______________Resurrection - Chapter 5b
The body of the slayer lay openly in the coffin. She had been buried not much
over a fortnight, but none of those present had expected her to look like this.
They had expected decay, disfigurement; destruction in any form. And that was
what had made Willow scream; made it almost worse when they lifted back the lid
to see only Buffy as she had always been, but for two things. Firstly, her skin
was flushed, the blood close to its surface. This was in traumatic contrast to
the greys, greens or blues they had expected. Secondly; and more upsetting
still, the expression on her face. Her mouth hung open in horror and vacancy,
and her eyes too were open. Gone was any sparkle or life they had had. they
stared out, dull, gaping holes of pupils surrounded by paler-than-pale irises.
The eyeball itself was bloodshot and rolled slightly upwards. Together they made
a distressing sight; the fear and unhappiness conveyed within them piercing
through the emotional guards her friends had put up to prepare themselves.
Willow fell to the coffin. She took Buffy's hand in hers and wept
loudly, and unreservedly. Xander too found himself in a river of tears. He went
to hug Willow, but saw he could not break into her sorrow. Desperately upset he
turned and did the only thing that made sense at the time.flung his arms around
Spike and bawled into his shoulder. Had he been conscious enough of his action,
he would have been surprised by Spike's response, which was to reciprocate his
movements, clinging to Xander's torso and allowing his own tears to drop onto
the boy's clothing. Just for a second, Spike's instincts sensed the blood
pulsing through Xander's jugular, faster and more heated than usual. He felt the
urge to pierce the taut skin and drink, there and then.but as he opened his eyes
he saw once more the corpse and coffin, and felt, with a painful jolt, as if
those tormented and empty eyes were staring into the very centre of his being.
He howled in despair and hatred, anger and.something else. It might have been
love.
Only Giles did not cry. He just stood, looking utterly blank. He
stared as Willow stroked Buffy's lank hair and sobbed over the body. He stared
at Xander and Spike crying together. He could not let himself feel.they had to
take her back.now.
Eventually, Xander felt he could not cry any longer. He felt too,
although not in any way of compensation for his grief, that to cling to Spike
any longer would be verging on.well, the side of things that was best left to
Willow and Tara.
He let go of Spike, who turned his back on everyone and fumbled for
a cigarette. Xander stooped and put an arm across Willow's shoulders. She looked
up at him, and then back at Buffy. She folded Buffy's hands across her chest,
and then chided herself for thinking it made a difference.
They carried Buffy back to the warehouse, slowly and carefully. They
carried it through to another room, a windowless and lockable space well down
the corridor.
When they came back, sitting together in the living room, Willow
said only one thing.
'Well.at least no-one saw us.'
But she couldn't have been more wrong.
_______
The body of the slayer lay openly in the coffin. She had been buried not much
over a fortnight, but none of those present had expected her to look like this.
They had expected decay, disfigurement; destruction in any form. And that was
what had made Willow scream; made it almost worse when they lifted back the lid
to see only Buffy as she had always been, but for two things. Firstly, her skin
was flushed, the blood close to its surface. This was in traumatic contrast to
the greys, greens or blues they had expected. Secondly; and more upsetting
still, the expression on her face. Her mouth hung open in horror and vacancy,
and her eyes too were open. Gone was any sparkle or life they had had. they
stared out, dull, gaping holes of pupils surrounded by paler-than-pale irises.
The eyeball itself was bloodshot and rolled slightly upwards. Together they made
a distressing sight; the fear and unhappiness conveyed within them piercing
through the emotional guards her friends had put up to prepare themselves.
Willow fell to the coffin. She took Buffy's hand in hers and wept
loudly, and unreservedly. Xander too found himself in a river of tears. He went
to hug Willow, but saw he could not break into her sorrow. Desperately upset he
turned and did the only thing that made sense at the time.flung his arms around
Spike and bawled into his shoulder. Had he been conscious enough of his action,
he would have been surprised by Spike's response, which was to reciprocate his
movements, clinging to Xander's torso and allowing his own tears to drop onto
the boy's clothing. Just for a second, Spike's instincts sensed the blood
pulsing through Xander's jugular, faster and more heated than usual. He felt the
urge to pierce the taut skin and drink, there and then.but as he opened his eyes
he saw once more the corpse and coffin, and felt, with a painful jolt, as if
those tormented and empty eyes were staring into the very centre of his being.
He howled in despair and hatred, anger and.something else. It might have been
love.
Only Giles did not cry. He just stood, looking utterly blank. He
stared as Willow stroked Buffy's lank hair and sobbed over the body. He stared
at Xander and Spike crying together. He could not let himself feel.they had to
take her back.now.
Eventually, Xander felt he could not cry any longer. He felt too,
although not in any way of compensation for his grief, that to cling to Spike
any longer would be verging on.well, the side of things that was best left to
Willow and Tara.
He let go of Spike, who turned his back on everyone and fumbled for
a cigarette. Xander stooped and put an arm across Willow's shoulders. She looked
up at him, and then back at Buffy. She folded Buffy's hands across her chest,
and then chided herself for thinking it made a difference.
They carried Buffy back to the warehouse, slowly and carefully. They
carried it through to another room, a windowless and lockable space well down
the corridor.
When they came back, sitting together in the living room, Willow
said only one thing.
'Well.at least no-one saw us.'
But she couldn't have been more wrong.
_______