The thunder continued to roll and the lightning struck out for an instant before being swallowed by the darkness. A tall, dark shadow slowly moved across and up the street towards Revello Drive and the chaos therewith. Rain fell unmercifully, large drops beating fiercely on the black pavement, water flooding everything, threatening to carry away anything in it's path. Still the shadow headed for it's destination and the house of the slayer. The world was certainly dark and the hope of a new day had long ago faded as the sky remained black and the rain refused to let up. The air, thick with doom, embraced the shadow as if it belonged with the terrific surroundings, was a part of the horror that had captured the town of Sunnydale.
The door to the slayer's house came into view and the shadow crept up the stairs with a defiance before quietly rapping on the door three times. After a moment of watching the dreariness around him, the shadow was welcomed by a soft light through the opening door.
Willow stared at the sight in front of her before mumbling a quick come in. The tall figure stepped inside. He was drenched through and began to drip on the polished wood beneath his feet, which now hardly made a difference and certainly raised no cry of alarm for the already soaked floor.
The two made their brief way to the living room where Tara sat on the arm of the armchair holding a sleeping Dawn. The shadow removed his duster, now heavy with rain, and nodded in greeting to Tara who stood and stared in awe.
So you're Angel.
Spike cursed into the storm! Of all the bloody days in his life and unlife, this was the worst!
Give her back! Spike cried as he splashed through a large puddle in the middle of a street somewhere. Give her back!
The rain fell uncaring on his upraised face and slid down his cheekbones, his neck , soaked body. Emotions exploded inside him, ravaged him! Flashes of anger and hate rose heatedly in his eyes then they were covered with sorrow and worry. The overwhelming urge to vomit was accompanied by stinging pains of guilt and madness, neither of which the vampire was entirely sure of. All he knew was that one minute he felt alarmingly powerful, could feel the slayer's blood rushing through his veins strengthening him. The next minute he was drooped over, the guilt weighing him down.
Spike stumbled and fell to his knees in the pool of water that drowned the streets. Gritting his teeth he pushed himself up and kept running. Where to he was unsure, but he knew wherever it was it was important.
Angel pushed the door open slowly. Buffy's room was still the same as the last time he had seen it so long ago, except for the candles that were now lit around the the room. The tiny flames formed dancing shadows across the walls. Buffy was laid on her bed, her arms gently resting on her stomach. Her hair glistened in the candlelight and her skin seemed to glow. The slayer had been dead for many hours, but she was more beautiful than Angel remembered her to ever be.
Angel stared at the floor for a moment before hesitantly making his way to the bed. Silently he stood over her, watching her. The way her lips curled together into a tiny half smile made her look peaceful and asleep rather than just dead. For a moment he hoped. The moment didn't seem long enough and grief overcame him. Suddenly, the vampire scooped the slayer into his arms and sat on the edge of the bed with her held tightly against his now heaving chest. At that moment he knew nothing but grief and despair. Burying his face in Buffy's soft hair, Angel wept.
The rolling thunder and roar of the rain pounding against the windows echoed in the dark living room. Willow stood at the base of the stairs, her arms crossed anxiously over her breasts. Every now and then she would glance at Tara still sitting on the armchair, gently caressing Dawnie's face, then look back up the stairs awaiting Angel's descent.
Y-You think he needs me? Maybe I laid her out wrong and he's angry with me. M-Maybe I shouldn't have laid her out like that. I should have covered her. Willow's throat felt dry.
Tara looked at her lover and frowned in sympathy. Oh, sweetie, you did a beautiful job. I'm sure he's just talking a moment to be with her alone. Everything's fine.
A tear ran down Willow's cheek and her voice broke, No it's not! Everything is not okay! There's a major magical storm threatening to drown Sunnydale, my best friend the slayer is dead, my other best friend whom I have known my whole life is dead, there's a vampire on the loose that could or could not have killed Buffy, there's another vampire in Buffy's room just sitting there, I can't get the power to work, poor Dawnie is so utterly exhausted she can't stay awake for more than two seconds---everything is definitely not okay! Willow suddenly found herself gasping for air as she began to hyperventilate.
Tara quickly stood up and moved over to hold Willow in her arms. Shhhh. It's okay, baby. Everything will work out. Tara gently stroked the young witch's hair and kissed the top of her head reassuringly. It's okay. Everything will be okay. Tara tried to comfort Willow.
