Fray Episode 21: The Return
Blood poured from open eye sockets and down pale cheeks. It pooled on the floor around rotting flesh. Fray gasped, this was what had become of her lover, nothing more than a corpse. But how can a corpse bleed? Fray asked herself.
Suddenly the body moved and Fray jumped back. It peeled itself off the wall that it had been leaning against, leaving rotting skin and clothing stuck to it "You let me die," Hunter said, his voice horse. "You could have been with me forever. I can't believe you let me die again. Once was bad enough but you killed me again. You should be cursed."
Suddenly something cool hit Fray's forehead and she was jerked back into reality. "Son of a Bitch," Fray yelled, shooting up in bed.
Even before her eyes could focus on the world a strong hand was on Fray's shoulder guiding her back down to the pillow. "Calm down," Kennedy said softly, wiping the cloth once more across Fray's forehead. "You've been tossing all night and gave yourself a fever."
"I don't want to wake again. I just want to sleep. I still see him."
"I know," Kennedy said, letting the cloth fall in a pan beside Fray's bed. "You kept calling out his name. Were they nightmares?"
"Some," Fray admitted. "But most of them were good. I was with him and we were happy. He was alive and well."
Fray's throat tightened and she couldn't go on. Kennedy smiled and let her hand rest on the younger woman's arm. "You did it though," Kennedy said. "You saved us all and brought the scythe back."
"Was it worth it?" Fray asked. "When I go back home I really don't have anything left. Right before Hunter was killed, I remembered everything. It washed over me like a wave. To the people in my time I'm nothing more than a tool. When I get there they'll put me at the head of an army and that will be it. I won't ever love again or have friends again. I will be a machine, a warrior. I will live and I will die."
"You'll be a slayer," Kennedy said.
Fray smiled. "May death come on swift wings."
Suddenly the door slammed open and Dawn stood in the doorway, her breathing labored. "I think you'd better come see this," She said.
Kennedy helped Fray out of bed and the three girls made their way across the living room and into Willow's bedroom. The Wicca was sitting on the foot of her bed, having a conversation with a blue circle floating in the air. "What the." Kennedy said, sliding onto the bed beside her girlfriend.
She looked into the circle and a smile spread across her lips. "Hunter?"
Fray made a move towards the circle but fell; her legs to week to propel her. Dawn helped her up and Kennedy and Fray made room for her on the bed. "Hunter?" Fray asked, echoing Kennedy's sentiment.
"Fray," Hunter breathed. "I'm so glad you're alright. Your Watcher told me that you were facing the gauntlet."
"You're alive."
Hunter smiled and pulled back his shirt. A thin row of stitches ran across his chest. "A little sore but nothing more."
Fray shook her head. "This has to be a dream," Fray said. "How can my dead boyfriend suddenly be in a floating circle above my bed? Is this another test?"
Hunter's eyes became serious. "It's no test," he said. "A Shielder can not be brought back from another time by natural means. Apparently for a Shielder to be reactivated in our time he has to be killed. He can't exist in any way. They were almost ready to unplug me. Let me go, when I woke up. I don't know what happened but one second I was in the Hellmouth and now I'm here."
Fray smiled and she briefly thought about attempting to dive through the circle. "So I guess I've got something to come home too."
Hunter smiled. "Whenever you're ready, go to bed with the scythe. When you wake up you'll be home."
"Alright," Fray said.
Hunter suddenly looked tired. "I've got to go. Being killed kind of zapped my energy and I can't keep up the magick for long. I'll see you when you get back. I love you Fray."
"I love you too."
With that the circle disappeared. Fray suddenly noticed that her face was wet and her vision blurred. Tears ran down her face and off her chin. "What's wrong?" Willow asked, wrapping her arms around Fray.
"I'm just happy," Fray said.
Dawn smiled. "We have to have a party for you. You can't just leave without saying goodbye."
"If you insist," Fray said, jokingly throwing the girl a glare.
"I do," Dawn said.
The BRONZE 2 had been transformed for the party. It was full of all the members of the Coven. A band had been chosen, strobe and laser lights bounced off the walls, and the bar flowed freely, with sodas that is. Fray moved through the crowd receiving pats on the back, hugs, kisses, and words of encouragement. Some of the goodbyes were tearful, some were neutral. Faith even gave Fray a hug and turned away, but not before the Fader saw a single tear rolling down her cheek. Finally, late into the night, only a core group was left, sitting in the balcony above on cushioned chairs. Dawn, Buffy, Andrew, Xander, Faith, Wood, Giles, Kennedy, and Fray sat talking.
