Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Chapter Four
Buffy braced herself for the group hug she knew would inevitably come, which it did. 'I guess they really do care after all,' she thought.
"It's great to have you back, Buffy," Xander said before pulling away.
"It's great to be back. I missed you guys."
Tara was the next to pull away. "You'll tell us what it was like, right?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. I'll be sure to tell you every detail." Buffy felt distraught, and like she wanted to sleep for a month or two, and it obviously showed.
"Oh. I didn't mean now. Later. Maybe tomorrow? If you're up to it then. Sorry," Tara said while giving Buffy an apologetic look.
"Yeah. Tomorrow."
Next to back away was Willow. "You know we didn't . . . You know it wasn't us that resurrected you, right?"
"Yeah. I know."
Willow's eyes began to tear up before she continued. "I'm sorry. We almost did. It's just that it wouldn't have been right to mess with life and death. We thought it wouldn't be right. The only spell we could find that had even the smallest possibility of working could have killed me. Or all of us."
"Yeah. That part wasn't too clear, " Anya added.
"It just didn't seem right. I'm sorry. But . . . But you're back now. You're back in a place where you're loved and there's no more hell or torment."
Buffy put on her "it's okay" look. "Will, it's all right. Really. I understand. You didn't even have to explain. I'm fine with it. With everything. But right now, I just want to go home, get out of this dress, maybe burn it, then go to sleep."
Xander walked over and put his hand on Anya's right shoulder.
"Xander! Other shoulder. Ow. Ow!"
Xander quickly changed shoulders.
"Thank you."
Xander cleared his throat. "Um . . . An? You can let go of Buffy now."
Anya pushed away from Buffy, only then realizing she hadn't let go. "Yeah. Sorry." She then walked over to Xander, who placed an arm around her un-bruised shoulder.
Buffy started walking out of the cemetery, and her friends followed. It was silent for a while, but Buffy felt an overwhelming amount of silence before she woke up six-feet- under ground, again, so she felt like talking. "So. I what's going to happen with the Buffy Bot?"
Tara decided to answer. "Well, I guess we'll have Spike carry it to the basement tomorrow?"
"Okay. I was just wondering . . . Who took care of Dawn while I was . . . gone?"
Tara answered again. "Well . . . um . . . Willow and I kind of moved into your mother's room to help out more. Some of her things are in boxes in the basement, but a lot are still intact. We added a lot of new things, too. Your room's still completely the same. Oh, and Spike came over a lot after dark to check on Dawn. He went to your grave a lot after you were buried. We were all really worried, especially Dawn. Sometimes she went to keep him company. We all cried so much . . . we still do . . . did. But, now we won't have to, I guess."
Xander had to add a few things. "Anya and I went over a lot, too. We looked after Dawn when Will and Tara had to go out and patrol. We usually switched off, until tonight. It's kind of ironic, because Giles left a few days ago for England."
"He's coming back in a few days. It was just to have a meeting with the Watcher's Council," Willow added.
Anya rolled her eyes. "Yeah. A real meeting of the minds there."
The other four stopped to stare at her.
"What? After what they did to him and made him do? They're all idiots. Kind of like psychopaths in prison, but in tweed."
"I can officially say, I didn't get that," Willow said.
"I'm right there with you," Xander agreed.
With that sorted out, they all continued to the Summer's residence. When it was time to go inside, Willow, Tara, and Buffy said their goodbyes to Xander and Anya, and walked into the house.
Immediately, Buffy felt something wasn't right. Obviously Willow and Tara felt it, too. Buffy's mind immediately leaped to what was wrong. It had to be.
"Dawn? Dawn! Dawn, if you're here, answer me!" Buffy screamed while walking through the entire first floor of the home. She then ran upstairs and screamed her sister's name again. Buffy knew it was useless. The home was completely silent. No one was there except for two incredibly powerful wiccans and a Slayer.
Chapter Four
Buffy braced herself for the group hug she knew would inevitably come, which it did. 'I guess they really do care after all,' she thought.
"It's great to have you back, Buffy," Xander said before pulling away.
"It's great to be back. I missed you guys."
Tara was the next to pull away. "You'll tell us what it was like, right?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. I'll be sure to tell you every detail." Buffy felt distraught, and like she wanted to sleep for a month or two, and it obviously showed.
"Oh. I didn't mean now. Later. Maybe tomorrow? If you're up to it then. Sorry," Tara said while giving Buffy an apologetic look.
"Yeah. Tomorrow."
Next to back away was Willow. "You know we didn't . . . You know it wasn't us that resurrected you, right?"
"Yeah. I know."
Willow's eyes began to tear up before she continued. "I'm sorry. We almost did. It's just that it wouldn't have been right to mess with life and death. We thought it wouldn't be right. The only spell we could find that had even the smallest possibility of working could have killed me. Or all of us."
"Yeah. That part wasn't too clear, " Anya added.
"It just didn't seem right. I'm sorry. But . . . But you're back now. You're back in a place where you're loved and there's no more hell or torment."
Buffy put on her "it's okay" look. "Will, it's all right. Really. I understand. You didn't even have to explain. I'm fine with it. With everything. But right now, I just want to go home, get out of this dress, maybe burn it, then go to sleep."
Xander walked over and put his hand on Anya's right shoulder.
"Xander! Other shoulder. Ow. Ow!"
Xander quickly changed shoulders.
"Thank you."
Xander cleared his throat. "Um . . . An? You can let go of Buffy now."
Anya pushed away from Buffy, only then realizing she hadn't let go. "Yeah. Sorry." She then walked over to Xander, who placed an arm around her un-bruised shoulder.
Buffy started walking out of the cemetery, and her friends followed. It was silent for a while, but Buffy felt an overwhelming amount of silence before she woke up six-feet- under ground, again, so she felt like talking. "So. I what's going to happen with the Buffy Bot?"
Tara decided to answer. "Well, I guess we'll have Spike carry it to the basement tomorrow?"
"Okay. I was just wondering . . . Who took care of Dawn while I was . . . gone?"
Tara answered again. "Well . . . um . . . Willow and I kind of moved into your mother's room to help out more. Some of her things are in boxes in the basement, but a lot are still intact. We added a lot of new things, too. Your room's still completely the same. Oh, and Spike came over a lot after dark to check on Dawn. He went to your grave a lot after you were buried. We were all really worried, especially Dawn. Sometimes she went to keep him company. We all cried so much . . . we still do . . . did. But, now we won't have to, I guess."
Xander had to add a few things. "Anya and I went over a lot, too. We looked after Dawn when Will and Tara had to go out and patrol. We usually switched off, until tonight. It's kind of ironic, because Giles left a few days ago for England."
"He's coming back in a few days. It was just to have a meeting with the Watcher's Council," Willow added.
Anya rolled her eyes. "Yeah. A real meeting of the minds there."
The other four stopped to stare at her.
"What? After what they did to him and made him do? They're all idiots. Kind of like psychopaths in prison, but in tweed."
"I can officially say, I didn't get that," Willow said.
"I'm right there with you," Xander agreed.
With that sorted out, they all continued to the Summer's residence. When it was time to go inside, Willow, Tara, and Buffy said their goodbyes to Xander and Anya, and walked into the house.
Immediately, Buffy felt something wasn't right. Obviously Willow and Tara felt it, too. Buffy's mind immediately leaped to what was wrong. It had to be.
"Dawn? Dawn! Dawn, if you're here, answer me!" Buffy screamed while walking through the entire first floor of the home. She then ran upstairs and screamed her sister's name again. Buffy knew it was useless. The home was completely silent. No one was there except for two incredibly powerful wiccans and a Slayer.