1—I continue to own nothing that belongs to UPN, Fox, Whedon, etc.
2---I thank those who have reviewed, and I apologize for any discrepancies noted.
"Hey Buff"
Buffy whirled to see Xander come out from behind a mausoleum. "What are you doing here?"
"Its a nice night. Patrol together?"
Buffy shrugged, and started up the path again. "Sure why not." Secretly she was glad for the company but she wouldn't let Xander know that. "Just keep out of the way."
"Don't I always? Wait, don't answer that." Xander grinned and fell into step beside Buffy. "So how is it going?"
"Well, let see. With Dawn popping out of no where, I've bust three plates and a cup, spilled coffee all over my best pants and have a beautiful silhouette of the iron on my best blouse. My best friend is playing detective with the ghost of a man who tried to kill me, and I just left the Magic Box where Giles, Wesley, and Riley are worse than three bears with thorns in their paws. What did you do with them? But other than that, my life is peachy keen."
"Xander grinned. "The three bears are suffering the after effects of being astral projected across the universe, which is always a strain. Dawn has to practice somewhere."
"And Willow? When does she work off her karma and be free of Warren."
"That kind of depends on Willow. On when she comes to terms with what she did and the consequences of what she did."
"And when will that be? When the PTB have gotten all the work they can get out of her? Is that when they'll let her into heaven."
"Is that what she's doing?" Xander looked troubled. "Trying to earn her way into heaven, cause I can tell you right now, that's not the way it works."
"Why not I did. I went to heaven. I didn't do any religious thing, or join a special club. If I can do it why can't she."
"Actually you didn't do it. You never went."
Buffy turned to stare at him. "But I was at peace, complete. I felt loved."
"And in all that, did you get the senses that He was there. I mean actually living there."
"Uh no." Buffy looked defiant. "But I wouldn't know what to look for."
"That's just it. If you were in Heaven you would know, beyond any doubt. That's the way it was set up. Because that's His domain, where He lives. Those that go there live with Him and He lives with them, and you don't get to earn or buy your way there."
"But....but....but...."
"Hell doesn't have to mean fire and brimstone with funny little guys and pitchforks. It can be a nice place, real close to Heaven, full of love and peace and contentment. But He doesn't live there so it's not Heaven. Those that go there will not live with Him and He will not live with them because He does not live there. Hell may be a place of torment, or a place where He is not, and they will know that too."
"Why tell me this?"
"So that you know that being the Slayer, or a Scooby, or fighting on the good side is not an automatic ticket through the Pearly Gates. Because you can tell Willow that as admirable as her willingness to work with Warren is it won't be enough. She will need to search herself, accept the help that is offered and change herself. No amount of good deeds will be enough."
"Great topic for a talk in the cemetery," Buffy groused. "Good thing there's not much action."
"There will be enough."
Buffy caught a catch in his voice and glanced at him. "So it wasn't just the pleasure of my company or the philosophical talk that brought you out.
"No."
"You do know that I'll stop it if I can."
2---I thank those who have reviewed, and I apologize for any discrepancies noted.
"Hey Buff"
Buffy whirled to see Xander come out from behind a mausoleum. "What are you doing here?"
"Its a nice night. Patrol together?"
Buffy shrugged, and started up the path again. "Sure why not." Secretly she was glad for the company but she wouldn't let Xander know that. "Just keep out of the way."
"Don't I always? Wait, don't answer that." Xander grinned and fell into step beside Buffy. "So how is it going?"
"Well, let see. With Dawn popping out of no where, I've bust three plates and a cup, spilled coffee all over my best pants and have a beautiful silhouette of the iron on my best blouse. My best friend is playing detective with the ghost of a man who tried to kill me, and I just left the Magic Box where Giles, Wesley, and Riley are worse than three bears with thorns in their paws. What did you do with them? But other than that, my life is peachy keen."
"Xander grinned. "The three bears are suffering the after effects of being astral projected across the universe, which is always a strain. Dawn has to practice somewhere."
"And Willow? When does she work off her karma and be free of Warren."
"That kind of depends on Willow. On when she comes to terms with what she did and the consequences of what she did."
"And when will that be? When the PTB have gotten all the work they can get out of her? Is that when they'll let her into heaven."
"Is that what she's doing?" Xander looked troubled. "Trying to earn her way into heaven, cause I can tell you right now, that's not the way it works."
"Why not I did. I went to heaven. I didn't do any religious thing, or join a special club. If I can do it why can't she."
"Actually you didn't do it. You never went."
Buffy turned to stare at him. "But I was at peace, complete. I felt loved."
"And in all that, did you get the senses that He was there. I mean actually living there."
"Uh no." Buffy looked defiant. "But I wouldn't know what to look for."
"That's just it. If you were in Heaven you would know, beyond any doubt. That's the way it was set up. Because that's His domain, where He lives. Those that go there live with Him and He lives with them, and you don't get to earn or buy your way there."
"But....but....but...."
"Hell doesn't have to mean fire and brimstone with funny little guys and pitchforks. It can be a nice place, real close to Heaven, full of love and peace and contentment. But He doesn't live there so it's not Heaven. Those that go there will not live with Him and He will not live with them because He does not live there. Hell may be a place of torment, or a place where He is not, and they will know that too."
"Why tell me this?"
"So that you know that being the Slayer, or a Scooby, or fighting on the good side is not an automatic ticket through the Pearly Gates. Because you can tell Willow that as admirable as her willingness to work with Warren is it won't be enough. She will need to search herself, accept the help that is offered and change herself. No amount of good deeds will be enough."
"Great topic for a talk in the cemetery," Buffy groused. "Good thing there's not much action."
"There will be enough."
Buffy caught a catch in his voice and glanced at him. "So it wasn't just the pleasure of my company or the philosophical talk that brought you out.
"No."
"You do know that I'll stop it if I can."