Loving Eternally: Chapter 6
by Lisette
Legalese: See Chapter 1 for disclaimers and ratings.
Grunting, Buffy blocked a kick and snapped back with a punch that downed her vampire opponent. As screams ripped through the dark air, she quickly dusted the creep before turning worried eyes to her darkened house. After making sure that the trio had made it home alright from her hideaway in the shadows, Buffy quickly became aware of the hordes of vampires that surrounded the house. Quickly she set to work in separating and dusting the small army, taking comfort in the knowledge that they couldn't get inside. So much for that.
With narrowed eyes, Buffy watched as three vampires left the house at a run, Riley and Will, unconscious and swung over shoulders with Alex struggling in the arms of the other. Taking off at a run, her leather duster swirling around her hips, Buffy started after the vampires when another scream pierced the night from within the house. This time she recognized it as belonging to Willow. Biting her lip, Buffy was torn between the vampires who began unloading their cargo into a van and the darkened house. But when she heard her mom cry out, Buffy's decision was made as she changed course and charged into the house.
In one fluid movement Buffy took out the guard at the door and was at the entrance to what remained of the living room. In what little light remained, Buffy quickly assessed the situation. She could see her Mom and Giles cradling what looked like an older, unconscious Anya, Willow standing in front of them and straining to maintain a magic shield that was under heavy attack. To the other side of them a fortyish Xander and Oz were trying to fight an out-numbered battle. But it was the sight of Angel, exactly as she remembered him, pinned against the wall by three vampires and about to be dusted by another that got her into action.
Darting forward into the darkened room, Buffy quickly kicked the wood from the vampire's hand and rolled away with him in the process, freeing up Angel enough to fight his own battle as she launched herself at vampire after vampire, a one-minded machine that pummeled with kicks and punches and slashed out with her stake. At one point, one lucky vampire got past her defenses and slashed through the leather of her coat and ripped into her arm. But Buffy merely grunted and accepted the pain, continuing to dish out the punishment for daring to attack her family and friends - for all that she had failed them in the past.
Reaching forward, Buffy backhanded her opponent, sending him crashing over a splintered end table. As he staggered to his feet, Buffy took a running step and launched a kick at the vampire's neck. Surrounded by darkness, it was the sickening crunching sound of his neck shattering under the force of her boot and the explosion of ash that confirmed that another vampire was dead. Gasping, Buffy reached out with her senses but found that only one vampire remained - and that one she knew she'd never again be able to fight.. or kill.
Struggling to her feet, Joyce stumbled over broken furniture, her eyes locked on the shadowed back of their savior. There was something about the figure.. something so familiar that cried out to her as she took in the petite, dark form cloaked in shadows, hair tumbling past her shoulders.
"I think I have the lights," she heard her husband mutter as she reached out and squeezed the girl's arm, not knowing that she was injured. And as the voice from her past cried out and the girl turned towards her in pain, the lights clicked on and filled the room with light. "Buffy!" she gasped, stumbling back as her daughter's beautiful, pain creased eyes stared back at her, her hand tightly clasped on her arm with red blood seeping through her fingers.
As the room fell silent as a tomb, Buffy instinctively reached forward to steady her Mom, only to watch as she pulled away in shock, staring down in horror at the blood stained hand that was reached towards her. Swallowing the hard lump in her throat, Buffy nodded and drew her hand back. Sighing, she began to turn away when her mother rushed her and enveloped her in a crushing hug, tears streaming down her face.
"Oh my God, Buffy, my baby," she whispered as she pulled back and began running her shaking, weathered hands over her daughter's face and hair, reassuring herself that she was really there. "I don't understand," she sobbed as the others slowly drew closer, tears dotting many cheeks as first Giles pushed in and crushed Buffy against him, and then she was traded off to Xander, who surprised her with his iron grip, and Willow, who was sobbing uncontrollably.
And throughout it all, Buffy never quite met anyone's eyes or fully returned any of the hugs. Buffy Summers is dead, Buffy Summers is dead, Buffy Summers is dead, she kept repeating to herself like a mantra. You're the Slayer now. And then she was released as the others slowly drew away, never getting too far as they stared at her in love and confusion. Immediately the questions began, all coming at once even as they continued to reach out, gently touching her as if afraid that she would disappear with a small breath of wind.
"I don't understand-"
"What happened to-"
"Where have you-"
"They told us you were-"
"We got your letter-"
But it was Angel's question that finally silenced everyone as he broke through the others and stopped directly before her, no accusation and only love and compassion shining in his dark eyes. "Buffy, why'd you do it?" he asked quietly, causing the room to fall deadly silent once more.
For the first time, Buffy had to struggle to maintain her control as her mouth opened and closed, becoming lost in Angel's dark eyes. Finally, she looked away and began rubbing her blood smeared hand on her leather pants. "I couldn't let any of you be hurt again because of me - because of my fight," she whispered quietly, the silence so thick that she thought that she could taste it. But then she was saved as a loud groan cut through the tension.
