Perfect Darkness: Emotion, Emotion, Emotion with just a bit of Angst thrown in to stop it from getting boring.
Cutiepie: No Dawn, I decided early on in the writing of Dead to Runaway' to skip the Glory/Dawn story line, that includes Joyce's brain tumor.
My next quote "Yes and I shall be wearing pink taffeta as chiffon does nothing for my complexion" — Giles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode The Prom'
AN: Ok guys this is a very difficult story to write, I know authors constantly say that they love feedback, and I honestly do love it. Here's where you guys come in to help me. If you've picked up on an event between season 2 and 7 that I didn't touch on let me know and either I'll add it in or let you know why I'm not.
Also Angel went to LA Cordy met up with him there (like in cannon). I have made no decision on what has happened with Anya, Oz and Tara at this stage. Let me know what you think.
Chapter 2
October 1998
Sunnydale California
Exhausted was too weak a word for what Rupert Giles was feeling at the moment. Whilst Buffy had certainly been an energetic yet trying girl, this new Slayer was even more so, Faith his never been what he called unreliable but for her to not even show up tonight was odd and he was worried. He wearily forced himself out of the car and made his way towards his apartment, the sight that he was greeted with at his front door stopped him short.
There were four people outside his front door. One was on the ground the other three standing over whoever was on the ground each of them with a weapon in their hand pointing at them. Walking up to the group he managed to contain the gasp of surprise when he saw Angel sitting there calmly. Not saying anything, nor showing any emotion on his face.
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for Buffy" Faith flinched as the name of one of her predecessors was mentioned.
Willow looked up at Giles confused "If she's not with Angel where is she" the red head turned to the Vampire "Where were you?"
The re-souled Vampire looked up at Willow the pain showing clearly in his eyes "Hell" they slid shut and then opened them again to stare at Giles. "We fought and then and then something happened and I was me again, the demon was pushed back but it was to late she sent me to hell"
Faith wasn't sure what to think about this vampire. She knew what he was but he didn't feel like it, she could sense his soul. Maybe that was what had drawn the infamous Buffy to this Vampire. Standing or sitting there was everything that she fought against and yet he wasn't quite.
It was confusing to say the least.
The Watcher stood there, not exactly sure of what to do next, for a moment he just stared down at Angel trying to discern whether he was telling the truth or not. The Vampire held his gaze unwaveringly. Finally Giles reached a hand out to Angel and hauled him to his feet; it was then that he noticed how thin the Vampire was, from what he knew of Hell dimensions the time moved much faster. Four months here could have been thousands of years there. Who knew what the souled Vampire had suffered and to still come out with his mind intact
It boggled the mind.
As Giles learned the truth about that night back in May he could finally begin to understand why his Slayer was gone.
He could only hope that one day she came back.
Finally the phone at the other end was picked up and Willow's voice echoed through the earpiece.
"Will's" he stopped and took a deep breath before starting his pacing again "I'm at The Magic Box there's a girl don't call me crazy but I think she's Buffy Willow Willow hello" but the only sound coming from the phone was then annoying beeping noise you got when someone hung up on you.
After hearing Xander's words Willow turned her phone off and ran out of the alley calling over her shoulder "Xander found her at the Magic Box" she didn't have to look to know that Giles and Joyce were following her.
Olivia however didn't run, she walked, knowing that this was something that Buffy had to finish herself. Stopping at the coffee shop she ordered a Grande Latte with a shot of Irish cream and sat down to wait it out. She figured that Sunnydale was a small enough town that it would be easy to find them later.
Joyce, Giles and Willow burst through the door's of the Magic Box looking wildly around for Xander and Buffy. The back door to the training area that Faith used opened quietly and Xander stepped out, looking far older and wiser than his age dictated.
Sunnydale, California
January 1999
Angel looked hard at the young man standing in front of him. Anger clear in his eyes, Angel knew there was one thing he could say to make the boy understand, but it was the last thing he wanted to say and Xander was refusing to listen to anything else.
"Would you kill Willow to save the world?"
The Vampire watched as understanding washed over Xander, the young man's shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes at even the thought of losing his best friend.
"No"
"Then you will never truly understand why Buffy ran"
Three months later they had to make a choice. Willow or the box of Gavrox.
They chose Willow
"She's on the couch. We literally ran into each other and she kinda passed out" The contrite and confused look that Xander was giving the three of them cleared Xander from any blame as to the condition of their prodigal friend and daughter.
Joyce pushed passed him and moved to open the door with Willow and Giles following but turned and glared at the two of them so fiercely that they took a step back "It was going fine until you two showed up. Stay away until she comes to you."
The two of them backed away and let Joyce go through the door by herself and just hoped that they would once again have their friend and slayer back.
Closing the door quietly behind her Joyce just stood there and stared at her daughter, little things that she hadn't noticed in the Gallery seemed to jump out at her now. The bruises, extra scars, the exhaustion but the thing that Joyce noticed most of all was the sadness.
The mother watched as her daughter's lips moved slightly and her eyes crinkled round the edges as Buffy slept.
She was dreaming. Joyce had watched her sleep so often and some things never changed no matter how many years had passed.
New York
8th December 2004
It was not a pleasant sight or smell that greeted Anne as she pushed the door to the abandoned warehouse open. She had found this place last night, but it had been crawling with vamps, so she decided to come back the next morning thinking that maybe it was a nest.
Maybe she would find what she was looking for.
But she didn't.
