forgot about popularity. Then one day I get a wake up call. Then the next day the freak of a Slayer gets herself killed. That is all good, but then the vampires come in droves. They've taken all the Cordettes. Meanwhile the loser patrol is doing nothing although it is their duty to save the innocent, yadda, yadda. I just want to know why they can't be killed off instead of the geeks. I mean I do more to save the world these days."
Angel looked surprised, "You patrol?"
"You really should try more facial expressions, they work on you," Cordelia said approvingly, "No I don't' patrol, but I'm smart enough to find a purse that fits a stake."
"Impressive."
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "It's obnoxious. I mean I am looking forward to senior year, prom queen and all that, but my friends are dead and there is no one to do something about it."
"Do you want coffee?" Angel asked suddenly.
Cordelia looked at him, it was her turn to be startled, "I guess."
Angel smiled at her and Cordelia felt it in her toes.
****
"No comment?" Whistler asked.
Buffy blinked back the tears, "I just thought he would wait for me at least a few years after my death. I meant the guy is immortal."
"Buffy he did wait until you were dead. It took the beautiful Ms. Chase two years before he would give her the time of day."
****
"Giles," Willow called wading through his house.
"Here."
It was a weak reply, but it was a reply none the less.
Willow took one look at Giles and her heart fell. He looked horrible. The usually pristine apartment Giles kept was in disarray. Willow had seen the alcoholic binges in the apartment. The transformation from that den was almost as amazing. He had attempted to push that away and now there were books everywhere.
Giles looked at Willow with scared eyes.
"You came," he said simply.
Willow nodded, "Of course, what is it that you need."
"It's Dawn. She's sick." Giles said nervously, "I need you to help me. Sunnydale will fall under demon rule if we don't do something. I need you to help me."
Willow bit her lip, "What do you want from me?"
"I need you to help me fight the vampires."
Willow suddenly looked scared, "I, I can't Giles. I have school…"
Giles looked at her in desperation, "I can't let another Slayer die. I can't stand it."
His guilt was apparent. He had only given Kendra and Faith half a chance. He felt like he had allowed them to die. If only he had worked harder. Underneath those was an undertone. He had felt like he had ordered Buffy to death, instead of the reality that she was destined to follow the child into hell. No amount of training could change that.
Willow didn't have the words to comfort him. Words were inadequate. This man needed something more. This man needed her help.
"I can't do this alone." Willow began, Giles looked crestfallen.
"Can you and the Council pull get Xander out of the Marines early? He needs to come back too."
Giles gave her a grateful smile.
"You are willing to help?" he asked.
Willow could have told him of how bored she was in her mundane life. How much she missed Xander and Sunnydale. She could go on how empty her life seemed in the hallowed halls. The pristine world of the ivy league left her feeling as if there really was no purpose to any of it. All those kids were learning things from books that were reprinted and mass produced. What she had learned, what she knew came from books that were utterly unique. Books these people would scoff at for being childish. Books that kept the world in existence.
She didn't explain, for Giles already knew. He had found the same listlessness in the halls of Oxford.
"Hey anybody can go to Princeton. How many get to help the Slayer?"
Willow plugged in her lap top and began to help Giles with a way to find the cure to Dawn. An hour later Willow met Oz, Dawn's boyfriend. The three of them looked and looked. A month later Xander came home and they continued to look. Dawn got sicker and sicker.
They never stopped looking, but hope was beginning to escape.
***
"If you need an answer to what you are doing here let that be it. You are the hope that they have lost. They haven't had it easy and they have no reason to trust. But you give them hope."
"Xander's parents are dead?" Buffy asked weakly.
Whistler nodded, "Yeah, poor kid never graduated high school. GED. He had to work his way and then he just gave up and decided for the Marines. The worst though is the witch. She doesn't even know she is a witch."
"What?" Buffy exclaimed.
Whistler shrugged, "Well how would she, she only learned of her power when you needed her to restore Angel's soul. That is when the redhead realized she was more than just a girl."
Buffy rubbed her temples, "Could you do me a favor and write all of this up in some kind of brochure. I'd like that. It would help."
"Sorry kiddo no cookie."
"I was the chosen one. This isn't fair I don't want to be chosen again," Buffy pouted, "Isn't that against he rules anyway?"
"We made an entire day disappear," Whistler pointed out, "I think we can call you twice."
Buffy rolled his eyes, "Thanks so much for letting me remember that now."
"So do you want to go back and see what awaits you this time?" Whistler asked.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Everybody has a choice."
"Will I dream again?"
Whistler shook his head, "You're done dreaming. You either live or die now."
Buffy looked at him, "You've given me a choice. Now I get to choose."
She stalked away from her. Her tears still hadn't dried on her face. She held her head high and her spine was straight.
Whistler watched her, "That is one great girl. I think that she can do it."