A/N: Woo. Chapter 4. Once again I'm greatly sorry about the wait! School
has been a bitch =) I hope I didn't lose you folks!
Thank ya'll greatly for the continued reviews! It means a lot. I should have really sat down and finished this fic during the summer, for now, with the new Angel season running, it doesn't have the same "effect" - if you will. But then again, not everyone has seen Angel yet, so I'll just be shutting up now.
Anyways. One or two more chapters and I'll be wrapping it up. I love writing and I love the feedback, but it'll be a relief to finish. So sit back and enjoy! And remember to review now.
~~~~~~
She didn't know how long she'd been there, pressed against the public bathroom door, on the cold glossy floor, drowning in her sobs, alone.
From what she gathered, she figured it was at least an hour now. More maybe. But then again, she wasn't a very good judge of time.
It was all blended together lately. An endless cycle of pain.
For a moment, she had almost forgotten where she was.
Surely some annoyed visitor would have gotten security to pry open the door by now, wailing and ranting about the rude manner of people these days - how they'd be holding up the restrooms for hours upon hours.
Then again; it was a large hospital. Plenty of bathrooms to go around for everyone. No wonder she had been left in peace.
Not that those who were in the building in the first place had the bathroom on the top of their 'to do' lists.
No one in the right mind would be fusing over the lavatories. Not here. Defiantly not now.
Buffy snorted back a sad chuckle, wondering if, or more so hoping that, Angel had found a way to weasel out of here by now.
Though it was safe to bet that he was out there. Just beyond the door. Waiting for her to come out and run back into his arms lovingly.
Ha.
Maybe back then, it could have happened. But now. Now it was different.
With a heavy sigh, Buffy found the will to push herself upright into a stand. Quickly running a hand through her hair and splashing her face with some cold water, she headed to the door.
The lock clicked open and the classic hospital smells rushed past her, followed by the sights.
The hallways and nearby waiting rooms were mostly empty - a few hospital personal and visitors rushing here and there.
All were too busy or too worried over what not to pay much attention to the broken women coming out of the ladies room after so long.
The sun was lower in the sky now, indicating the late afternoon. It set a reddish orange glow to the otherwise colorless area.
It was quiet - the distant rhythmic beat of heart rating machines and clocks ticking blending into the silence.
Buffy sighed; her eyes sweeping high and low for any signs of Angel. Or the others.
She swallowed, hard. She didn't think she would be able to face any of them now. The questions. The looks. The memories.
All she wanted was to be alone.
When she confirmed there was indeed no one around, Buffy wasn't sure whether she should have been totally relieved or somewhat upset.
There was just no emotion left.
~~~~~~
Well, she *almost* made it. The glass doors leading out into the busy Los Angelus streets - into freedom of this cursed place - were calling from a mere 5 feet off.
But moments after stepping out of the elevator and taking three steps forward, a strong yet gentle hand dripped her shoulder.
Buffy's mind and blood raced instinctively, and she had to remind herself there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.
She forced a smile and turned around, expecting to face a cheery nurse or a lost visitor, but instead-
"Dawn! My god."
And like that the sisters were lost in an embrace. Unlike the one with Angel, Buffy was participating as well.
"About time you came outta there."
Buffy smiled grimly and pulled her sister back, stroking a lock of hair out of her hair as she took in her appearance.
"Spying on me?"
"Only a little."
Dawn giggled, and Buffy smiled. Neither had their hearts in it.
"How are ya, Dawnie."
Full big sister role was now in effect.
"Oh, peachy."
There was that classic big sister look.
"No. Really. I'm fine. Not a scratch on me."
Another smile. "Dawn. I meant, really."
Dawn looked away, her eyes landing on a pair of empty chairs by the wall.
"Let's sit down. We're blocking the doors."
The younger Summers smiled; her sister having almost read her mind. Nothing surprised her anymore. Why should it?
"I'm fine, Buff. Really." She continued strongly once they were seated; but her voice held concern. "What about you?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Oh, you know. Same old."
And more silence, neither knowing how to bring up the subject that was on both their minds.
"Did you talk with Angel?"
Buffy would have rolled her eyes, but the will to do so was gone.
"Define 'talk'?"
Dawn smiled, looking up finally, meeting her sister's gaze. Both their eyes held wariness. Exhaustion. Sadness.
"Dawn, I-"
"He saved us, didn't he?" She cut Buffy off before a self-guilt lecture was lined out.
Well. There went the direct approach. "Yes. He did." Both of them knew as much.
"I miss him." Dawn tipped her head, not sure where to go from there.
"Yea."
There was nothing more to say.
~~~~~~
The road was dusty. The sun was strong. The sky was endless.
It was hot. Dry. Dead.
Nothing but a mere desert really. One did not notice it before - with the streets and the houses and the stores.
It looked just like any old town.
But really. Really it was a load of nothing.
Now that it all laid in a crater the size of a couple of football fields-
It was nothing.
And a lone being dragged himself up the walls of this nothing.
Out of the hole he did not dig.
Out, back to her.
~~~~~~
They had sat like that for some time. Half an hour had passed in comfortable silence before Buffy spoke out.
"Dawn. I have to go away for a few hours."
That got her to look up.
"Why?"
Buffy sighed. "There's something I need to do."
Dawn nodded. "Alright. I'll be fine."
When Buffy said nothing, she urged on.
"Where you going?"
Teenagers. Never happy with a simple answer.
