Title: The Final Goodbye.
Author: XIllyriaX (Laura)
Disclaimer: A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend. I own nothing that belongs to Joss (the genius) never have never in a month full of Sundays will!
Feedback: Much appreciated
Distribution: No probs take it. Enjoy it. But tell me first.
Summary: The hours leading up to the burial of buffy. (I could write more if people like it)
Crickets croaked their last croak before the big bright sun dawned on a brand new day in Sunnydale. Dawn stared vacantly into space appearing to be watching dust settle. All she could see was her sister vanishing before her eyes, running away from her to her death, Buffy's voice resounded in her head. "Live" Dawn whispered to her self.
About an hour later Dawn heard Willow and Tara awakening. She didn't move she stayed rigid on the edge of her bed. Willow appeared in the frame of the door.
"Morning Dawnie, did you sleep well?" Willow asked quietly. Willow guessed form the untossed bedclothes she hadn't slept at all. She received no reply. She ignored the fact that Dawn wasn't really listening and tried to get through to her again.
"Dawnie? Do you want breakfast? I could em, rustle up the Dawnie special pancakes, waffles and chocolate sauce?" she asked expecting the answer to be no. Dawn shook her head. "I'm not hungry" she replied shakily. "Ok I understand do you want me to sit with you for a while or would you rather I leave you alone?" Willow asked her voice full of affection for Dawn. She didn't answer Willow understood that to mean she needed some quiet time. She closed the door gently behind her.
Tara was waiting outside the door for willow to emerge. "Any change?" she questioned. Willow's eyes filled with tears and she began to sob, Tara took Willow into her arms and held her tenderly. Willow tried to speak between sobs "It's just so hard, she's just gone and Dawn doesn't know what to do, and I don't know how I can help her get through this." she said. "Don't cry baby, I'll be here I'll help, anything you need I'm here we'll just take it one day at a time" Tara said softly. When Tara released Willow from her embrace Willows eyes were red and puffy. "Lets get you into the shower and get you ready" Tara said like Willows mom.
Willow was dressed in a long black dress with lacy sleeves. Her earthy toned clothes were no type of clothes for today. The blackness of the dress made Willow looked even paler than she actually was. She sat alone in Buffy's living room staring and the photograph of her, Xander and Buffy. They looked so happy. The doorbell rang. It was Giles, Xander and Anya. Giles had ditched the tweed and replaced it with a plain black suit. Xander opted for the plain black suit also. Willow was surprised at how smart he looked. Anya was wearing a long black skirt and a simple white top. Giles and Willow caressed each other for what seemed like forever. "It's so hard." Willow said sadly.
Everybody sat in different rooms of the house unable to have company unable to look at each other.
Dawn was still sitting alone in her room she could hear young children playing on Revello Drive they had no worries Dawn wished she was care free.
Xander and Anya were in the kitchen. Xander was eating his way through gone off chips not really tasting the mould just staring into space. "Em…Honey you may not want to eat that chip it's got a bit of fuzzy fungus and I don't want you to die before we marry" Anya said cheerfully. "Ahn please just today be quiet I love you always just shush" Xander replied.
Willow sat on her bed and watched Tara getting ready "I don't know how I'm going to live without her." Willow said. "Don't worry it will get better I will be with you and day by day it will get better the pain will never really go away but it will get better I promise." Tara tried her best to comfort her beloved.
Giles stared into the coffin she looked so peaceful he had never witnessed someone looking so at rest. He sighed and thought and whispered to himself "I'm sorry Buffy, I'm sorry you were ever chosen, sorry you had to know any of this, sorry I couldn't do more to save you from this death." He turned from the coffin and left the dining room where it was sitting and moved into the sitting room. All the occupants of the house felt empty and darkness consumed them.
The kitchen door flew open and in ran Spike covered in an old musty blanket. "Holy smokes!" Anya exclaimed. Spike dropped the blanket. "Hardly holy" he retorted. He ventured towards the dining room to say one last farewell to his Buffy. He stared in amazement at her beauty. She was in a place of joy and happiness he had no chance of ever feeling now that she was gone. He gently touched her cheek and whispered "Farewell". He left the dining room entered the kitchen picked up the blanket and exited where he had entered.
The doorbell rang it was the hearse driver. Xander and Giles offered to help carry the casket to the car. It was a heavy load not its weight but what it stood for weighed heavily on their back. She was safely in the car there were many flowers piled on top of the hearse. The car arrived that was to transport the scoobies to the church. Everyone scrambled in. Dawn stared out the window.
She felt buffy near. She felt Buffy washing over her. Dawn no longer felt any pain or guilt about buffy's death. As the cars pulled away a single white rose fell off the top of the hearse onto the path in front of the house. Dawn felt that was Buffy saying her final goodbye.