A Second Chance
Chapter 18 – Choices.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything.
TIMELINE: AU. Set ten years before (Around 1988) "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone", during and after Harry Potter book 5, "Order of the Phoenix"(2003). During and after BTVS season 7, "Chosen". Pretend HP book one happened in 1999 during Buffy season three )
SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. After James and Lily reappears, seemingly alive and well, mysterious things start to happen. New allies are made, prophecies revealed...and people keep rising from the dead. What's going on? And what has Voldemort got to do with it? Are the Scoobies and the Potter's second chance at life enough to stop the Dark Lord from spreading darkness across the country? Or is the world in need of more miracles?
PAIRINGS: Too many to count.
Thanks to my beta: Charmed Chick
When Charlie arrived at St. Mungos, he went straight up to the desk, but was interrupted by someone calling his name.
"Charlie!"
Hequickly spun around, and was met by Xander and Anya, who waved at him. Charlie went up to them.
"Where's Buffy?" He asked, and Anya and Xander gave each other a look.
"Umm…she's…resting, yeah, resting…" Xander said with an overnatural bright smile. "Giles and Dawn are with her now…she's fine, she'll wake up any minute now…"
"Xander, don't lie to me…" Charlie threatened.
"Oh, I don't lie!" Xander let out a false laugh. "Really!"
"Oh, Xander, drop it," Anya said, and nudged him in the side. "Don't lie to the poor red haired man. Buffy's d…umph!"
Xander had cover her mouth.
"Hehe…Buffy's d…reaming sweet dreams…" He tried.
"Where is she!" Charlie demanded, angry now.
"Sixth floor," Xander hurried to say.
"Thank you!" Charlie said ironically, and started to leave, but then stopped. "There isn't a sixth floor."
"Yes there is…but there's rarely anyone who has to go there, that's why it doesn't say anything on the sign," Anya said. "It's the emergency floor…only really wounded people, who may not have much time left go there…"
"Anya!" Xander hissed.
"What? I'm just telling the truth!" Anya said. Charlie left the couple to their bickering, not understanding what they had in common. And not understanding Xander's reaction to Buffy's condition. After all, he was her best friend, and if Buffy was at the brink of death...should he really be so...not-serious about it? But maybe it was just his way of dealing...
"Sixth floor, sixth floor…"Charlie muttered to himself and stepped into an elevator. When he arrived at floor six, he was met by silence…or not really. He could hear someone cry…
"Dawn?" He asked, slowly.
Dawn looked up from the chair she sat in, and hastily dried her tears.
"Ch-Charlie?"
"Where's Buffy? And…Giles?" Charlie asked hesitantly.
"Buffy's…inside there," Dawn said, and motioned over to a door to their right. "…And Giles is there too…they won't let me see her…"
Charlie gave her a hug. "Is she…how is she?" He asked quietly.
"I-I don't know…she was a-alive when we brought her here…but…I don't know…" Dawn let out a sob, and Charlie pulled her closer to him.
"I guess we'll both just have to wait, huh?"
Dawn nodded.
"What a great summer this is so far…" She said, ironically. Charlie chuckled.
"Yeah…really great…"
"Buffy!" …Buffy…
"Can you hear me?" …Hear me?
"Please wake up…" …Wake up…
Buffy felt so empty. She could hear wispers around her…voices…calling her name…
Why are they talking to me? She thought. Why am I here? Where is here? What happened? Willow…
Buffy opened her eyes, but was met by nothing but darkness.
"Buffy!" Someone said.
I know that voice…
"Please, open your eyes…!"
They are open…
Buffy blinked, and suddenly, she saw something…a little line of light…she walked closer…
"Where am I?" She said out loud. Why can't the people around me hear me?
"Because you are not there…you are not awake…only in your own mind…" Someone said.
"My own…mind?" Buffy asked. Suddenly, a woman stood in front of her.
"Yes. In your mind, you are awake, and talking to me…But in real life, you are…well, asleep."
"Who are you?" Buffy asked, hesitantly.
"You don't recognize me?" The woman smiled. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised though… it's been awhile, hasn't it, honey?"
Buffy's eyes widened.
"Mom…?"
The woman, Joyce, nodded.
"Yes, darling, it's me…"
"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here…you're dead…" Buffy said, confused.
Joyce laughed.
"Honey, haven't you realized where we are?"
Buffy watched her with a confused expression.
"Where…we are?"
"We're standingbeside the port to Heaven. The reason you can see me, the reason you are here…can't you figure that out?" Joyce asked, with a sad little smile.
