Disclaimer: See previous chapters
Note: After finishing this chapter, some of you may think it's B/S, but really, it's not. It's just how it comes across, but so far, no B/S. Oh, and sorry it's taken me so long. There's one word for why it has taken me so long: School. Anyways, please R&R. And I don't especially like Dawn either . . . Well, I actually hate Dawn, but I'll try to make her better in the fanfic.
Chapter Five
Coming back down the stairs, Buffy was nearly hyper-ventilating. She walked over to her two worried friends. "You both stay here and see if she comes back, even though it's very unlikely. That was a little thing called hope talking. It's still probably too dangerous to be out on the streets right now."
Willow began to protest. "But what about y--"
"Unless you're the Slayer," Buffy interrupted. "I'll search every street if I have to. It's my fault anyway. I'm the one who told her she couldn't fight and to stay here. If anyone's going to die tonight, it's going to be me. Again."
"Good luck!" Tara called after her.
Buffy ran out the door and to a park Dawn sometimes liked to hang out in. Empty. She then ran to the hospital. Dawn never checked in. Buffy ran to her graveyard. Still no Dawn. She checked a few more places, knowing she wouldn't find Dawn. Buffy walked back to the park and sat on a swing before bursting into tears. "I'm sorry Dawnie. I'm so sorry."
SHE'S STILL OKAY.
"What? W-Where is she?" Buffy asked as she felt a glimmer of hope.
I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SAY. I'VE BEEN GIVEN ONE WORD TO HELP.
"And that would be?"
CRYPT.
Realization struck Buffy across the face. 'No, that's not realization. That's a vampire.' Buffy thought.
She got off the swing and into a fighting stance. "Look. I'm not in the mood. Can't we do this tomorrow?"
The vampire advanced at her, ready to strike once more, but Buffy edged away before it could connect. Buffy threw a fast punch, then a kick, then a punch again, before knocking the vampire off balance. She bent down and twisted it's neck completely off and watched as it became a cloud of dust.
Buffy ran as fast as her body would let her to Spike's crypt and when she got there, the door wouldn't budge. She kicked the door in and screamed her sister's name. "Dawn!"
"Buffy!"
Buffy ran to Dawn, who was in a chair with her hands tied and her feet bound. "Dawn, I'm so sorry. What happened?" Buffy looked around for something to cut the ropes with.
"I waited at home, like you said, and out of no where three of the demons barged into the house and forced me to go with them. I guess they thought this crypt was deserted or something, because Spike hasn't been here at all. They left me here and went back out to probably capture or kill more people. One had the tips of his hair dyed green and back in a ponytail, if that helps."
Buffy recalled that one of the demons she killed fit that description. "Yeah, it does. I killed that one; stabbed it. I guess we don't have anything else to worry about." Buffy found a knife and cut the ropes on Dawn.
"So, I guess this means you'll listen to me from now on. Right?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah. I will. I promise." Buffy hugged her sister tightly.
Dawn smiled broadly. "Good. So. Here's what you have to do. You have to let me go to this really big party this weekend, let me sleep over at Janice's house tomorrow, and let me go shopping with your credit card."
Buffy withdrew from the embrace and stared at Dawn. No, maybe and no, not ever, don't even think about it, it's not happening."
"Hey, it was worth a shot."
"Hello? Breaking and entering is a criminal offense . . . Oh, it's just you, Nibblet. And the bot."
The voice caused both girls to jump, until they noticed who it was.
Dawn cleared her throat. "Uh, Spike. Sorry. There were these demons, and they took me from the house, and they brought me here, tied me up, and . . . you're really not listening."
All Spike was doing was staring at Buffy, at the dress, her hands, her hair. "Buffy?"
"Yeah. It's me. Really me."
"Your hands . . ."
"We were gonna fix them. I don't know how they got like that," Dawn said.
Spike stared Buffy in the eyes with a compassionate look. "I do. Clawed your way out of a coffin, that's how. Isn't that right?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. That's what I had to do."