"I didn't know what to think when I first saw you." Xander mused. "I think the first think I said to myself was that you were only a kid. I changed that opinion pretty quickly."
"Why?" Fray asked.
"Well," Xander smiled. "I don't consider anyone that can kick my ass a kid."
"There aren't many kids in your life are there?" Dawn barbed.
Xander reached over to tickle her but Dawn pulled back in time. Fray smiled as she watched the two. "What are you going to remember most about New Sunnydale?" Buffy asked.
"This," Fray said. "This is the first time that I've been with you all and I haven't had to worry about some new danger. I know what to expect when I get home now and I don't think I'm scared. Sure, I'm sad. I've grown to love every single one of you. It was totally thanks to Dawn that I hooked up with Hunter, Willow's my idol, always keeping a cool head in bad situations. Buffy's the one that I will someday follow and I just hope that I can be half the Slayer she is. Kenney's like my sister, she's always been there for me. Xander's my own personal ray of sunshine, there to cheer me up when I'm feeling down. Faith keeps me grounded, lets me know that this is real and though but show's me how to get through it. And Andrew with his quirky cult references always knows how to compare the most obscure things and make me understand them. And of course Robin, for helping me survive High School, even if it was only for a few days."
Fray turned to Giles. "And for the Watcher who rises above all, there are so many things you could teach me. I wish we had more time."
Giles smiled and patted Fray's hand. "I wish we did too."
All the others nodded, sharing his sentiment.
"I really don't want to say goodbye," Fray said, slightly surprised that her throat didn't tighten. "But I think this is it. I've learned something from all of you and because of that I'll live better and longer. Thank you all so much."
The group stood and hugged, sharing one last tearful goodbye. Fray, Kennedy, Buffy, Dawn, and Willow all walked home in silence. "Hey," Kennedy said, breaking the silence when they reached the apartment. "When you get back, look us up in a history book. I'd love to know what we all did. I'd rather you know."
"Don't worry," Fray said. "I will."
The lights were out in the apartment. Kennedy's sobs could be heard by every set of ears in the house and were normally echoed at some point during the night. No one knew what to expect in the morning but when Willow woke up she opened the door to what had once been Fray's bedroom. The bed was made, the curtains open, the scythe gone. Fray had never been there. Willow let a final tear fall. Fray was gone, she could feel it in her soul. But she would never be forgotten. The Fader would impact them all in unimaginable ways.
Blood poured from open eye sockets and down pale cheeks. It pooled on the floor around rotting flesh. Fray gasped, this was what had become of her lover, nothing more than a corpse. But how can a corpse bleed? Fray asked herself.
Suddenly the body moved and Fray jumped back. It peeled itself off the wall that it had been leaning against, leaving rotting skin and clothing stuck to it "You let me die," Hunter said, his voice horse. "You could have been with me forever. I can't believe you let me die again. Once was bad enough but you killed me again. You should be cursed."
Suddenly something cool hit Fray's forehead and she was jerked back into reality. "Son of a Bitch," Fray yelled, shooting up in bed.
Even before her eyes could focus on the world a strong hand was on Fray's shoulder guiding her back down to the pillow. "Calm down," Kennedy said softly, wiping the cloth once more across Fray's forehead. "You've been tossing all night and gave yourself a fever."
"I don't want to wake again. I just want to sleep. I still see him."
"I know," Kennedy said, letting the cloth fall in a pan beside Fray's bed. "You kept calling out his name. Were they nightmares?"
"Some," Fray admitted. "But most of them were good. I was with him and we were happy. He was alive and well."
Fray's throat tightened and she couldn't go on. Kennedy smiled and let her hand rest on the younger woman's arm. "You did it though," Kennedy said. "You saved us all and brought the scythe back."
"Was it worth it?" Fray asked. "When I go back home I really don't have anything left. Right before Hunter was killed, I remembered everything. It washed over me like a wave. To the people in my time I'm nothing more than a tool. When I get there they'll put me at the head of an army and that will be it. I won't ever love again or have friends again. I will be a machine, a warrior. I will live and I will die."
"You'll be a slayer," Kennedy said.
Fray smiled. "May death come on swift wings."
Suddenly the door slammed open and Dawn stood in the doorway, her breathing labored. "I think you'd better come see this," She said.
Kennedy helped Fray out of bed and the three girls made their way across the living room and into Willow's bedroom. The Wicca was sitting on the foot of her bed, having a conversation with a blue circle floating in the air. "What the." Kennedy said, sliding onto the bed beside her girlfriend.
She looked into the circle and a smile spread across her lips. "Hunter?"
Fray made a move towards the circle but fell; her legs to week to propel her. Dawn helped her up and Kennedy and Fray made room for her on the bed. "Hunter?" Fray asked, echoing Kennedy's sentiment.