"Am I…dead?" I don't feel dead...
Joyce gave her another sad but fond smile.
"No. Not dead. Sleeping. You are not dead…but not really alive either. If you had been dead, however, you wouldn't be able to hear Mr. Giles, and - "
" - Giles…? That was Giles?" Buffy wondered out loud.
"Yes…he's very worried about you…so is your sister…"
"…Dawn…" Buffy whispered.
"…and your friends…and that boy you have a crush on."
"Angel?" Buffy wondered, even more confused now. Angel was in LA...wasn't he?
Joyce laughed, and shook her head.
"Oh, Buffy. You are always so clueless, aren't you?" Shesmiled."You never see the most obvious things… No, not Angel. Buffy, honey…you may not see it, but you are over Angel. You were over him a long time ago. You may love him, but not as a potential boyfriend…he has a place in your heart, he was the first one you ever loved, that's why he is always in your mind. But honey, he is not the one I'm talking about."
"Spike?" Buffy couldn't have sounded more surprised if she tried.
Joyce laughed again.
"No, honey. You may have learned to love Spike one day, but you were never meant to be…just as you and Angel weren't meant to be."
"But…"
"No, honey. The one I talk about is that Weasley boy. Very nice," Joyce said approvingly.
"Charlie?"
"Yes, that's the one…Charlie." Joyce smiled."Now, where was I? Oh, right…if you had been dead, you would have gone straight into Heaven. Not waiting outside of it. Don't you remember? When you died last time, you didn't come here, did you?"
Buffy was quiet.
"No, you didn't. Look over your shoulder, Buffy." Buffy did as she was told, and stared into a gray, foggy, place.
"That is the waiting place. Where people who's time hasn't come live. Where they are waiting…waiting to be placed in Heaven…or Hell…or maybe even sent back to Earth. That's where your friend, Tara, was. Look to your right."
Buffy did again as she was told, and was met by…nothing…darkness.
"That's where you came from. If you walk into that darkness, you will walk for a long time…with nothing but black around you. But sooner or later, it all depends on your will, you will come back to where you came from…the Earth…to your own body…to your friends…Now, look to your left."
Buffy could almost feel the heat, when she looked towards something red, burning…
"That is the gate of Hell. Not Hell itself, only the gate to it. No one really knows how it looks on the inside. Look forward."
Buffy felt light as a feather, when she looked inside the port of Heaven. It was so bright…so free…so…happy. She could almost hear music…and laughter…
"You know what'sin there, don't you? The place were you where last time…Heaven. If you go there, you will find peace, and more peace, and happiness." Joyce finished, tears in her eyes."I will be there, and everyone else you love, but have lost at some point. Jesse…Ford…Kendra…your first Watcher; Merrick… Theresa…Larry…Jonathan…Amanda…Anna-Belle…Molly…and every other potential Slayer or friend you've lost to the darkness."
"Will Spike be there?"
Joyce shook her head.
"Spike isn't in Heaven…but not in Hell either. He's in the waiting place…his time is here soon…to return back to Earth."
"What?" Buffy asked, shocked.
Joyce smiled.
"You will understand," she said."Now, Buffy, the reason I'm showing you this is that I'm going to give you a choice. Or not really me, the Powers That Be have given me this assignment. You have been through so much, Buffy, helped out so much…so they want to reward you with a choice. A choice is the most beautiful gift you will ever have, Buffy."
"A…choice?" Buffy asked, frowning.
"Yes. since you are not really dead, but not among the living either, you can have that choice. Where will you go, Buffy?"
"You mean…I can choose?"
"Yes. Will you go to the waiting place, and be able to watch your friends on Earth, and not feel any time pass, or will you go straight into Heaven, where your place actually is…or will you go back to your friends…to your life, keep fighting, until real death takes you away?"
"What about…Hell?" Buffy asked, shuddering at the last word. Joyce laughed.
"Oh, Buffy…Hell isn't really an option for you. It will never be your place."
"Do I…do I have to choose now?"
Joyce nodded.
"What will you choose Buffy?"
What will you choose Buffy? What will you choose?
Her mothers voice echoed through Buffy's head, and never seemed to stop.
'What will I choose?'
A/N: Dum, dum, dum, dum. Am I evil? Oh, well. Happy new year everybody! (And happy birthday to me!) Did you know the best present a FF-author can get islots of REVIEWS! (Don't forget to check out my new story, 'Out of the Blue'! Review that one too, please?)
/Ida