Standing in the middle of the empty building, well not quite empty, there was something or someone there she just had to find them or it.
Closing her eyes she inhaled the air around her and nearly gagged at its putrescence she knew that smell, and knew it well. It was the smell of death, it was what Spike and Dru's warehouse had smelled like. It was what the mansion had smelled like.
Death and human flesh.
She hated that smell; it reminded her of everything she wanted to forget. It reminded her of the person she didn't want to be.
It reminded her of herself.
Looking around the dim light of the early winter day filtered through the high windows and in the corner something caught her eye. Something flashed gold warily stepping forward she kept her eyes trained on the object and as she got closer Anne saw that the object was attached to an ankle. She could now make out a thin gold anklet, there was nothing remarkable about the anklet it was just a simple gold chain. However the body it was attached to
To her eyes it was the body of a child 14 maybe 15 years old, but no child's body should look like it did. A deep red brown pool stained the ground around the girl, she was naked bruises and bite marks marred the body. Just like the other girls, whose bodies Buffy had found she was dead and by the looks of it this was the body she was meant to find tomorrow, each day she found another one and each day it got worse. As she stood over the dead girl she could feel the nausea rise up at the sight of the jagged E carved into her back.
Not wanting to see anymore, Anne turned a walked out of the warehouse and down the block, turning her face up to the sun she forced her eye's to stay open and let the bright sunlight burn its image into her retina. Maybe even burn her ability to see away.
Sometimes seeing was torture enough.
She wished it to all stop, that it would all go away and she could live the rest of her life without knowing what was happening out here.
She feigned ignorance, and whoever said that ignorance is bliss was stupid or insane, either way they were wrong.
Ignorance is the worst thing in the world.
Joyce flinched slightly as her daughter called out in her sleep
"NO"
She took a step forward
"Not again"
Joyce kept moving
"I won't"
Drawn inexorably towards her daughter, she couldn't stop the tears springing to her eyes as she watched the plethora of emotions running over Buffy's face.
Fear
Despair
Sadness
Anger
Hate
But then
Hope
Joyce now stood next to the couch staring down at her only child, the need to have Buffy back in her arms overwhelming her. Turning slightly she sat down on the couch next to Buffy and reached a hand over to lightly push the blond strands of hair away from the young woman's face and tucked safely behind her ear.
"What do you think has been going on for the last two years? How many time have you washed blood out of my clothes and you still don't get it"
"Buffy this is insanity you need help"
"I'm not crazy Mom"
No her daughter wasn't crazy, but she was gone and now that Joyce had Buffy back she wasn't going to let go, even if it meant following her across the country. No way was she going to let her little girl go again.
Joyce watched mesmerized, her lower lip starting to tremble, as Buffy's eyelids started to flutter lightly, she didn't move, just waited for her daughter to open her eyes. A light moan sounded in the room and Buffy snuggled closer to her mother causing Joyce to sob, at the sudden sound Buffy's eyes flew open and adrenaline flowed freely through her body.
Before Buffy could actually move Joyce grabbed her by the shoulders in an attempt to hold her where she was, the blond looked wildly around the room before her eyes settled on her mother. As she opened her mouth to speak Joyce let go of one shoulder and placed a finger over Buffy's lips and spoke before Buffy had a chance to.
"You listen to me" Joyce whispered holding Buffy's gaze "It doesn't matter, not anymore" she removed her finger from Buffy's lips "It's not your fault, and I still love you"
Buffy tried to tear her gaze away from her mothers but couldn't, her eyes slid shut once twice tears welled and overflowed as Joyce pulled her into another tight embrace.
"Make a wish!"
"I think I'm just going to let it burn"
Slowly Buffy wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, but after a few minutes she pulled back again.
"You probably have a lot of questions" she gave a water smile.
"Some" Joyce patted Buffy on the thigh getting her to move "I mean, you go missing for six years" Joyce settled back against the couch "It would be nice to know what you were up to in that time"
"Well" Buffy leaned back against the armrest of the couch wrapping both arms around her knees wincing slightly when the movement tugged at the stitches in her chest "I'm not married, I don't have any kids, I work in a bar and I'm going to NYU as a psych major. I graduate next May"
Joyce looked down at her hands fiddling with the rings that adorned her fingers "You're not staying then"
"Maybe one day" Buffy shrugged, trying to keep her voice indifferent. "But not yet."
Silence descended over the room, and for the first time Buffy took a moment to really look around. On the surface it was a training room, pommel horse, punching bag, weapons hanging up on the wall. Dummy and targets were carefully scattered about the room.
It was then that it hit Buffy this was her training room.
Kendra's replacement.
If the girl had survived that long than she was a better slayer than either her or Kendra had ever been. Buffy had lasted 2 years before she died Kendra only 1.
Silver Springs, Maryland
March 1999
The 18-year-old blond winced as she felt yet another palm connecting with her rear end. She hated working in these roadside diners, the money wasn't the best but she needed to live somehow.
Pushing down the urge to flatten him she turned round and offered a coy smile at the group of men sitting around the table.
"What can I get you boys?"
She may have sent Angel to hell, but she was living in hell on earth.
The front door to the Magic Box crashed open, startling each of the current occupants out of their serious thoughts.
Seeing their long faces Faith let an easy grin slide across her face. "Who died?" taking a second glance at them, and seeing the anger and resentment simmering just below the surface of Xander's face, the confusion of Willow's and the hope shining in Giles' entire face Faith came to the only conclusion she could.
"She's back isn't she?"