Chapter 14
Cassandra strained her hearing as she sat on her bed, trying her best to listen to the conversation that was taking place downstairs. Giles had arrived half an hour ago and joined their mother in grilling Buffy regarding her disappearance.
Joyce had quickly ordered Cass upstairs, angry that her younger daughter had hid potentially serious injuries from her. The injuries that had got her in trouble meant she couldn't stand at the top of the stairs to listen, which left her with sitting on the edge of her bed, desperately trying to pick out murmured words.
Another half an hour later, and Cass picked out the sound of the front door opening and then closing. The sound of footsteps coming up the staircase quickly followed, with Buffy soon appearing within the door frame of Cassandra's room. Staring at her, Buffy shut the door quietly, and sat on the bed next to her with a sigh.
"So, you going to tell me how you really got hurt?" her sister murmured, "The whole 'fell down the stairs' lie is so played out."
Cassandra chuckled, "It was better than the alternative."
"Well? What happened?" Cassandra went through the last week, explaining the cyclops attack, their discussion at Giles' house and then the final fight. Buffy was quiet for a moment as she processed the information. She reached her arm out and grabbed her sister's hand, "I should have been here. You wouldn't have gotten hurt if I were around," her shoulder's slumped, "I'm sorry."
Moving over to put her arm around Buffy, she hugged her tightly, "you don't know that Buff, it might have played out exactly the same. I missed you, but if going to LA is something you needed, I'm glad you did it. I can't imagine what you're going through."
Buffy was quiet for a moment before asking, "How did you know I went to LA?"
Cass stilled, her mind running as she realised her mistake. Buffy hadn't told her she'd come back from LA. She considered lying but soon started talking about Spike, from the moment he had rescued her from the mansion, until the night they had spent together while their mother was away for work.
Feeling her sister tense through her story, Cassandra wasn't surprised she her sister angrily replied, "I told him to leave! He was meant to take Drusilla and leave Sunnydale."
"I'm glad he didn't," Cass mumbled resolutely. Buffy gave her a sidelong glance, noticing the set of her jaw. With a sigh, she relaxed her body and steeled herself before starting again.
"With everything that happened, everything we went through because I was with Ang-" She stopped, as if choking on the word. Breathing deeply, she continued, "You can understand why I'm worried about you being around Spike."
"Spike isn't Angelus," Cass replied, anger creeping into her voice. "Spike didn't do this to me!" She whipped up her shirt to reveal her scarred abdomen. Cass looked down at her body, wincing at the raised ridges of the scars crossing her body. A glistening tear leaked from her clenched eyes, sliding down her cheek as she suppressed the rising memories that flooded her.
Her eyes shot open at the soft cry emitting from the girl beside her. Buffy had her head in her hands, her shoulder shaking as she sobbed.
With a wave of instant remorse, she reached for her sister, dropping her shirt "Buffy, I shouldn't have-"
Cassandra's words were cut off as Buffy swung to latch her arms around the other girl's waist. Her sobs shook her sister's body as her tear's soaked the shirt beneath her head.
"I'm sorry," Buffy wept, "Cass, I'm so sorry."
Clutching her in return, Cass stammered "Buf- I'm sorry, I-t shouldn't hav- I'm sorry, okay? Please stop crying," Her own cheeks were wet as guilt from her outburst mixed with the overwhelming emotions of the past year. Holding her sister, she felt her heart ache more than the scars on her body had done in months.
It was long minutes before Buffy's breathing slowed, sniffling as she moved her body away her sister's, her shoulders slumped inwards as if she wanted to disappear. In a quiet voice, she murmured, "I'm going to go to bed. It's been a long day."
"Okay Buf," she replied as her sister stood up. She was out of the room before Cass could say more, words of comfort dying on her lips. She stared at the closed door, her chest in her throat.
"Guess she's back then?"
Cass jumped, a small squeak coming from her throat before she could clamp her mouth shut. Swinging around, she winced as she pulled at her injuries.
"Don't do that!" She growled through gritted teeth. Spike smirked as he sauntered over, leaning against her wardrobe. "Didn't think you'd be so jumpy, love. Wasn't trying to sneak up on you."
"Perks of being a vampire, I suppose. Naturally sneaky," she grumped. His smile slipped as his head turned towards the bedroom door, his face intensely serious.