Willow closed her eyes and began to breath deeply to regain control over herself. A silent click forced her to pull away from Tara and look up at the top of the stairs. Angel stood still at the top looking quietly on the girls below. His eyes were red and puffy, the only sign that he had been crying.
Slowly the two girl's separated and Willow started up the stairs to the vampire. In seconds she had him wrapped in her arms, her face hiding in his chest. For a moment the two friends stood holding each other in sorrow, the house pleading for life to return to it's now eerie interior.
I'm so sorry. Angel whispered, his voice threatening to break with another word. He hesitated and swallowed before continuing. I should have been here. This is all my fault.
Willow held onto her friend but pulled her face away to look up at him, her face was streaked with new tears. This isn't your fault, she replied in shock. None of this is your fault, Angel.
Yes it is. I left him with her--I trusted him. Angel shook his head in disappointment.
It's this storm! It's unnatural---magical! Spike would never hurt Buffy! Willow tried to reassure herself more than the vampire. It did something to him! it had to!
Angel looked down and placed his hands on Willow's arms gently pulling them away from his waist. Letting go, he turned and walked back down the hall he had come from before. Willow looked down the stairs anxiously at the waiting Tara before following. This time they passed by Buffy's room and went into her mother's. Willow stayed a step behind Angel as he entered the room. She couldn't bring herself to look at anymore death.
The room was lit with candles as Buffy's had been, the same shadows danced on the walls. Xander was laid on the bed in the same manner as Buffy, his arms instead lying limp at his sides. His lips, however, were not curled into a smile and his skin was very pale. The large gash on his head had stopped bleeding but was still red enough to contrast greatly to his ghastly countenance. He simply looked dead.
Angel sighed heavily, turned, and walked past Willow to leave the room. Willow glanced at Xander for only a second before sadly turning away and following Angel downstairs. The silence was beginning to get to her and she took a deep breath in order to keep herself from panicking like she had a few moments ago. Quietly the two made their way down the stairs, Willow into the waiting arms of Tara.
Angel stopped in the living room to watch the slayer's baby sister sleep. The blanket Tara had covered her with had fallen off her shoulders and Angel lovingly pulled the cover up to Dawn's sweet face. Almost as an afterthought, the vampire bent over and softly kissed the sleeping girl on the forehead.
Willow watched in awe as Angel showed so much love and attention to a girl he barely knew. She understood though. Dawn was all any of them had left to connect them to Buffy. She carried the slayer's blood and, therefore, was in essence the slayer herself. Willow knew Dawn could never do the things her sister had, but she was slayer family just the same.
Tara took a step towards Angel then stopped almost scared of him. I know you want to be here with Dawn, and I completely understand! But shouldn't you be out looking for Spike? I mean maybe Willow is right and there is some magical power that is making him do all this. Who's to say it won't make him do it again?
Willow grasped Tara's arm in surprise and froze in the silence watching the vampire.
You're right. but are you sure it was him? Angel hoped it wasn't the case, but deep inside something told him it had been.
We don't know for sure what happened. We never saw it, Xander did. That's why he called you. We figure if Spike did... Willow trailed off and swallowed before trying again, Xander would never have been able to catch him. He thought maybe you could.
He told me to kill Spike, but he never said why. Glancing towards the stairs, Angel was unsure if he should be mad at this point or sympathetic. So many emotions rushed through him. It was so confusing!
Tara decided to try and make her point while everybody was calm. Maybe we shouldn't rush into things. I doubt killing Spike which bring any of us much satisfaction. We should know the facts before taking action.
He killed Buffy! Killing him would bring me a lot of satisfaction! Angel growled and blinked at his sudden outburst.
I know. Tara tried to remain calm. With such a strange situation, somebody had to keep their cool. Her head was full of mean things to say and emotions flooded through her. But in order to get through this, they couldn't afford to make any mistakes. She knew her friends were hurting, and she wanted more than anything to kill Spike after what he'd done to her friends. But if Willow was right they would be making things worse by taking fate into their own hands. Spike might need help and, as much as it pained her to think so, deep down somewhere she knew it was what was right...it was what Buffy would do. We have to be sure before we start jumping to conclusions. Find Spike and talk to him maybe. Ask for his side of the story.
What are we saying? Willow blurted out. He's a vampire! He killed the slayer!
And now he needs to die! Angel scowled and grabbed his jacket. Before the girls could respond, the vampire was out in the rain on his way to find the vampire who had done this and make him beg for mercy!
