For Good or Bad, The Memories Remain.
Chapter 3
Disclaimer- I don't still own Buffy and crew, I just use them in my writing, just for fun, never for profit "Cause that's wrong!"
Spoilers- mid 4th season then everything takes a left turn off the charted path
Rating- May get to R eventually
The sight that greeted him when he walked into the room was one he wasn't quite ready for. Buffy's body was hovering a foot above the floor, suspended by a glowing force. Her small frame drenched in sweat, her muscles twitching and jerking randomly to some unheard beat. Tara sat in the corner cradling Willow's head in her lap.
"Giles, I don't know how to stop what she started, I don't even know what spell they were doing"
"Tara, how is Willow? Is she hurt?"
"She's drained, I can't wake her. I'm worried."
Giles walked around Buffy's form, trying to figure any of it out. His hair stood on end with the surging power swirling in the room. He could feel the ebb and flow as energy seemed to be streaming into her.
"Tara, she can't wake until the spell she's tied to is complete, I think she'll be fine. I don't see any easy way to break this spell though. It might be best to let it finish."
She staggered to her feet, took the towels from the bed and headed for the bathroom, all the while keeping a careful eye on Xander. Xander meanwhile was trying to be not so obvious in his visual appraisal of her form.
His eyes failed to be controlled easily. Her form was long and thin, yet had an underlying muscular build. She moved like a ballerina or a cat, ok maybe a drunken ballerina or cat. She was still weak and wobbled on the way to the bathroom.
"Oh god, to be a loofa"
The water felt good. Her muscles were tight from lying in bed for so long. She took full advantage of the situation to scrub thoroughly, to try and feel truly clean for a change. She was tired of running and if she had been here unconscious for a week and lived, then maybe she had shaken her pursuers. If so, then she could allow herself the luxury of a wee bit of down time. Thee older man was able to understand her when she spoke so he should be her watcher.....or a doctor or a pharmacist or a high school Latin teacher. The pessimist in her resurfaced. She wished she could remember what language the older gentleman spoke to the young one in. Just wishful thinking that finding the slayer would be this easy. Well Genvieve always told her that sometimes the bold approach was the best, especially if it got you what you needed. All the earlier cuts and scrapes had healed, but she could still see the white lines of the scars from deeper wounds, ones that should have killed or crippled her. She pulled at the tangles in her hair, trying to get it clean for a change. Once again she thought about cutting it, and once again she found that she couldn't really part with her long hair without a better reason than convenience. She dried off and tried brushing her hair, hoping for better results now that it had been washed and conditioned. Unrestrained, it fell to just below her shoulder blades in a black curly mass, seeming to have a life of its own. She looked around the bathroom for clothes before she remembered that she saw her bag in the bedroom but hadn't thought to grab any prior to stumbling in here. 'Oh well, I got over modesty years ago.' She wrapped a towel around her waist and left the bathroom.
Buffy dropped limp on the floor as the glow faded. Giles rushed to her.
"She's still breathing. See if you can rouse Willow to find out what the spell was."
Tara takes Willow's head in her hands and speaks softly to her "C'mon baby, wake up. We need to know what the spell was. You need to tell us."
Willow starts to move and then tenses up and begins sobbing uncontrollably.
Tara looks at Giles and begins trying to comfort the balling and shuddering red-head.
"Giles, what should we do?"
Giles starts to answer when he realizes Willow is muttering under her breath. "Tara, what is she saying?"
Tara leans down closer to listen, the words barely discernable through the sobbing.
"She just keeps saying 'what have I done? Oh goddess, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't know!' "
Willow stops for a brief moment, looking up at Tara whispers "Daloc" and passes out.
Xander wakes up with a pounding headache. He realizes he is lying on the bed so recently occupied by the woman Giles had left him to help. He tries to piece together how he ended up on the bed. He remembers walking across the room to go out on the balcony when 'She' comes out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel around her waist, a pain in his foot, followed by a falling sensation and then here he wakes up.
To Be Continued
All Reviews Welcome
