Fury by SLynn
It is hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.
Sally Kempton
Notes: I could write a book full of excuses on why this hasn't been completed yet. We'll attribute it to massive writers block and a hectic life. Okay, really I have no excuses. Forgive me?
Chapter 9: Begin Again
Buffy looked intently at Xander not sure of his meaning. 'She's already here,' echoed in her head. Without realizing it she took a few steps back. That was enough to bring him back to himself.
"No Buffy, I don't mean…"
She continued to stare, to search his face for a change. She looked into his eyes and saw none. He was himself, so what did he mean?
There was no time to find out.
The front door, which Giles had been very near to while still on the phone with Willow, had been literally thrown open. Exploded was a more correct description. Giles, more startled then hurt. Before he could react, before any of them could react, Giles found himself lifted and pushed to the wall by some force. Buffy and Xander faced similar situations.
For a moment there was silence and then she walked in. Constance had returned.
She stood unmoving in the doorway. Her
skin was gray and slack. Her eyes still
pale blue seemed sharper, colder. Her
long dark hair was now stringy; clumps were missing exposing her scalp and in
sections her skull. Her fingernails were
long and jagged, as if she'd clawed her way out of the grave. Even her clothes were tattered and
stained. Constance
had indeed returned from the dead.
They all looked at her with in evident shock.
"What's wrong?" she asked ever smiling, this time with broken and yellow teeth, "Don't you recognize me?"
No one said anything.
Giles was aghast. Nearest to Constance he saw her closest and had received the full effect of her new look.
Buffy was shocked but mostly angry. The only feelings she could manage were all hate and rage.
Xander was surprisingly composed. He'd known what to expect, he'd seen and felt it now for some time. But still he was afraid, he would lose that fear.
"Sorry I missed the witches. I was hoping to find you all together. It would be easier on me, but maybe this is better."
"Wh…"
Giles had begun to speak, to perhaps ask 'what' or 'why' but never got it out. His voice was lost in a gasp. Constance had not moved an inch towards him, hadn't even looked his way. In fact, since entering she hadn't once taken her eyes off of Xander.
"Let's hold all questions till the end, okay? Good."
She continued advancing into the room, observing slow and methodical. Xander knew she was coming to him. It was unavoidable.
"I knew I had to act quick. I've waited and waited. So long for this."
She was in front of him; her face was inches from his. He suddenly found his composure slipping and Xander could no longer look at her. She smelt like death.
"Do you know where they sent me? What it's like there?"
Her voice was rising and with it her temper. Xander had no voice to answer her and knew that she didn't require one.
Slowly she put her hand to his chin and pulled his face down, forcing him to look her in the eyes. She held his gaze for a moment, needing to see that he was indeed still very much afraid.
"But," she said releasing him and stepping back, "we'll have lots of time to go over that."
Constance moved to the center of the room, her attitude dramatically and suddenly different.
"Well, are you ready?" she said brightly clapping her hands together and for the first time taking notice of Buffy and Giles as well.
"Oh," she started, looking down at her hands, "no wonder you didn't recognize me. This we can fix."
They all watched as Constance began to 'heal' herself. Her skin began to regain color. Scars and cuts mended. Hair regenerated. Everything about her returned to as it was in a matter of moments.
"I've learned a few new tricks since the last time we met," a comment clearly aimed at Giles.
"So," she said with sitting down in the nearest chair, her face aglow with her signature smile, "what kind of game should we play now?"
****
The last thing Willow heard on the line was a small explosion. She thought there had been yelling, maybe even screaming but she couldn't be certain. It had been hard to follow Giles before, he had been agitated. Now, the line was dead and Willow felt the same.
"What's wrong?" Tara asked for the second time growing impatient.
"I'm not sure. Giles was…" Willow trailed off as if suddenly her mistake became clear.
She had a guess. It was only that, but still. All she knew beyond a doubt was that her friends were in trouble.
"Sweetie?" Tara asked.
"I think I've really messed up."
Tara stood shocked. Willow was definitely not herself, and worse she couldn't get out of her why.
"We need to get to Giles', but we have to be careful," she finally said standing and beginning to look around the room as if the answer would be before her.
"What's happened?" Tara asked with more force then she'd ever managed, "What did he say? Willow, what's going on?"
Willow stopped cold. Determined now. Resolved now to face it.
"Constance."
****
The room now felt small. It was the largest in Giles' apartment, but now it felt cramped with the four of them. Constance had seemingly drifted off, as if in a trance after having spoken last. She looked at the floor and hadn't moved.
It was odd and unnerving, but it had given Giles and Buffy a chance to notice that they weren't completely bound. Whatever it was that held them to the wall did not prevent them from making small movements.
As suddenly as she had stopped talking, Constance began again.
"I don't know why I even bother asking," she said standing and continuing as if she had never stopped, "it's not like I'm giving you a choice here."
"Xander and I are leaving now," she continued as she walked towards him. He suddenly felt that whatever had held him in place was no longer there and he staggered a bit against the change.
"Neither of you are going to do a thing," she said turning her back to Xander and mainly addressing Giles, "and I mean that. Not a solitaire thing. Not leave this apartment, not even order a pizza until…"
With her back turned Xander had not been idle. She'd trusted too much in his fear 'of her' to count out his fear of 'returning to her'. In three quick steps Xander had picked up nearest lamp with his good arm and swung it at the back of Constance's head. But if she had discounted his fear, he had discounted her awareness.
Constance stopped mid-sentence and wheeled on Xander. She grabbed his arm before he could bring it down on her and shook her head with a smile.
"I didn't want to do this in front of everyone," she purred, "but you really didn't leave me any other choice."
Constance's free hand filled with light, bright and intense. The lights in the room began to buzz and flicker. In one quick motion she brought the hand to his chest and the force sent him back to the wall with a scream. Buffy felt tears come to her eyes and tried to turn away. The impact had been so strong Xander was now on the floor and the window that separated them had cracked.
"I thought I'd taught you better then that," Constance laughed as she now stood over him. Grapping him by the shirt she pulled him to his feet, "are we going to have to start over?"
"Go back to hell."
Constance looked at him with a fire slowly building behind her eyes. She seemed to be searching his thoughts. Reading his emotions.
"You don't want to come with me? I'm hurt." She said with false concern, "I guess, if I had too, I could just take some one else with me. Would that be better?"
She saw what she wanted from him, all that concern and care behind his eyes that read her intentions.
"No," he said quickly, "I'll go."
Buffy tried to speak but found she couldn't. Giles was in the same situation.
"Are you sure?" Constance asked slowly, looking significantly towards Buffy. "Because if you can't play along…"
"I'll go and…" his voice trailed off, knowing what she wanted to hear but not certain he could say it.
"And?" she smiled.
"…I'll do what you want," he finished.
****
A/N: Shorter chapter then usual. I really wanted to just get something down to get me writing more. Let me know what you think.