Loving Eternally: Chapter 7
by Lisette

Legalese: See Chapter 1 for disclaimers and ratings.

With the bright moonlight lighting her way, Buffy made quick time to the familiar warehouse district of Sunnydale, the light ocean breeze fanning out her blond hair. But with each click of her heeled boots, her thoughts raced back over what had happened - the feeling of once more being held by her mother, the warmth of the friends that she had missed for so long... Angel's unexpected presence. Her masquerade that had lasted for the majority of her life was over, which left her future uncertain. Oh, she knew what she had to do. The fact that she was even in this mess was proof enough of the danger her very presence was to those that she ultimately fought for. It was because of her history with Drusilla that the Scooby Gang's next generation was endangered - that her brother had been taken. She knew that after she rescued them, something that was guaranteed for she had faced worse than Drusilla, she would be gone once again - and this time she had a feeling that there would be no search for her. But the question was, how could she leave them again?

"Slayer..."

"Present," Buffy called out automatically, pulling away from her thoughts as her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings. The first group of vanquished vampires had stated that Drusilla would be waiting for the gang at the docks, and Buffy had nothing better to go on. As her eyes narrowed on a wide, shadowed dock that branched off over the darkened sea, she caught the slight movement of her opponents. Nodding slightly, Buffy started down the dock, the wooden boards creaking beneath her slight weight as she warily stepped around stacked crates that towered above her.

As she drew closer, Buffy could make out a couple of vampires leaning casually against some stacks before her. But what was more was that Buffy could sense more vampires all around her, undoubtedly hiding behind the crates. She had walked into an ambush - knowingly. Throughout the years she had faced worse and even though the chances weren't always the greatest, she needed information. Idly the possibility of overconfidence flashed through her mind, but it was quickly banished as she threw a cocky grin at the thugs. After all, she was the Slayer.

Stopping a few feet before the vampires, Buffy watched as one casually lit a cigarette, the flicker of flame revealing sharp fangs and protruding brows. Forcing a smile, Buffy cocked one leather clad hip, her long leather duster parted to each side, hands resting casually on her hips and fingers inches from her hidden stakes.

"Slayer?" the one with the cigarette asked once again before taking a long drag, smoke spiraling up in a turbulent gray cloud.

"I answered once already, didn't I?" Buffy fired back, impatiently brushing away the cloud of smoke. "Now where's Drusilla and my friends?" she continued, her voice hard as she watched the other vampires begin to slide from their hiding places from the corner of her eyes.

"We've been waiting for you," the other grinned, ignoring her question as he licked his lips obscenely.

"Evidently," Buffy agreed as she turned now and openly observed her opponents. "Now I don't want to have to ask you again. Where are they?"

"Not here," the vamp threw back as he took a long drag on the cigarette. "At the doorway," he continued cryptically.

"The doorway?" Buffy asked, arching one slim eyebrow at the guy.

"The doorway," the vampire agreed, grinning broadly as he tossed his cigarette to the wooden dock, extinguishing it with a sharp twist of his heel.

"Well," she shrugged as she quickly snagged two stakes from their spots and brandished them to the gathering crowd, realizing that she was getting nowhere fast, "shall we get this party started?"

And with that, Buffy got down to work doing what she did best: kicking ass. For how long the battle lasted, Buffy didn't know for she had turned into a finely tuned slaying machine, barely tiring as vampire after vampire disappeared in a cloud of fine ash, blocking kicks and punches while throwing her own, always holding her own as she worked through what seemed an endless stream of opponents: young and old, male and female alike, she faced them all.

Gasping, Buffy ducked a wild punch, side stepped a kick while lashing out with her stake, causing yet another cloak of ash to envelop her. But just as she was about to take on another four, a large vampire dove off a tall stack of crates behind her, wrapping his arms around her slim waist and pummeling them both to the hard wood. Grunting, Buffy felt her breath expel from her lungs in one painful rush of air as she felt cold metal wrap twice around her neck before pulling tight, cutting off her airway as she was jerked backwards and lifted to her feet. With no breath left to cry out with, Buffy concentrated on lifting her hands to the thick chain that choked her, struggling to pull it loose even as she side-kicked out with her feet, keeping the other vampires from getting too close.

Growling, the vampire with the cigarette watched with narrowed eyes as two of his bigger guys worked with keeping the chain taut around the slayer's neck while struggling to stay away from her deadly kicks. "Ah, this is friggin' ridiculous!" he grunted as he reached forward and seized a long 2x4 plank that had broken loose from the dock. Flexing his arms, he took the stance of a pro-league hitter, waiting for an opening before darting in and swinging with all of his might. Grinning, he listened to the crack as the wood splintered over the back of the slayer's pretty little blond head. Instantly the girl went limp and crashed to the dock. Yelling, the head vampire quickly motioned to another who dashed forward and snapped a pair of the boss' special, reinforced manacles around her tiny wrists. But even as he began scampering away, the Slayer was already beginning to move. "What does it take to kill you?" he growled, seizing up the splintered remains of the board.

Meanwhile, Buffy's world was one filled with sickening colors that bled together and moved against her. Blinking her eyes against the pain, Buffy struggled to her knees before the chain tightened once more around her neck, yanking her back along the dock. This time, something was holding her hands behind her back and nothing prevented the cold metal from biting into the delicate skin, cinching it even as bits of rough wooden dock broke away and pierced and tore through her clothing, ripping her skin and staining it with her blood. But through it all Buffy never once stopped lashing out with her feet, fighting out against the world. But then, the chain around her neck fell loose as rough hands grabbed her arms and painfully heaved her to feet that wouldn't hold her. Coughing, she had the chance to draw in one ragged, burning breath of air before she felt as though her head had once more been used as a baseball by another pro player, the wood splintering over her already pounding head as she tipped forward and fell for what seemed forever before the dark, cold ocean water swallowed her.

