Rating : PG-13, Rating may Change
Spoilers : Everything up to and including "Chosen".
Disclaimer : My shrink says I should be over the fact that I don't own BtVS by next century… I say she's an optimist.
Summary : The First is gone… or is it?
Feedback : Constructive criticism is always appreciated! This is for your enjoyment.
Only the Beginning
By:
Jaded Starlight
Chapter Two"Hello
I am your mind giving you someone to talk to
Hello."
-Evanescence
They had left Andrew asleep were he was, and the three retired to bed. The watcher lay awake, contemplating. He had never been one for philosophy, but tonight it seemed to be the only subject on his mind. Where were they supposed to go from here? He knew long ago that his services would eventually become useless. He had even left to assume his place in the real world, the one without vampires and demons but lawyers and politicians, though the differences were slim. He had once believed that his place was back in England, and his situation in California was a temporary go-between. Now England felt a world away and Sunnydale had become his home. Not the town itself, the people he had grown attached to. Now that his purpose had been served, he felt utterly useless. He wasn't needed. A significant part of his life had ended. His reason for being was completed. What now? Seven years he had watched Buffy, Xander and Willow. He'd watched them grow, change and mature… and in the case of Willow, try to destroy the world. She didn't need his help now. She was in control of herself. Xander… well, he almost laughed to himself. The only thing he had to offer was a sense of humor and knowledge of every military film ever created, and yet, he was indispensable. And Buffy… he had taken her from a cheerleader to a hero. She didn't need his advice or guidance, which was his ultimate goal a year ago. Now that she had achieved complete independence, he missed being needed. She had proved herself through the incident with Spike and Wood. That had caused a huge rift between them, but he realized that she wasn't a child anymore. Where did that leave him? Alone.
Dawn paced the empty halls of the hospital where the remaining survivors slept. She, however, could not seem to achieve rest. They had all been through so much… in the actual three years she had been with them. She used to complain about her abnormal lifestyle, how she hated he position as the slayer's little sister. Now she craved the oddity of her old life. These people had become her family. What was going to happen to them? She wasn't ready to let them go. She quietly approached the door to the room where her sister had been resting. She turned the knob silently and opened the door just enough for her to squeeze through without making any noise. Buffy was asleep, a small smile on her face curled up against the blond vampire who had a look of pure contentment on his features. It was a relief to see her sister happy. Buffy really hadn't found solace since… had she ever, really? She seemed happy with Riley, but even Dawn could tell that something was missing. It was ironic how two people who tried to kill each other were now each other's sanctuary. She felt a spark of happiness for Spike. He had been the only one who understood her through the entire Glory fiasco. He really loved Buffy. She would never condone the attempted rape of her sister, but she would accept the change in him. He really was a new man; the existence of his soul was evident in his actions. He had atoned in her eyes, for his past actions. That was a different man. The one holding on to her sister would go to the ends of the earth for her. He already had. Contented, she left them to sleep and wandered back to her room.
Xander sat in a cheap hospital chair, his head in his hand choking on his sobs, careful not to wake anyone or draw any attention to his room. He should have married her when he had the chance, he thought. It seemed all too customary for someone close to him to die each year. Sure, he knew that there was always a chance that he'd loose her, but he never took it seriously. He never believed that she could die. The only person that he'd ever intimately loved was lying dead beneath the rubble of his hometown.
"Honey… why are you crying?"
It couldn't be. But it was. Anya was standing there, walking toward him. She looked unharmed and beautiful as he could ever remember.
"Anya…"
"I'm here, sweetie." She smiled.
"But how… how did you make it?"
"Do you mean me?" She said, "Or me?"
Xander froze in horror as Anya's form shifted into Spike. "It's you!" was all he managed.
It laughed. "Congratulations, mate."
Then, it hit him. "Anya… she's…"
"Dead?" It smiled. "She was easy. Gone in one quick slice."
"Get out." Xander said in a low, dangerous tone.
It laughed. "Whatever you say, mate. Just came by to give the lady a message."
"She's not interested."
It shifted from Spike into Buffy. "Tell her thanks."
"…for what?"
It smiled. "For setting me free."
