Title: The White Lady

Author: Blaze

Person: Cordelia

E-mail: [cordy2k@aol.com]

Date completed: 9th December 2001

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Willow, or Xander. I don't own the legend of The White Lady either; I just used it for this story. I don't know who owns it.

This fic was written as part of an even called "The Hyperion Tales" that
took place on the mailing list "4_BA_FANS".

The White Lady

I breathed a sigh of relief after Spike had finished his story. Sure I thought it was good but the guys a vampire and one without a soul, which makes it just ridiculous that he's so in love with Buffy. Oh yeah it's so obvious he loves the blond Slayer the way he looks at her but he could so, never be a match for Angel, Buffy's eyes light up every time she steals a nervous glance at Angel. But if that bitch hurts him I'll kick her arse slayer powers or no. I know the feeling of unrequited love just like Spike so I know how he feels. Yeah this is Queen C finally admitting I loved Xander, I loved him so much and he cheated on me with the skank Willow, who turned out to be lesbian, figures. I remember when I first developed a crush on Xander, it was at camp and we were ten. I can feel the smile coming on to my lips but quickly stop it spreading. Xander hurt me so much, but he was so sweet on the camping trip. I only really remembered a few years ago what really happened after coming down with serious denial as so many other people do after having a supernatural experience.

No one seemed to be offering to go next so to get it over with, I think I'll go.

"Okay, I'll go next," I sneered to make people think I really didn't want to go, being my typical self.

"Okay, this really happened, about ten years ago our grade went on a camping trip to Sunnydale woods. We were all hanging around the camp fire with this creepy teacher called Mrs Grey, she was new and taught the year below us. She shushed us and sat us around the fire and started telling us this really gruesome story which was so totally inappropriate for kids our age. So the story was about this woman.."

.=0O0=.

The 'White Lady' is a story known very well around Sunnydale; all who know about her mourn her loss but fear her. The legend is about a woman titled the white lady for her ghostly form, she wanders Sunnydale woods looking for her lover and wanting her children. She was a normal everyday woman at one time when one day she arrived home to find her children and husband missing. The house was a mess, indicating there had been a struggle. She ran out the door and heard a child's cry of 'no' rush past her in the wind. The lady panicked and ran to the sound, but when she found the person who the voice belonged to her heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest. In the middle of the forest stood her husband with a crazed look in his eye holding one of their children, a girl around the age of ten was held in his arms crying hysterically.

"Mommy, help me," she cried and the Lady's eyes watered.

"What's going on?" She asked her husband.

His eyes glinted with anger; "You can't take them. I won't let you."

His voice sounded strained and evil nothing like the loving husband she had talked to that morning. He raised the knife and pierced the child's throat causing blood to splutter from her neck. He dropped the body to the floor and picked up the boy who seemed just a little bit younger than the girl.

The lady couldn't move she had to watch as he murdered the little boy as well. Her eyes were wide in shock and she had stopped breathing. As she saw the lifeless body drop to the ground she immediately threw up.

"Why?" she choked.

He seemed to have calmed down and his eyes shone with confusion, he looked at his hands that were covered in blood the to the ground where his children lay with their faces contorted in pain.

"No," he whispered. "I.I didn't. I though you were.and him.then this thing..I could stop my self," he rambled.

He seemed like a little child so vulnerable. He moved the knife up to his throat and sliced his neck as he had the others.

The White Lady stood staring at the scene with horror carved into her features, her body was frozen still.

Regaining her composure she took off in the direction of her house running like the wind, halfway home she bumped into an invisible barrier. There was nothing there, she saw a ripple in the air in front of her then a form appeared she couldn't quite see what it was since her vision was impaired due to her tear filled eyes.

"You will make a lovely meal, as did you husband," the creature spoke but not in a voice that would come from a human being.

Still in shock from what had happened to her family she couldn't run the creature reached around and picked her up. Its sharp claw cut across her throat and her soul slipped from her body. The creature pulled her to it and on it's stomach she could see all his victims pain filled faces her soul almost reached the monster, when she heard a faint cry "Mommy." The White Lady turned and saw the pale outline of her daughter and began to fight against the demon.

Her soul escaped the reach of the demon and she began to move in the direction of her daughter's form, but as she got close the little girl giggled like little girls do and ran into the forest.

The monster cried in pain at the loss of his meal and faded out in a grey mist.

Since that day the White Lady had been seen wandering the forest looking for her loved ones, no one had made contact with her until ten years ago.

.=0O0=.

"That is impossible Cordelia, how could you know that in so much detail?" Wesley questioned.

Cordelia growled in frustration and swiped her fallen hair behind her ears.

"I just know, now no more interruptions," she scowled at Wesley then turned away from him and continued her story.

"As I was saying, no one had made contact with her until ten years ago."

.=0O0=.

The campsite at Sunnydale Forrest was full of energetic ten-year-olds. At this time of year it was traditional that all the children from saint Marks school all went on a camping trip. The wind whistled through the trees, sounding like a dog howling. Some kids joked it was the White Ladies cry for her child.

On one side of the camp was a group of six children, four boys and two girls.

Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Jesse, James and Mike were all friends, well except from Cordelia she pretended not to like them but Willow knew the truth.

