She felt nothing, but that didn't surprise her. She'd felt nothing for days now. Nothing, except a numbness which had crept in and taken over her body like an unwelcome intruder. But she welcomed it. It made what she had to do all that easier. She wanted to go home, and this was the only way for that to happen.
Anyway, her mother's voice told her this wasn't real. They weren't real. She was killing a dream, nothing more. A dream which had become a nightmare she couldn't escape from, no matter how much she tried. But she had found a way to escape, and she was taking it. It no longer mattered how or why.
It only took her a few minutes to tie Willow up and prop her up, ready to transport to where she'd decided to take her. There was a nest of vampires on the edge of town. She'd always known they were there, just never had had the opportunity to take them out. The irony of what she was about to do didn't escape her. How often did a slayer feed vampires? She chose to forget the times she'd fed Angel and Spike. Spoonfeeding vampires animal blood didn't count. This was different. She would be feeding them a person. She stiffled a laugh. They'd think it was Christmas.
She was about to open the door and leave when the phone rang. The noise startled her as it cut though the heavy silence of the house. Buffy walked over to the phone. Her hand was poised in the air above it, about to pick it up when the machine cut it off.
"Willow, its Tara. You missed class. Is everything alright? If its ok with you, I'll stop by later to drop off today's assignments."
Then there was the buzz of the dialtone as Tara hung up. Buffy stood looking at the phone for a long time. Tara would be coming here. It would make things easier for her. She deleted the message and walked back across the kitchen to where she'd left Willow. The slim redhead was beginning to stir. She'd be fully conscious again soon. With no time to lose, Buffy hauled her semi-conscious form out of the house and threw her into the back of her mother's car.
She hadn't driven since the time all the adults went through their second childhoods thanks to Ethan Rayne and the former mayor of Sunnydale. But that hadn't happened. This was a dream and she could do anything she wanted in her own dreams, she told herself.
The wheel looked huge to her as she slid in behind it. With a shaking hand, she slipped the key into the ignition slot and started the car. Buffy took a deep breath as she moved it into reverse and drove carefully down the driveway. She took another one as she moved it into first and started along her road, towards the part of town where the nest was.
She heard a low moan coming from the back seat. At the first stop sign, she looked over her shoulder and watched Willow trying to battle her way back to consciousness. She was relieved when she saw that the redhead's eyes were still closed. She didn't think she would have been able to handle looking into her friend's eyes one last time, even though she knew that her friend wasn't real. For years, Willow had been a comfort and a support for her in this nightmare she had drawn up around herself. But the nightmare was taking over and had become too hard to keep living in. She needed to go home. She wanted to go home.
She was woken out of her thoughts by the sound of a carhorn blasting behind her. She checked for coming traffic and when she saw the road was clear, she moved on.
Buffy drove carefully through town. She knew enough to be alert for any police cars cruising the streets. She was too close to make a mistake now. Only Willow and Tara to go.
Tara.
Walking along the side of the road. She wouldn't have to wait after all.
Buffy pulled the car over and stopped. She opened her door and got out so she could wait on the sidewalk for Tara to catch up to her.
Tara was surprised to see her. "Buffy? Is anything wrong? Oh god, is it Willow? Is she okay?"
"Willow..." Buffy said in the monotone her voice had become. "Willow needs you."
"I knew something was wrong when she didn't come to class today," Tara was worried now. "Where is she? Please Buffy, take me to her."
"She's in the car," Buffy replied. "She needs you to be with her when she goes."
Tara ran over to the car and looked in. She saw Willow lying bound on the backseat. Stunned, she pulled the door open and starting shaking her.
"Willow," she yelled. "Willow, wake up. Please Willow, please wake up."
She didn't hear Buffy walking up behind her until she felt her hand on her back. Tara turned.
"Buffy, what happened? What's going on? Why won't she wake up?"
"She brought me back," Buffy said softly. "Back to this hell. She has to be punished. She has to go so I can go home again." She looked up into Tara's eyes. "You all do."
Before Tara could react, Buffy slammed the empty bottle she'd picked up just minutes before into the side of her head. She caught Tara before she fell and pushed her into the car with Willow. Glancing around, she smiled when she saw that no-one had noticed. She slammed the open door and quickly walked back around to the driver's side. Soon it would be over and she would be back home with her mother, and her father. Everything would be back to the way it should be.
"Her hand moved again," Joyce whispered. She looked up at the doctor. "Do you think...I mean...is she trying to come back? Is she coming out of this...state?"
The doctor rubbed his chin. "I honestly don't know Mrs Summers," he replied. "I have never seen anyone recover from a catatonic state as severe as Buffy's, but from what we have been seeing over the past few days, I'm hopeful, but please remember, it could all just be reflex actions."
Joyce turned her tear filled eyes back to her daughter, still lying strapped to the bed where she'd been since she said goodbye in the tiniest and saddest voice. It had broken Joyce's heart hearing that and almost destroyed the last shreds of hope she held in her heart. But she'd been hoping and praying day after day for a miracle, and she believed her prayers were being answered. Buffy was fighting to come back, she just knew it.