"To say 'good-bye.'"
~~~~~~
Thank ya'll greatly for the continued reviews! It means a lot. I should have really sat down and finished this fic during the summer, for now, with the new Angel season running, it doesn't have the same "effect" - if you will. But then again, not everyone has seen Angel yet, so I'll just be shutting up now.
Anyways. One or two more chapters and I'll be wrapping it up. I love writing and I love the feedback, but it'll be a relief to finish. So sit back and enjoy! And remember to review now.
~~~~~~
She didn't know how long she'd been there, pressed against the public bathroom door, on the cold glossy floor, drowning in her sobs, alone.
From what she gathered, she figured it was at least an hour now. More maybe. But then again, she wasn't a very good judge of time.
It was all blended together lately. An endless cycle of pain.
For a moment, she had almost forgotten where she was.
Surely some annoyed visitor would have gotten security to pry open the door by now, wailing and ranting about the rude manner of people these days - how they'd be holding up the restrooms for hours upon hours.
Then again; it was a large hospital. Plenty of bathrooms to go around for everyone. No wonder she had been left in peace.
Not that those who were in the building in the first place had the bathroom on the top of their 'to do' lists.
No one in the right mind would be fusing over the lavatories. Not here. Defiantly not now.
Buffy snorted back a sad chuckle, wondering if, or more so hoping that, Angel had found a way to weasel out of here by now.
Though it was safe to bet that he was out there. Just beyond the door. Waiting for her to come out and run back into his arms lovingly.
Ha.
Maybe back then, it could have happened. But now. Now it was different.
With a heavy sigh, Buffy found the will to push herself upright into a stand. Quickly running a hand through her hair and splashing her face with some cold water, she headed to the door.
The lock clicked open and the classic hospital smells rushed past her, followed by the sights.
The hallways and nearby waiting rooms were mostly empty - a few hospital personal and visitors rushing here and there.
All were too busy or too worried over what not to pay much attention to the broken women coming out of the ladies room after so long.
The sun was lower in the sky now, indicating the late afternoon. It set a reddish orange glow to the otherwise colorless area.
It was quiet - the distant rhythmic beat of heart rating machines and clocks ticking blending into the silence.
Buffy sighed; her eyes sweeping high and low for any signs of Angel. Or the others.
She swallowed, hard. She didn't think she would be able to face any of them now. The questions. The looks. The memories.
All she wanted was to be alone.
When she confirmed there was indeed no one around, Buffy wasn't sure whether she should have been totally relieved or somewhat upset.
There was just no emotion left.
~~~~~~
Well, she *almost* made it. The glass doors leading out into the busy Los Angelus streets - into freedom of this cursed place - were calling from a mere 5 feet off.
But moments after stepping out of the elevator and taking three steps forward, a strong yet gentle hand dripped her shoulder.
Buffy's mind and blood raced instinctively, and she had to remind herself there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.
She forced a smile and turned around, expecting to face a cheery nurse or a lost visitor, but instead-
"Dawn! My god."
And like that the sisters were lost in an embrace. Unlike the one with Angel, Buffy was participating as well.
"About time you came outta there."
Buffy smiled grimly and pulled her sister back, stroking a lock of hair out of her hair as she took in her appearance.
"Spying on me?"
"Only a little."
Dawn giggled, and Buffy smiled. Neither had their hearts in it.
"How are ya, Dawnie."
Full big sister role was now in effect.
"Oh, peachy."
There was that classic big sister look.
"No. Really. I'm fine. Not a scratch on me."
Another smile. "Dawn. I meant, really."
Dawn looked away, her eyes landing on a pair of empty chairs by the wall.
"Let's sit down. We're blocking the doors."
The younger Summers smiled; her sister having almost read her mind. Nothing surprised her anymore. Why should it?
"I'm fine, Buff. Really." She continued strongly once they were seated; but her voice held concern. "What about you?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Oh, you know. Same old."
And more silence, neither knowing how to bring up the subject that was on both their minds.
"Did you talk with Angel?"
Buffy would have rolled her eyes, but the will to do so was gone.
"Define 'talk'?"
Dawn smiled, looking up finally, meeting her sister's gaze. Both their eyes held wariness. Exhaustion. Sadness.
"Dawn, I-"
"He saved us, didn't he?" She cut Buffy off before a self-guilt lecture was lined out.
Well. There went the direct approach. "Yes. He did." Both of them knew as much.
"I miss him." Dawn tipped her head, not sure where to go from there.
"Yea."
There was nothing more to say.
~~~~~~
The road was dusty. The sun was strong. The sky was endless.
It was hot. Dry. Dead.
Nothing but a mere desert really. One did not notice it before - with the streets and the houses and the stores.
It looked just like any old town.
But really. Really it was a load of nothing.
Now that it all laid in a crater the size of a couple of football fields-
It was nothing.
And a lone being dragged himself up the walls of this nothing.
Out of the hole he did not dig.
Out, back to her.
~~~~~~
They had sat like that for some time. Half an hour had passed in comfortable silence before Buffy spoke out.
"Dawn. I have to go away for a few hours."
That got her to look up.
"Why?"
Buffy sighed. "There's something I need to do."
Dawn nodded. "Alright. I'll be fine."
When Buffy said nothing, she urged on.
"Where you going?"
Teenagers. Never happy with a simple answer.
"To say 'good-bye.'"
~~~~~~