Cordelia scowled as Xander pushed her for calling him a looser.

"You'll pay for that Alexander Lavelle Harris," Cordelia bellowed out and chased after the scrawny boy.

The offending boy ran all around the site then headed back to where they stood previously and hid behind his best friend Willow.

"You are such a wimp," She accused.

"Am not," Xander protested.

"Are too," Cordelia stated.

"Am not,"

"Are too,"

"Am not,"

While the two children where fighting Mike, James and Jesse had left because they knew that an argument between the two could last for hours.

"Are too,"

"Am not,"

"Are not," Cordelia, said.

"Am too," Xander said a little louder than the others.

Cordelia stood there hands on her hips and smirked, while Xander realised what he said and hit his head with the palm of his hand.

"You're the wimp and I can prove it," Xander told her.

"I am not, I'm braver than you," Cordelia protested then pulled her tongue out.

"Prove it, I dare you to go into the woods after everyone gone to bed and stay there till daylight."

Cordelia looked visible frightened, but hid it as soon as possible. She was going to take the dare no matter how scared she was; she wouldn't loose to Xander.

"Okay, I'll go tonight, but you have to go tomorrow."

"Deal," Xander agreed and spat on his had then offered it to Cordelia.

She took it hesitantly after spitting on her own. Then pulled it back quickly and rubbed her hand on Willows sleeve.

The camp counsellor shouted out that it was time to go to bed so Xander went to the boys' side and the girls went to theirs.

.=0O0=.

An hour later Cordelia crawled out of her sleeping bag and left her tent cautiously ignoring any protest from Willow.

She pulled her backpack onto her shoulders and headed out into the forest.

.=0O0=.

Willow attempted to go to sleep, but she was racked with guilt. She wanted to tell someone but she knew Cordelia would get in trouble and didn't want that.

She put her clothes on and went over to Xander's tent and woke him up and beckoned him out side.

"What do you want Willow?"

"Were going after Cordelia," Willow said with that look on her face that Xander knew not to question.

He nodded his head and went back in his tent to put on warmer clothes. Willow had planned ahead and put food and flashlights in her bag.

.=0O0=.

Cordelia had been in the woods for an hour when she found the spot where the murders had occurred and sat on a log. She shivered, and suddenly felt frightened.

She didn't know why she'd let Xander talk her into this; she should have learned her lesson after the time he'd dared her to let the frogs loose in biology. She'd blamed it on him of course but she still had to deal with being surrounded by frogs.

A slight wind picked up around her and she pulled her coat tighter around her to protect herself from it.

A figure appeared in the distance a woman in an old fashioned white dress, with a sad expression on her face.

The woman seemed to only realise Cordelia was there when Cordelia gasped.

"Daughter!" the woman spoke and her voice carried in the wind.

Cordelia shook her head, no.

"I finally found you," the woman spoke.

Cordelia stood up and stepped backwards over the log.

"No," the woman shouted anger blazing in her ghostly eyes.

The woman was next to Cordelia in an instant and grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the middle of the clearing and a fire roared up in the center. She sat Cordelia down on the floor and touched her on both shoulders causing her clothes to change into an old style dress. She couldn't stand up and her legs had gone numb.

.=0O0=.

Willow and Xander had made it into the part of the woods Cordelia should have been in but couldn't see her. They knew she would only stay around the edges no one had the nerve to go into the middle.

Willow looked into the clearing and saw a fire burning and two people there; she tugged on Xander's sleeve and pointed to the fire.

They started to walk over to the fire to see if the people had seen their friend. When they got closer they noticed that is was in fact Cordelia sitting at the fire but some woman was holding her.

Cordelia noticed Willow and Xander "Help," she yelled to them with such fear in her voice it chilled Xander to the bone.

Xander and Willow took off to the fire Xander in front. Willow felt a presence behind her and turned her head to glance but she felt something connect with her skull and darkness engulfed her eyes.

Xander hadn't noticed her fall so he carried on to Cordelia he pushed the now solid White Lady out of the way and grabbed Cordelia and began to drag her.

The White Lady stood after the fall and looked at Xander with murderous eyes. She advanced on him and a bloody dagger appeared in her hand.

Xander tripped and landed next to Cordelia, "You will join me," the lady whispered.

She raised her arm and brought it down but before it could hit Cordelia Xander threw himself over Cordelia's body but the dagger never found its target.

An old looking gentleman stood behind them chanting in a funny language that made the woman fade and disappear.

"You are at piece now," the man said then walked over in the direction Xander had run from where a black girl was fighting a monster.

Cordelia's legs were freed and she could move Xander stood up and stretched out his hand to Cordelia who took it and pulled herself up.

.=0O0=.

We got Willow and went straight back to camp we forgot all about it except this weird feeling when ever I though of it.

I looked at Xander and I could tell he remembered the in-between bits of him helping me up and us getting Willow. Remembering that moment almost makes me forgive him, he smiles at me, a warm smile that used to make me melt inside but now I don't, I don't love him anymore but I'm glad we had that time together.

And when he helped me up he kissed me on the cheek and we hugged, I felt so special.

I sit down now letting someone else have his or her turn, something the Queen C of Sunnydale would have never done, I really have changed and I like it.

The End