Spike looked away. "Done it myself."
Spike looked up again and stared at Buffy for a few more moments, causing Buffy to uncomfortably play with her hands, until looking at Dawn. "I guess you'd better go home. I'll walk you if you'd like. Could still be some nasties looking for a party."
Buffy cleared her throat. "No. Really. It's fine. I'm fine. Everything's . . . fine. We can make it alone. Thanks."
By the stare Spike was sending Buffy, she could tell there was nothing anyone could do to keep Spike from coming.
"Fine," Buffy said with an exaggerated sigh.
The three walked out of the crypt and then out of the cemetery. An uncomfortable silence followed them to the Summer's Residence. They paused at the front door.
Buffy glared at Dawn. "Uh . . . Dawn? Can you go on ahead? I kind of need to talk to Spike."
Dawn nodded. "Yeah. Sure. Just come in soon, okay? We've missed you."
"I will. I promise."
When Dawn was gone, Buffy tried to find the reason she had wanted to talk to Spike. Alone. She came up empty, until she remembered how much she had wanted to talk to someone else about . . . everything. The question was, could she? Without the supposed "badness for good and evil"? Thankfully, her answer came.
YEAH. GO AHEAD IF YOU WANT. NOTHING PARTICULARLY BAD WILL HAPPEN.
'What does that mean?' Buffy thought.
NOTHING. JUST DO IT ALREADY. STORY'S GETTING SLOW.
"Um . . . Spike? There's a lot I want to tell you . . . have to tell you. But, I have to warn you that it's all pretty bizarre, and even I think I'm just dreaming, but . . . "
Spike glared at her, making Buffy uneasy and causing Buffy to trail off.
"What? Are you okay?" she asked.
"Oh. Uh . . . yeah. But do you really have to remind me of pain and torment in a hell dimension, luv?"
Buffy sighed. "That's just it. I wasn't . . . When it happened before, at least, I wasn't in hell. I was happy. Wherever I was, I was happy. And complete. I still think I was in Heaven. But my friends . . . Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara . . . they took me out of there. And this whole life . . . I used to think it was hell. But, I found out I can be happy here . . . There. I'm not sure what to call any of this anymore."
"Buffy? Slayer? What are you talking about?" Spike asked with a very worried expression.
"I'm from a year in the future . . . My mind is. Well, not just the future, but another dimension or world. In that world, I had jumped off the tower, and . . . died. But . . . Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya brought me back. Dawn and you . . . They didn't tell you. Either of you about any of it. They thought I had been in a hell dimension, but I had been in Heaven. I had been happy and at peace. I can actually still remember it . . . Bits and pieces because it's kind of hard and everything's still kind of vague . . . But I was in Heaven. Now, a year after that . . . this . . . for me, I went upstairs to bed after a scooby meeting, and in one of the dreams I had, I accidentally made a wish to live it all over again from that time, to live it better. A vengeance demon in that dream dimension granted that wish. I got to crawl out of my grave all over again."
Spike stared hard at Buffy, trying to piece it together, trying to understand, :But . . . When a wish is made and granted in a dream dimension, you can't live it the same. Not exactly the same. What's different?"
'Well . . . Here, my friends didn't bring me back. I was brought back for a higher purpose and by a higher purpose. Or so a certain vengeance demon said. You know her. Well, knew her. She's Halfrek."
"Halfrek? Nope. Sorry, but I don't."
"Oh. Sorry about that. That's the name D'Hoffryn chose for her. You know her by . . . Cecily? She's not British anymore, though."
"W-what? Cecily?"
"The one and only."
NO! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TELL HIM THAT? STUPID GIRL.
'I wouldn't have had to do it if SOMEONE hadn't granted a certain wish I didn't even know about, and caused me to be standing here today. I think the words I'm looking for are along the lines of . . . "pay back." ' Buffy thought.
"Well . . . I must say that hell and torment are sounding great compared to this."
"If you stick around long enough, you'll get to experience hell first hand. Again."
