A hammering on her hotel room door awakened Buffy Summers from a badly
needed sleep. The last few days had been a strain on all of them, from the
hospital stays for Wood and two of the Potentials.no, not Potential
Slayers, Slayers in their own right. The memorial service for Anya and
others lost in the disaster that was Sunnydale's last hours. And already,
the press had started hounding the survivors for the movie and television
rights to 'their story'.
"Ghaah, what is it?" She asked, just as she opened the door. "Sleep for a week, remember?"
Two small, strong hands grabbed Buffy's forearm and yanked her out into the hallway.
"Buffy, you gotta come, you gotta see this!!!" Dawn Summers nearly shrieked at her older 'sister', "Xander's room, it's on T.V.!!!" 'Huh?', Buffy thought.
"Xander's room is on the tube?" Buffy asked, confused as all get out, as Dawn tugged her into the doorway to her friends room.
"NO! Just LOOK!" She yelled, pointing at the screen, where coverage of the National Guard and Red Cross efforts to rescue anyone still in the crater where Sunnydale once stood was going into it's third night.
"Where rescue workers feared that no-one could have survived the collapse of the Californian town of Sunnydale into the massive sinkhole that swallowed nearly twelve square miles of homes and businesses, a miracle has occurred. One survivor, a young man suffering severe injuries, has been found by rescue workers early tonight." A hispanic news reporter proclaimed, amidst rescue efforts.
Buffy's throat closed up, it couldn't possibly be, there's no way he could have survived three whole days of sunlight, he had already started to combust when she ran up the stairs.
"The young man, apparently of British origin, possibly an exchange student at UC-Sunnydale or a musician at the former local nightclub, the Bronze, was found suffering from what doctors describe as severe burns, dehydration, and rubble induced injuries. Until his identity can be verified and family members contacted, his name is being withheld from the press. However, John, " She said, looking into the camera, presumably at the anchor in the studio, "We have received word he is being airlifted to the trauma unit at UCLA Medical. Back to you, John!" The television switched images back to the main studio, and Buffy's knees gave out. Xander grabbed her in time, and she fell down into a sitting position on the bed. Her eyes were wide, and almost glassy-looking.
"Uh, Buffy? Buffster? Oh crap, she's gone catatonic, just like when Glory snatched Dawn. Dawnie, grab Willow from Kennedy's room and get her in here!" Xander said.
"He's alive? Spike?" Buffy whispered.
"Uh, cancel that, Dawn, she's still here, thank god."
Dawn looked from Buffy to Xander, then back to the T.V. Giddy to frightened in three seconds flat, she thought to herself, judging her sister's reaction. A single tear ran down Buffy's face, then another. Then, a shudder ran through the elder Summers sister, and she grabbed Dawn and pulled her into a bruising-tight hug and began sobbing into Dawn's shoulder. Xander gaped at Buffy's reaction, then walked towards the door as the two began crying tears of obvious relief on each other.
"He's alive, Dawnie, Spike's alive!"
Xander quietly closed the door behind him, holding himself just this side of freaked. Not just about the possible identity of the person they pulled out of the crater, but at Buffy's reaction to it. I mean, c'mon, he knew Buffy was fond of the Evil Undead Peroxide Fiend, but this? That wasn't the reaction of someone who just found out a friend was alive when feared dead, that was.. how he imagined that Buffy would react if Angel, the supposed 'love of her life', was found after being presumed dead. He needed Willow and Giles in on this. Maybe they could figure out what was going on.
"Ghaah, what is it?" She asked, just as she opened the door. "Sleep for a week, remember?"
Two small, strong hands grabbed Buffy's forearm and yanked her out into the hallway.
"Buffy, you gotta come, you gotta see this!!!" Dawn Summers nearly shrieked at her older 'sister', "Xander's room, it's on T.V.!!!" 'Huh?', Buffy thought.
"Xander's room is on the tube?" Buffy asked, confused as all get out, as Dawn tugged her into the doorway to her friends room.
"NO! Just LOOK!" She yelled, pointing at the screen, where coverage of the National Guard and Red Cross efforts to rescue anyone still in the crater where Sunnydale once stood was going into it's third night.
"Where rescue workers feared that no-one could have survived the collapse of the Californian town of Sunnydale into the massive sinkhole that swallowed nearly twelve square miles of homes and businesses, a miracle has occurred. One survivor, a young man suffering severe injuries, has been found by rescue workers early tonight." A hispanic news reporter proclaimed, amidst rescue efforts.
Buffy's throat closed up, it couldn't possibly be, there's no way he could have survived three whole days of sunlight, he had already started to combust when she ran up the stairs.
"The young man, apparently of British origin, possibly an exchange student at UC-Sunnydale or a musician at the former local nightclub, the Bronze, was found suffering from what doctors describe as severe burns, dehydration, and rubble induced injuries. Until his identity can be verified and family members contacted, his name is being withheld from the press. However, John, " She said, looking into the camera, presumably at the anchor in the studio, "We have received word he is being airlifted to the trauma unit at UCLA Medical. Back to you, John!" The television switched images back to the main studio, and Buffy's knees gave out. Xander grabbed her in time, and she fell down into a sitting position on the bed. Her eyes were wide, and almost glassy-looking.
"Uh, Buffy? Buffster? Oh crap, she's gone catatonic, just like when Glory snatched Dawn. Dawnie, grab Willow from Kennedy's room and get her in here!" Xander said.
"He's alive? Spike?" Buffy whispered.
"Uh, cancel that, Dawn, she's still here, thank god."
Dawn looked from Buffy to Xander, then back to the T.V. Giddy to frightened in three seconds flat, she thought to herself, judging her sister's reaction. A single tear ran down Buffy's face, then another. Then, a shudder ran through the elder Summers sister, and she grabbed Dawn and pulled her into a bruising-tight hug and began sobbing into Dawn's shoulder. Xander gaped at Buffy's reaction, then walked towards the door as the two began crying tears of obvious relief on each other.
"He's alive, Dawnie, Spike's alive!"
Xander quietly closed the door behind him, holding himself just this side of freaked. Not just about the possible identity of the person they pulled out of the crater, but at Buffy's reaction to it. I mean, c'mon, he knew Buffy was fond of the Evil Undead Peroxide Fiend, but this? That wasn't the reaction of someone who just found out a friend was alive when feared dead, that was.. how he imagined that Buffy would react if Angel, the supposed 'love of her life', was found after being presumed dead. He needed Willow and Giles in on this. Maybe they could figure out what was going on.