"Fray," Hunter breathed. "I'm so glad you're alright. Your Watcher told me that you were facing the gauntlet."
"You're alive."
Hunter smiled and pulled back his shirt. A thin row of stitches ran across his chest. "A little sore but nothing more."
Fray shook her head. "This has to be a dream," Fray said. "How can my dead boyfriend suddenly be in a floating circle above my bed? Is this another test?"
Hunter's eyes became serious. "It's no test," he said. "A Shielder can not be brought back from another time by natural means. Apparently for a Shielder to be reactivated in our time he has to be killed. He can't exist in any way. They were almost ready to unplug me. Let me go, when I woke up. I don't know what happened but one second I was in the Hellmouth and now I'm here."
Fray smiled and she briefly thought about attempting to dive through the circle. "So I guess I've got something to come home too."
Hunter smiled. "Whenever you're ready, go to bed with the scythe. When you wake up you'll be home."
"Alright," Fray said.
Hunter suddenly looked tired. "I've got to go. Being killed kind of zapped my energy and I can't keep up the magick for long. I'll see you when you get back. I love you Fray."
"I love you too."
With that the circle disappeared. Fray suddenly noticed that her face was wet and her vision blurred. Tears ran down her face and off her chin. "What's wrong?" Willow asked, wrapping her arms around Fray.
"I'm just happy," Fray said.
Dawn smiled. "We have to have a party for you. You can't just leave without saying goodbye."
"If you insist," Fray said, jokingly throwing the girl a glare.
"I do," Dawn said.
The BRONZE 2 had been transformed for the party. It was full of all the members of the Coven. A band had been chosen, strobe and laser lights bounced off the walls, and the bar flowed freely, with sodas that is. Fray moved through the crowd receiving pats on the back, hugs, kisses, and words of encouragement. Some of the goodbyes were tearful, some were neutral. Faith even gave Fray a hug and turned away, but not before the Fader saw a single tear rolling down her cheek. Finally, late into the night, only a core group was left, sitting in the balcony above on cushioned chairs. Dawn, Buffy, Andrew, Xander, Faith, Wood, Giles, Kennedy, and Fray sat talking.
"I didn't know what to think when I first saw you." Xander mused. "I think the first think I said to myself was that you were only a kid. I changed that opinion pretty quickly."
"Why?" Fray asked.
"Well," Xander smiled. "I don't consider anyone that can kick my ass a kid."
"There aren't many kids in your life are there?" Dawn barbed.
Xander reached over to tickle her but Dawn pulled back in time. Fray smiled as she watched the two. "What are you going to remember most about New Sunnydale?" Buffy asked.
"This," Fray said. "This is the first time that I've been with you all and I haven't had to worry about some new danger. I know what to expect when I get home now and I don't think I'm scared. Sure, I'm sad. I've grown to love every single one of you. It was totally thanks to Dawn that I hooked up with Hunter, Willow's my idol, always keeping a cool head in bad situations. Buffy's the one that I will someday follow and I just hope that I can be half the Slayer she is. Kenney's like my sister, she's always been there for me. Xander's my own personal ray of sunshine, there to cheer me up when I'm feeling down. Faith keeps me grounded, lets me know that this is real and though but show's me how to get through it. And Andrew with his quirky cult references always knows how to compare the most obscure things and make me understand them. And of course Robin, for helping me survive High School, even if it was only for a few days."
Fray turned to Giles. "And for the Watcher who rises above all, there are so many things you could teach me. I wish we had more time."
Giles smiled and patted Fray's hand. "I wish we did too."
All the others nodded, sharing his sentiment.
"I really don't want to say goodbye," Fray said, slightly surprised that her throat didn't tighten. "But I think this is it. I've learned something from all of you and because of that I'll live better and longer. Thank you all so much."
The group stood and hugged, sharing one last tearful goodbye. Fray, Kennedy, Buffy, Dawn, and Willow all walked home in silence. "Hey," Kennedy said, breaking the silence when they reached the apartment. "When you get back, look us up in a history book. I'd love to know what we all did. I'd rather you know."
"Don't worry," Fray said. "I will."
The lights were out in the apartment. Kennedy's sobs could be heard by every set of ears in the house and were normally echoed at some point during the night. No one knew what to expect in the morning but when Willow woke up she opened the door to what had once been Fray's bedroom. The bed was made, the curtains open, the scythe gone. Fray had never been there. Willow let a final tear fall. Fray was gone, she could feel it in her soul. But she would never be forgotten. The Fader would impact them all in unimaginable ways.