Slapping himself in the forehead, spell broken, Xander quickly hurried to the other end of the room and knelt beside his unconscious wife. "Anya," he whispered worriedly as he inspected the small gash on the back of her head.
And it was then that the missing trio was finally noticed. "Will," Willow gasped, turning quickly as her nails dug into Oz's arm. "Where are the kids?" she demanded frantically as the color drained from each parent's face.
"Drusilla took them," Buffy replied quickly, everyone turning to her once more in shock.
"Well, we have to get them," Oz answered back, his eyes hard with determination.
"No," Buffy broke in, meeting each in turn. "I'll get them," she countered quickly as she turned and met her mom's tear-stained eyes. "I'll get them all back," she promised.
Biting her lip, Joyce felt torn like never before. She wanted her son back, safe and sound, more than anything - but she didn't want to have to send her daughter into danger... to save her brother. But looking deeply into her daughter's shadowed eyes, she saw that Buffy understood her plight all too well. She was very aware that it was the lives of her brother and the son and daughter of her best friends that were at stake - and she would put her life at risk for them as she always had for each and every one of them time and time again.
"We... we can help," Willow whispered tentatively, looking into the eyes of the friend that she had never stopped grieving for.
"No," Buffy quickly replied, shaking her head firmly. "I work alone now," she insisted, seeing fresh tears appear as she turned away and started for the door.
"But you don't even know where to look!" Giles called after her departing back.
"The docks," Buffy countered, disappearing out the door like a phantom.
And in her wake a thick silence fell once again as the realization that Buffy had never died - had set-up her own death, wanting them all to believe that she was gone while she continued the fight on her own - began to set in. But then the silence was broken by a single choked sob as Joyce slammed her fist angrily against her thigh. "How could she have done something so selfish?" she whispered fiercely, blinking back tears.
Sighing, Angel recognized the woman's defense system as it kicked in, but he couldn't just sit there. Not anymore. "She did it for all of you," he whispered as he turned towards the door. "And while I agree with Anya, she has to understand that she's not alone," he stated firmly. "I'm going to help," he threw in before taking off.
Shaking his head, Xander muttered angrily from beside his unconscious wife. "This sucks!" he cried in disgust, his face twisted in anger at his feeling of helplessness. As a cop, he never had no options as action was always the key. "Okay, just because we don't have any special abilities that keep us twenty forever, all of a sudden we're worthless and can't help our kids?" he cried, his voice cracking as he thought of his beautiful daughter.
"Eighteen," Giles corrected as he pinched his nose wearily, remembering the age that his slayer had unknowingly stopped aging so many years ago. "But your wife did have a point," he added. "We're not exactly in the shape that we were in twenty-five years ago-"
"But we can be!" Willow chirped in excitedly, her eyes lighting up as eyes turned to their graying red-head in surprise. "Or, at least we can be if we can find my purse in this mess," she amended as she eyed the trashed room with dismay.
Shrugging his shoulders, Oz bent over carefully, mindful of his aching back from the good thrashing he had received, and began picking through the mess. "Mind if I ask what's in your purse?" he asked his wife, lifting up a shattered leg of an end-table and crying out triumphantly as he snagged the very large sac. "Besides the kitchen sink," he added dubiously as he tossed the bag over.
Ignoring his last remark, Willow quickly dropped to her knees and began digging through the cavernous piece of material. "A spell that I had been saving for just such an occasion," she explained as she withdrew a neatly folded sheet of weathered paper triumphantly.
"So.. you were just saving it for a night where Drusilla would come back, steal our kids, and Buffy, who hasn't really been dead, needs our help to get them back," Xander summed up with a skeptical glance.
Sighing, Giles quickly shook his head. "A spell?" he asked doubtfully, turning back towards the aging witch before sharing knowing looks with the others.
"Yes, one that will make us young again - when Buffy left," she added, halting over the words. She still couldn't believe that she wasn't dead. After so long.
"Yeah, but we're talking magic here, right?" Xander asked, not bothering to disguise his worry as Joyce knelt beside him and checked Anya's head.
Sighing, Willow planted her fists angrily on her hips. "Hey, let me put this in perspective for you, you... you... worrywarts!" she cried, scrambling for a word. "Drusilla, the psycho vampire who likes to kill things, has our children! Buffy... Buffy," she murmured, her voice losing energy as her eyes welled with tears once more. "Buffy is going to help," she continued, Oz's arm wrapping around her, "but we can't let her do it alone and we can't help as we are now," she pointed out, scrubbing her tears away. "Besides," she added stubbornly. "I've gotten better! Remember what I did for Angel?"
"Yeah, with Will's help-" Xander began as Joyce smacked his arm. "Ow ow okay!" he whined.
Scowling, Joyce shook her head curtly at him before turning her eyes to Willow. "Do what you need to do and then go help my baby. I'll stay here with Anya," she added before meeting her husband's eyes. "Just bring back our kids - all of them."