Anyway, her mother's voice told her this wasn't real. They weren't real. She was killing a dream, nothing more. A dream which had become a nightmare she couldn't escape from, no matter how much she tried. But she had found a way to escape, and she was taking it. It no longer mattered how or why.
It only took her a few minutes to tie Willow up and prop her up, ready to transport to where she'd decided to take her. There was a nest of vampires on the edge of town. She'd always known they were there, just never had had the opportunity to take them out. The irony of what she was about to do didn't escape her. How often did a slayer feed vampires? She chose to forget the times she'd fed Angel and Spike. Spoonfeeding vampires animal blood didn't count. This was different. She would be feeding them a person. She stiffled a laugh. They'd think it was Christmas.
She was about to open the door and leave when the phone rang. The noise startled her as it cut though the heavy silence of the house. Buffy walked over to the phone. Her hand was poised in the air above it, about to pick it up when the machine cut it off.
"Willow, its Tara. You missed class. Is everything alright? If its ok with you, I'll stop by later to drop off today's assignments."
Then there was the buzz of the dialtone as Tara hung up. Buffy stood looking at the phone for a long time. Tara would be coming here. It would make things easier for her. She deleted the message and walked back across the kitchen to where she'd left Willow. The slim redhead was beginning to stir. She'd be fully conscious again soon. With no time to lose, Buffy hauled her semi-conscious form out of the house and threw her into the back of her mother's car.
She hadn't driven since the time all the adults went through their second childhoods thanks to Ethan Rayne and the former mayor of Sunnydale. But that hadn't happened. This was a dream and she could do anything she wanted in her own dreams, she told herself.
The wheel looked huge to her as she slid in behind it. With a shaking hand, she slipped the key into the ignition slot and started the car. Buffy took a deep breath as she moved it into reverse and drove carefully down the driveway. She took another one as she moved it into first and started along her road, towards the part of town where the nest was.
She heard a low moan coming from the back seat. At the first stop sign, she looked over her shoulder and watched Willow trying to battle her way back to consciousness. She was relieved when she saw that the redhead's eyes were still closed. She didn't think she would have been able to handle looking into her friend's eyes one last time, even though she knew that her friend wasn't real. For years, Willow had been a comfort and a support for her in this nightmare she had drawn up around herself. But the nightmare was taking over and had become too hard to keep living in. She needed to go home. She wanted to go home.
She was woken out of her thoughts by the sound of a carhorn blasting behind her. She checked for coming traffic and when she saw the road was clear, she moved on.
Buffy drove carefully through town. She knew enough to be alert for any police cars cruising the streets. She was too close to make a mistake now. Only Willow and Tara to go.
Tara.
Walking along the side of the road. She wouldn't have to wait after all.
Buffy pulled the car over and stopped. She opened her door and got out so she could wait on the sidewalk for Tara to catch up to her.
Tara was surprised to see her. "Buffy? Is anything wrong? Oh god, is it Willow? Is she okay?"
"Willow..." Buffy said in the monotone her voice had become. "Willow needs you."
"I knew something was wrong when she didn't come to class today," Tara was worried now. "Where is she? Please Buffy, take me to her."
"She's in the car," Buffy replied. "She needs you to be with her when she goes."
Tara ran over to the car and looked in. She saw Willow lying bound on the backseat. Stunned, she pulled the door open and starting shaking her.
"Willow," she yelled. "Willow, wake up. Please Willow, please wake up."
She didn't hear Buffy walking up behind her until she felt her hand on her back. Tara turned.
"Buffy, what happened? What's going on? Why won't she wake up?"
"She brought me back," Buffy said softly. "Back to this hell. She has to be punished. She has to go so I can go home again." She looked up into Tara's eyes. "You all do."
Before Tara could react, Buffy slammed the empty bottle she'd picked up just minutes before into the side of her head. She caught Tara before she fell and pushed her into the car with Willow. Glancing around, she smiled when she saw that no-one had noticed. She slammed the open door and quickly walked back around to the driver's side. Soon it would be over and she would be back home with her mother, and her father. Everything would be back to the way it should be.
"Her hand moved again," Joyce whispered. She looked up at the doctor. "Do you think...I mean...is she trying to come back? Is she coming out of this...state?"
The doctor rubbed his chin. "I honestly don't know Mrs Summers," he replied. "I have never seen anyone recover from a catatonic state as severe as Buffy's, but from what we have been seeing over the past few days, I'm hopeful, but please remember, it could all just be reflex actions."
Joyce turned her tear filled eyes back to her daughter, still lying strapped to the bed where she'd been since she said goodbye in the tiniest and saddest voice. It had broken Joyce's heart hearing that and almost destroyed the last shreds of hope she held in her heart. But she'd been hoping and praying day after day for a miracle, and she believed her prayers were being answered. Buffy was fighting to come back, she just knew it.