CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: CHOICES
"This isn't about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes, not when it's army is ready. Now. Tomorrow morning, I'm opening the seal. I'm going down into the hellmouth and I am finishing this once and for all. Right now you're asking yourself what makes this different. What makes us anything more than a bunch of girls being picked off one-by-one? It's true. None of you have the power that Faith and I do. So here's the part where you make a choice."
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Evening fell, and Buffy found herself once again on the front porch. Instead of Connor joining her this time though, it was Angel. He sat himself down beside her and gently took a hold of her hand.
"That was a pretty big leap of faith you took today," he commented quietly.
She gave him a shaky smile. "You know me, jumping into things with both feet."
"It's a good thing Buffy," he assured her. "Your idea…for what it's worth, I agree with Giles. It's bloody brilliant."
Buffy laughed a little at the British expletive coming from Angel's mouth. S he sighed and leant her head against his shoulder, grateful that the most important person in her world agreed with her idea. She'd stewed over it for hours after the First's visit with her early that morning, and announcing it to the group at large had been one of the scariest things she'd ever done, especially considering how they'd taken her extreme suggestions before.
"Do you think Willow can pull it off?" she asked.
"From what you told me about how far she's come, then yeah. You're right, you know. She is more powerful than the men who made up the rules however many eons ago," he said.
The front door opened, and the lovers turned to see who had intruded on their solitude. Dawn flushed red and gave them an apologetic smile.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Giles needs to talk to Buffy for a minute," Dawn said.
Buffy sighed and reluctantly stood up. She bent down and quickly kissed Angel, momentarily feeling as though all was right in the world. She ruffled his hair as she walked back up the stairs, despite his protests.
When the door closed, Connor stepped out of the shadows and sat beside Angel.
"You still haven't told her," Connor accused him.
Angel reached into his jacket pocket and took hold of the amulet that he'd taken from Wolfram and Hart. He didn't know exactly what it did. Something to do with it having a 'purifying power' or a 'cleansing power' (or something to do with 'scrubbing bubbles'…it didn't translate well.) He turned it over in his hands, wondering what it truly did.
"I don't plan to either," he admitted.
"Dad," Connor began, a note of warning in his voice. "You know she'd want to know."
"And you know she wouldn't let me risk it," Angel replied calmly. "She understands risk and sacrifice better than anyone I know, she's done it herself, but…when it comes to people she loves trying to do it, she tends to not understand it so well."
"Why don't you let me wear it?" Connor asked, holding out his hand for the amulet even though he knew that Angel would never relinquish it to him. "I fit the criteria for it, right?"
"There is no way that I'm letting you wear it," Angel said, growling slightly.
Connor smirked. Angel really needed to practice what he preached.
"She won't be happy about it," Connor cautioned him.
Angel sighed and replaced the amulet in his duster.
"I know. But maybe she'll be able to understand. And if anything happens…" he trailed off, not really certain how to finish his sentence.
"I'll take care of her," Connor promised.
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"Potentials in the basement, follow Faith and Spike," Buffy instructed.
"If you have to go to the bathroom, it's to your left," Xander said. "If you don't have to go to the bathroom, picture what you're about to face. Better to go now."
The Potentials marched off, leaving Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Anya, Spike, Angel, Connor, Andrew and Kennedy.
"Willow, the principal's office is down that way, it's right over the seal," Buffy explained.
Willow nodded and handed her bag of supplies to Kennedy. "I'll go set up," the last remaining Potential said, moving down the hallway.
"Alright, that leaves us," Buffy said, looking at the Scoobies. "If the vamps get upstairs, there's three places that they're likely to go. Down the hall in the atrium, through the north hall here, and the primary target, through the lounge, straight to the science building."
"Teams of two then," Giles said. He looked over the remaining fighters. "I suggest that Anya and I take the lounge."
Anya looked startled, not having expected to be teamed up with Giles. She nodded her agreement, and grabbed some weapons, moving towards the lounge to check out what sort of space they would have to fight in.
"Xander, I want you with Dawn," Buffy said.
Xander nodded. "Sure thing Buff."
"I'll go check out the atrium," Dawn said, moving away from the group.
Connor looked at Andrew, dismayed by his fighting partner.
"That leaves me and the hostage in the north hall," Connor said.
"We will defend it with our very lives," Andrew said.
Connor rolled his eyes.
"I just want to say, how proud I am to-"
Connor cut Andrew off before he could get anywhere into the speech. He grabbed the other boy by the arm and pushed him towards the north hall. He hesitated and grabbed Buffy into a tight hug.
"Stay safe," he whispered.
"I love you," she replied, her voice quite and full of tears. She hated that the son she barely knew was going to be fighting for his life in just a few moments, but she had faith in him. She knew he was more than capable in a fight, and she had every confidence in him.
Connor pulled back, quickly gave Angel a manly hug and moved down to the north hall.
Dawn approached Buffy, a bag of weapons slung over her shoulder. "I'm going to check out our field of engagement."
She turned before Buffy could even reply. Buffy hurried after her, calling her sister's name. Dawn turned back and shook her head.
"No. Anything you say is gonna sound like goodbye," Dawn explained, before turning once more and heading towards the atrium. Buffy watched until her sister disappeared around the corner.
She turned back to her friends, Giles, Willow, Xander and Angel. The original Scoobies.
They stood in reflective silence for a moment, each of them realising the weight of what they were about to do. They'd never done anything as daring as this. Like Buffy had said earlier in the year, they'd always waited for the fight to be brought to them. This time, it was different, and they knew that there was a chance that they wouldn't walk out of the building alive.
"So…what do you guys wanna do tomorrow?"
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Buffy, Spike, Angel and the Potentials looked down over the edge of the cliff that they stood atop of, staring down at the hundreds of thousands of Turokhans that were below.
"I'm not worried." The casual phrase might have held more power if Buffy's voice hadn't been wavering with fear.
"Really?" Rona asked sarcastically. "Cos I'm flashing back to Xander's whole bathroom speech."
"Buffy?" Amanda asked quietly.
"I'm not worried. As long as Willow can work her spell before they-" almost as one, the entire fleet of Turokhans all twisted their heads to look up at the group of trespassers "see us."
The army of Turokhans began racing up the walls, clambering over each other to get a taste of human flesh.
"C'mon Willow," Buffy whispered frantically.
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Directly above where Buffy was frantically praying to the Higher Powers, Willow was doing much the same thing. A rush of power burst through her, and she felt something akin to orgasmic bliss at the heat that raced through her veins.
"Oh. My. Goddess."
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"So here's the part where you make a choice. What if you could have that power? Now? In every generation, one Slayer is born because a bunch of man who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman is more powerful than all of them combined." Willow whimpered a little at the force of Buffy's proclamation. "So I say we change the rule. I say my power should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer, will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power, will have the power. Can stand up, will stand up. Slayers. Every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?"
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"You are a goddess."
"And you're a Slayer."
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Feedback is much appreciated thank you!!! You guys are fully awesome!
Oooo, fave quote from 'Chosen':
Giles: I used to be a highly respected Watcher. Now I'm a wounded dwarf with the mystical strength of a doily.