Timeline/Summary: Avoid if you're unspoiled for
*anything* to do with season seven! The only spoilers I think, are the big bad
for s7, and all new characters in season 7.
The Elements Series is set immediately after 'And It Rained…' So you must read
that first! Also, this fic isn't pure Buffy/Spike - Willow/Kennedy,
Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya and hints of Dawn/Andrew are also included. Others
will appear later on too, and I'm open to ANY suggestions to improve the fic!
(though I completely draw the line at B/A or Riley returning - lol)
Distribution: Just let me know
please!
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all the characters, and so does ME, Fox, etc
***
As Kennedy watched Willow breathing softly, she prayed silently for her lover's life. She missed her. It was so painful, just looking but not being able to help her.
Suddenly Willow mumbled something under her breath, and inhaled deeply.
Kennedy frowned and leant forward. "Willow?" She brushed her hair from her eyes. "Can you hear me? Willow…?"
~~
"Can you hear me? Willow…?"
Willow sighed. She wasn't ready to go back out. She knew that as soon as she gave in, as soon as she woke up, she'd feel that pain again. The redheaded witch observed her surroundings.
All she could see was white.
Peaceful.
Calm.
"I could stay here…" She murmured to herself.
"Willow??"
She put her hands over her ears, trying to block out the sound of Kennedy coaxing her back into the real world.
She was safe here.
It wasn't the same back out there. Out there she was lying in hospital, head bleeding and in more pain than she could deal with right now.
A warm, pale hand slipped gently into hers.
"Hey," Willow greeted the hand's owner. "It's not as clean out there as it is in here, you know. Dust. Dirt." She ran a hand through her hair. "It chokes you."
"You have to try. You have to be strong." The voice in her ear persisted.
"Like an amazon," Willow whispered.
"Like an amazon."
"Can't I just stop? Give up? Wave the white flag and take a bow…"
"What happens if the flag is dirty?"
"Wash it."
"With what?"
"Water, silly." Willow smiled.
"What if there's no water?"
Willow frowned.
"There are things you have to deal with," The voice continued. "Things you're needed for."
"Water?"
"More than water. Earth, fire, air. You have to be there."
"You can blow bubbles in water…" Willow murmured.
"Sometimes the bubbles are the problem."
"You don't like bubbles?"
"I don't like problems," Tara squeezed Willow's hand gently.
*******
Buffy finished off her scrambled eggs, stretched her arms out and yawned.
"So…?" Spike asked.
"So…what?" Buffy looked at him.
"Food…?"
"Oh…" Buffy tried to cover the fact that the meal hadn't actually made her insides go crazy. Who knew that Spike, of all people, could cook? That's one for Giles' diaries…
"We'll see whether or not I'm still breathing tomorrow morning."
Spike rolled his eyes, knowing that he wasn't going to get any compliments out of her, and stood up. "You should get some rest, luv. Long day an' all."
Buffy pushed her plate out of the way and put her head in her hands. "Not really wanting to do the sleeping thing at the moment."
Spike questioned her comment with a frown, and sat back down next to her.
"I mean…" Buffy turned to look at him. "Not really wanting to do the dreaming thing. My dreams…" She sighed. "Especially post-apocalyptic dreams…not much fun."
Spike nodded, understandingly. "So…Plan B?"
"I don't know…" Buffy leant back in her chair. "Patrol. Sit. Something…hey, maybe there's a movie on TV…" she murmured. The Slayer slipped her hand into Spike's, and stood up. "Feel like staying up with me? Though you know…if you want."
He squeezed her hand. "Sure, luv." As Spike watched her eyes droop, he wanted more than anything to fight her nightmares for her, cure her pain. "Anything to help…" But for once he was powerless to her demons – all he could do was watch her suffer.
*****
AN: Sigh. Poor Spikey, all not-being-able-to-help-y. Want him to try and help? Review, my dears, review.