Note: After finishing this chapter, some of you may think it's B/S, but really, it's not. It's just how it comes across, but so far, no B/S. Oh, and sorry it's taken me so long. There's one word for why it has taken me so long: School. Anyways, please R&R. And I don't especially like Dawn either . . . Well, I actually hate Dawn, but I'll try to make her better in the fanfic.
Chapter Five
Coming back down the stairs, Buffy was nearly hyper-ventilating. She walked over to her two worried friends. "You both stay here and see if she comes back, even though it's very unlikely. That was a little thing called hope talking. It's still probably too dangerous to be out on the streets right now."
Willow began to protest. "But what about y--"
"Unless you're the Slayer," Buffy interrupted. "I'll search every street if I have to. It's my fault anyway. I'm the one who told her she couldn't fight and to stay here. If anyone's going to die tonight, it's going to be me. Again."
"Good luck!" Tara called after her.
Buffy ran out the door and to a park Dawn sometimes liked to hang out in. Empty. She then ran to the hospital. Dawn never checked in. Buffy ran to her graveyard. Still no Dawn. She checked a few more places, knowing she wouldn't find Dawn. Buffy walked back to the park and sat on a swing before bursting into tears. "I'm sorry Dawnie. I'm so sorry."
SHE'S STILL OKAY.
"What? W-Where is she?" Buffy asked as she felt a glimmer of hope.
I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SAY. I'VE BEEN GIVEN ONE WORD TO HELP.
"And that would be?"
CRYPT.
Realization struck Buffy across the face. 'No, that's not realization. That's a vampire.' Buffy thought.
She got off the swing and into a fighting stance. "Look. I'm not in the mood. Can't we do this tomorrow?"
The vampire advanced at her, ready to strike once more, but Buffy edged away before it could connect. Buffy threw a fast punch, then a kick, then a punch again, before knocking the vampire off balance. She bent down and twisted it's neck completely off and watched as it became a cloud of dust.
Buffy ran as fast as her body would let her to Spike's crypt and when she got there, the door wouldn't budge. She kicked the door in and screamed her sister's name. "Dawn!"
"Buffy!"
Buffy ran to Dawn, who was in a chair with her hands tied and her feet bound. "Dawn, I'm so sorry. What happened?" Buffy looked around for something to cut the ropes with.
"I waited at home, like you said, and out of no where three of the demons barged into the house and forced me to go with them. I guess they thought this crypt was deserted or something, because Spike hasn't been here at all. They left me here and went back out to probably capture or kill more people. One had the tips of his hair dyed green and back in a ponytail, if that helps."
Buffy recalled that one of the demons she killed fit that description. "Yeah, it does. I killed that one; stabbed it. I guess we don't have anything else to worry about." Buffy found a knife and cut the ropes on Dawn.
"So, I guess this means you'll listen to me from now on. Right?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah. I will. I promise." Buffy hugged her sister tightly.
Dawn smiled broadly. "Good. So. Here's what you have to do. You have to let me go to this really big party this weekend, let me sleep over at Janice's house tomorrow, and let me go shopping with your credit card."
Buffy withdrew from the embrace and stared at Dawn. No, maybe and no, not ever, don't even think about it, it's not happening."
"Hey, it was worth a shot."
"Hello? Breaking and entering is a criminal offense . . . Oh, it's just you, Nibblet. And the bot."
The voice caused both girls to jump, until they noticed who it was.
Dawn cleared her throat. "Uh, Spike. Sorry. There were these demons, and they took me from the house, and they brought me here, tied me up, and . . . you're really not listening."
All Spike was doing was staring at Buffy, at the dress, her hands, her hair. "Buffy?"
"Yeah. It's me. Really me."
"Your hands . . ."
"We were gonna fix them. I don't know how they got like that," Dawn said.
Spike stared Buffy in the eyes with a compassionate look. "I do. Clawed your way out of a coffin, that's how. Isn't that right?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. That's what I had to do."
