Buffy sat all night beside the body of Dawn. Her hands brushed the hair back off her face, but she felt nothing. It was almost as if Dawn was nothing more than a doll to her. Now she was even closer to getting out of this hell hole and going home where she belonged. There was only two standing in her way.
The witches...Tara and Willow. They brought her back the last time she left this place. They were the ones who would bring her back if she tried to leave again. They had to go, and soon. Tara would be easy. It was Willow who had all the power, but she was still on her magicks-ban.
Xander was no threat. She discounted him completely. Anyway, he was still too messed up after the wedding fiasco. He didn't have the knowledge or skill to bring anyone back. He couldn't function right now without Anya. Without Willow as well, he'd be nothing. He wasn't worth her time, she decided.
She looked outside and noticed that the sun had come up.
'I should go home, to that house," she thought to herself. 'There'll be questions if I don't. And anyway...Willow."
"Xander, is Buffy or Dawn there?"
"Willow? Ah, not seen them since last night." He rolled over. "What time is it?"
He could hear her smile as she replied. "Its almost 9 o'clock Xander," she laughed. "Still sleeping?"
"Yeah. Can't seem to get to sleep anymore. I miss her Will."
"I know how you feel Xander," she said. "I still miss Tara. But, we're talking now. There's always hope that things will work out."
"I hope you're right," he sighed.
"When aren't I?" teased the redhead.
"Well..."
"Answer that and I'll kill you," she laughed. "Ah Xander, hang on a sec, I think I heard someone at the door."
"Sure Will."
Willow put the phone down and wandered from the kitchen and into the living room. She smiled when she saw it was just Buffy. Quickly she went back to the phone.
"Its Buffy. I'll talk to you later?"
"Yeah. Thanks Will," Xander said.
"What did I do?" she asked.
"You've given me hope," he said before hanging up the phone.
Willow shrugged as she too replaced the phone.
"Did Dawn already leave for school?" she yelled.
She turned and saw Buffy was standing behind her. She looked...strange.
"School? Yes. Dawn left," she said in an odd, detached voice.
"What's wrong Buffy? I'm starting to worry about you."
"You shouldn't."
But Willow was. She could feel that something was very wrong with the Slayer, and she couldn't put her finger on it. She'd been acting odd for a while now. But the cure worked, hadn't it? Buffy had been her 'old self' again. She'd been patrolling on her own again and she'd been spending more time with Dawn. It was the look in her eyes that was scaring Willow. A wildness that hadn't been there before. She felt uncomfortable being in the same room as her now.
She made a move towards the door. "I gotta get to class," she said. "I'll see you soon."
Buffy nodded. She was torn between her thoughts. She could hear her mother's voice in her head telling her the only way home was to get rid of the things keeping her there. Those things were her friends. The people she loved more than anyone. They had been there for her through the good times and bad. But they had also pulled her back into this hell. She'd been happy and home until they thought they knew best. But they didn't. She wanted to go home now. She wanted the hurt and hardness of this life to be over. She could never have that when the one who caused it all still walked around. She would be a threat for as along as she continued breathing. She had to be stopped.
"Willow?" Buffy called after her.
She watched as Willow came back into the kitchen. Without giving her a chance to say anything, Buffy slammed her fist into the redhead's jaw, knocking her out instantly. Her face was blank as she watched Willow slide onto the floor and lie there. She looked so peaceful, so innocent. But Buffy knew better. She knew that Willow was guilty. She had done the unthinkable. She had ruined Buffy's life and she had to pay for it. She had Willow right where she wanted her, but the final step...actually ending her life...she couldn't do it. But she knew someone who could.
The witches...Tara and Willow. They brought her back the last time she left this place. They were the ones who would bring her back if she tried to leave again. They had to go, and soon. Tara would be easy. It was Willow who had all the power, but she was still on her magicks-ban.
Xander was no threat. She discounted him completely. Anyway, he was still too messed up after the wedding fiasco. He didn't have the knowledge or skill to bring anyone back. He couldn't function right now without Anya. Without Willow as well, he'd be nothing. He wasn't worth her time, she decided.
She looked outside and noticed that the sun had come up.
'I should go home, to that house," she thought to herself. 'There'll be questions if I don't. And anyway...Willow."
"Xander, is Buffy or Dawn there?"
"Willow? Ah, not seen them since last night." He rolled over. "What time is it?"
He could hear her smile as she replied. "Its almost 9 o'clock Xander," she laughed. "Still sleeping?"
"Yeah. Can't seem to get to sleep anymore. I miss her Will."
"I know how you feel Xander," she said. "I still miss Tara. But, we're talking now. There's always hope that things will work out."
"I hope you're right," he sighed.
"When aren't I?" teased the redhead.
"Well..."
"Answer that and I'll kill you," she laughed. "Ah Xander, hang on a sec, I think I heard someone at the door."
"Sure Will."
Willow put the phone down and wandered from the kitchen and into the living room. She smiled when she saw it was just Buffy. Quickly she went back to the phone.
"Its Buffy. I'll talk to you later?"
"Yeah. Thanks Will," Xander said.
"What did I do?" she asked.
"You've given me hope," he said before hanging up the phone.
Willow shrugged as she too replaced the phone.
"Did Dawn already leave for school?" she yelled.
She turned and saw Buffy was standing behind her. She looked...strange.
"School? Yes. Dawn left," she said in an odd, detached voice.
"What's wrong Buffy? I'm starting to worry about you."
"You shouldn't."
But Willow was. She could feel that something was very wrong with the Slayer, and she couldn't put her finger on it. She'd been acting odd for a while now. But the cure worked, hadn't it? Buffy had been her 'old self' again. She'd been patrolling on her own again and she'd been spending more time with Dawn. It was the look in her eyes that was scaring Willow. A wildness that hadn't been there before. She felt uncomfortable being in the same room as her now.
She made a move towards the door. "I gotta get to class," she said. "I'll see you soon."
Buffy nodded. She was torn between her thoughts. She could hear her mother's voice in her head telling her the only way home was to get rid of the things keeping her there. Those things were her friends. The people she loved more than anyone. They had been there for her through the good times and bad. But they had also pulled her back into this hell. She'd been happy and home until they thought they knew best. But they didn't. She wanted to go home now. She wanted the hurt and hardness of this life to be over. She could never have that when the one who caused it all still walked around. She would be a threat for as along as she continued breathing. She had to be stopped.
"Willow?" Buffy called after her.
She watched as Willow came back into the kitchen. Without giving her a chance to say anything, Buffy slammed her fist into the redhead's jaw, knocking her out instantly. Her face was blank as she watched Willow slide onto the floor and lie there. She looked so peaceful, so innocent. But Buffy knew better. She knew that Willow was guilty. She had done the unthinkable. She had ruined Buffy's life and she had to pay for it. She had Willow right where she wanted her, but the final step...actually ending her life...she couldn't do it. But she knew someone who could.