"Oh, shit," one of the vampire's gasped, watching as the Slayer disappeared in a spray of dark, filmy water. "What'd ya do that for?" he quickly growled, turning to glare at the fledgling who was proudly holding the board as though he had just won the World Series.

"I hit her like you did!" the vamp chortled, grinning broadly.

"Idiot!" the vampire hissed, advancing slowly and dangerously on the younger vampire. "She wanted her alive!" he growled before turning stormy eyes back to the rolling sea below. Sighing, he quickly shook his head before glaring once more at the vampire. "Let's get out of here," he ordered to those of them that remained, turning and striding quickly back to the mainland. "She'll be waiting."

For the first time in a long time, Buffy felt herself begin to panic as she tried to weakly kick out and propel her to the surface, her lungs burning with the need for oxygen. But the last blow to her head had been too much and only confusion remained as she didn't even know which way was up in the black ocean water. In that moment, Buffy felt helplessness consume her as she realized that she was finally going to die as she felt herself begin to black out - until the feeling of two strong arms wrapping tightly around her focused her briefly.

As the arms held her tightly against another's body, she felt the water stir around her as her savior propelled them through the murky depths. Finally, when she knew that she could take no more, she felt the water finally part around her as the dark night welcomed her once again. Gasping in greedy mouthfuls of air, Buffy's panicked eyes took in the dark underside of the dock. Shivering uncontrollably in her savior's arms as she was turned, her chest pressed against that of her savior, Buffy looked into Angel's own panicked brown eyes.

"Shh, shh," Angel hissed, his eyes worriedly searching her face. She had never looked so young and vulnerable as she noisily gasped for breath, her eyes wild and clouded. "Shh!" Angel hissed again, sure that the vampires would hear her ragged breathing. But Buffy was beyond the point of hearing or understanding, and Angel finally understood this as he filled his lungs with air that he would never need and pressed his lips tightly against hers, using his tongue to force her mouth open as he began to breathe into her, giving her the oxygen that she needed. And all the while, Angel stared into her beautiful, pain-filled eyes that had widened in shock, holding her tightly against him as they floated in the dark waters. Time passed unnoticed as he breathed for her until she finally pulled away.

Head spinning painfully, Buffy found herself lost in Angel's eyes. In that instant, with her body aching and bleeding, frozen and adrift in the ocean, her head feeling like swiss cheese and being held in the dead vampire's arms - it was then that she knew without a doubt that she had never, never stopped loving him. She had loved Riley, but that love had never been the deep, soul connecting love that she had with Angel. He had always had her heart.

"Buffy!"

Finally breaking his eyes away from hers, Angel cocked his head as Xander and the others' panicked voices drifted to them. He knew that something had happened in that instant, something important between he and the Slayer, but it was quickly pushed away as his concern overtook him once more. Buffy was in bad shape. "Over here!" he yelled, his voice surprising them both as he tightened his grip around her small waist, in between her handcuffed arms. "Sounds like the cavalry is here," he whispered quietly, listening as the excited voices drew closer - and as Buffy's expression dimmed. "Just hold on," he whispered, kissing her forehead gently before pushing away from the dock support he had been holding and swimming slowly out from under the wooden expanse.

"Angel!" Xander called, this time from right above him.

Craning his neck, Angel looked up to see Xander and Oz leaning over the side of the dock, arms outstretched - an early twenties Xander and Oz. Doing a double take, Angel simply floated and stared for a few seconds.

"Quick, pass her up here," Xander ordered, breaking into Angel's reverie as he worriedly gestured at Buffy who was lolling against him.

Nodding, Angel gently hefted her a little as both Xander and Oz snagged her under each arm, wincing as the cuffs pulled against her wrists, and as they gently lifted her until she was sitting on the dock between them. Which was when Buffy finally got a good look at the faces of Xander and Oz. Instantly, her eyes clouded further as Xander gently leaned her against his arm, tenderly brushing thick, heavy tendrils of wet hair from her face.

"Xander?" she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. But the shock mixed in with everything else finally became too much for her as Buffy finally gave in and allowed the darkness to claim her.

"Buffy!" Willow cried out, pulling up short on the dock, her hand pressed tightly against her mouth as she took in the sight of her best friend, soaked and slumped in Xander's arms.

"Here, give her to me," Giles ordered as he hurried forward and took Xander's place, cradling the girl that he loved like a daughter, tears stinging his eyes as he took in the huge red welts that circled her neck and the blood that seeped with water from different places on her body. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" he whispered quietly, his heart aching for his slayer as he watched Oz and Xander help to pull Angel up onto the dock. "You're not alone," he added as Angel crawled forward and gently pushed Giles away, turning Buffy in his arms until he had access to her cuffed hands.

"What happened?" Willow asked worriedly, tears dripping down her cheeks as she took in the damage.

Grunting slightly, Angel pulled on the cuffs and then jerked it tightly, breaking the chain and freeing the unconscious girl's hands. "She was hit on the head one time too many," he responded grimly as he gently and effortlessly lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. "She'll be alright - she just needs somewhere to sleep and heal."

"Then let's bring her home," Giles responded, standing tall once again as he led the others back to their vehicle. He couldn't help but feel that it was just like old times as he looked at the young faces of those he was once responsible for - until he remembered the son who had come to fill the void that Buffy had left. No, times had definitely changed, he thought sadly as he turned to survey the empty dock. "We shall bring you home, Riley," he whispered quietly, his heart aching for the only son he'd ever known. "I promise."