Spike looked away. "Done it myself."
Spike looked up again and stared at Buffy for a few more moments, causing Buffy to uncomfortably play with her hands, until looking at Dawn. "I guess you'd better go home. I'll walk you if you'd like. Could still be some nasties looking for a party."
Buffy cleared her throat. "No. Really. It's fine. I'm fine. Everything's . . . fine. We can make it alone. Thanks."
By the stare Spike was sending Buffy, she could tell there was nothing anyone could do to keep Spike from coming.
"Fine," Buffy said with an exaggerated sigh.
The three walked out of the crypt and then out of the cemetery. An uncomfortable silence followed them to the Summer's Residence. They paused at the front door.
Buffy glared at Dawn. "Uh . . . Dawn? Can you go on ahead? I kind of need to talk to Spike."
Dawn nodded. "Yeah. Sure. Just come in soon, okay? We've missed you."
"I will. I promise."
When Dawn was gone, Buffy tried to find the reason she had wanted to talk to Spike. Alone. She came up empty, until she remembered how much she had wanted to talk to someone else about . . . everything. The question was, could she? Without the supposed "badness for good and evil"? Thankfully, her answer came.
YEAH. GO AHEAD IF YOU WANT. NOTHING PARTICULARLY BAD WILL HAPPEN.
'What does that mean?' Buffy thought.
NOTHING. JUST DO IT ALREADY. STORY'S GETTING SLOW.
"Um . . . Spike? There's a lot I want to tell you . . . have to tell you. But, I have to warn you that it's all pretty bizarre, and even I think I'm just dreaming, but . . . "
Spike glared at her, making Buffy uneasy and causing Buffy to trail off.
"What? Are you okay?" she asked.
"Oh. Uh . . . yeah. But do you really have to remind me of pain and torment in a hell dimension, luv?"
Buffy sighed. "That's just it. I wasn't . . . When it happened before, at least, I wasn't in hell. I was happy. Wherever I was, I was happy. And complete. I still think I was in Heaven. But my friends . . . Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara . . . they took me out of there. And this whole life . . . I used to think it was hell. But, I found out I can be happy here . . . There. I'm not sure what to call any of this anymore."
"Buffy? Slayer? What are you talking about?" Spike asked with a very worried expression.
"I'm from a year in the future . . . My mind is. Well, not just the future, but another dimension or world. In that world, I had jumped off the tower, and . . . died. But . . . Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya brought me back. Dawn and you . . . They didn't tell you. Either of you about any of it. They thought I had been in a hell dimension, but I had been in Heaven. I had been happy and at peace. I can actually still remember it . . . Bits and pieces because it's kind of hard and everything's still kind of vague . . . But I was in Heaven. Now, a year after that . . . this . . . for me, I went upstairs to bed after a scooby meeting, and in one of the dreams I had, I accidentally made a wish to live it all over again from that time, to live it better. A vengeance demon in that dream dimension granted that wish. I got to crawl out of my grave all over again."
Spike stared hard at Buffy, trying to piece it together, trying to understand, :But . . . When a wish is made and granted in a dream dimension, you can't live it the same. Not exactly the same. What's different?"
'Well . . . Here, my friends didn't bring me back. I was brought back for a higher purpose and by a higher purpose. Or so a certain vengeance demon said. You know her. Well, knew her. She's Halfrek."
"Halfrek? Nope. Sorry, but I don't."
"Oh. Sorry about that. That's the name D'Hoffryn chose for her. You know her by . . . Cecily? She's not British anymore, though."
"W-what? Cecily?"
"The one and only."
NO! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TELL HIM THAT? STUPID GIRL.
'I wouldn't have had to do it if SOMEONE hadn't granted a certain wish I didn't even know about, and caused me to be standing here today. I think the words I'm looking for are along the lines of . . . "pay back." ' Buffy thought.
"Well . . . I must say that hell and torment are sounding great compared to this."
"If you stick around long enough, you'll get to experience hell first hand. Again."