"So," he started heavily, "The Slayer is back." His voice was void of emotion, tension filling the room for what his tone lacked.
"Yes," she replied, equally neutral, "she's back."
He straightened, his form hauntingly still as he stared at her, his traveling eyes the only movement he gave. His lack of breath gave a quiet static as his gaze tried to pull any emotion from her. Any sign of where they stood now that her sister had returned, a clue into what she was feeling with a vampire in her room and a Slayer down the hall.
His impatient reared its head as his nostrils flared, "well are you gunna bloody well say something before I turn to dust?"
"What do you need me to say?" she replied quietly. He hung his head in frustration as he came to sit next to her. He rested his arms on his knees, letting his arms dangle as he looked down at his hands. "I was only meant to stay until she was back. She'll kill me when she finds out I'm still here."
"She knows," Cass muttered, "I told her tonight. She wasn't exactly happy."
Spike groaned, running his hands through her hair, "Couldn't even keep it from her for the night? You're killin me here, ducks. Maybe literally."
"I can't keep any more secrets from her anymore. She's my sister."
"Please stop reminding me," he grumbled, sitting back so he was leaning on his elbows. Cass turned to watch him. Her bedroom window was still open from his entry, the flickering of the curtains, with the brightness of the moon, played shadows across his face. The darkness to light brought a stunning contrast to his profile, shifting from angelic to demon with each fluttering wind. Cassandra's breath caught in her throat as she stared.
Unbidden, she started asking the question she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to, "Are you going to leave now she's back?"
He looked at her solemnly, his gaze grave as he soaked her in, "I should."
"But will you?"
With another intense stare, his lips inched in a small smile, "ask me an easier question next time, love"
"I don't want you to leave."
The gaze lingered for a moment before his eyes dropped, "I gotta go," he stood up, moving towards the window, "stayin' here is a death sentence."
"You're leaving town?" Cass asked accusingly, trying to keep her voice down as her panic rose, "just like that?"
Spike glanced at her, smirking, "meant leave the house, love. Sis could come in any minute with murderous intent."
"Oh," Cass mouthed, feeling her cheeks redden as her eyes dropped. She heard him chuckle as he approached, kneeling down in front of her, ""ve just gotta take some time to think," he murmured, "this was never my plan, and 'm not looking to take a stake in the heart."
"I wouldn't let her do that."
"I know," he smiled, "but you might not be able to stop her." Standing up, it took him two steps to get to the window. "Don't worry, ducks, I won't go far."
Watching her nod sadly, he climbed out of the window and dropped to the ground. His thoughts muddled, Spike turned to go through the backyard when he felt a weight crash into his side and tackle him to the ground.
He felt the tip of wood at his chest as he stared into the Slayer's red rimmed eyes.
"You were meant to leave town," Buffy gritted out through clenched teeth, the stake digging into him as she leant forward.
"If I'd left, lil sis would've been dead," he spat back, grabbing the stake with both hands and wrenching the girl to the side and off his body. With quick reflexes, he jumped up, and started to back away. Within seconds, Buffy was up and facing him, with fresh tears welling up.
He put his arms up in a surrendering motion, "I'd just come to check on her, I don' want to fight."
With narrowed eyes, Buffy stalked forward, "What do you want with my sister?"
"She's not just your sister," he growled, "she's her own person and what I want with her has nothin' to do with you."
"So you do want something with her!"
Rolling his eyes in exasperation, "No, you daft bint," he hissed through gritted teeth, "I don't know why I stayed. I couldn't just leave." Spike's agitation flamed under her glare. He reached into his pocket to light a smoke. Taking a long drag, he breathed out harshly, "I saw you send Angelus to Hell, had Dru in the car, and I was ready to go." He started to pace, missing the tightening of Buffy's face at his blithe mention of Angel's death. "Next thing I know, I had packed Dru off into a storage container heading to South America and I was standing outside Cass' hospital room." He rubbed his face as he took another drag. "I don't know why."
He heard Buffy let go of a ragged breath and turned to her. She was shaking, barely keeping herself together. "She was in hospital?"
"Yeah," he replied softly, "She had lost a lot of blood. Had a cast on for most of the summer, too."
Spike watched as Buffy visibly tried to calm herself, clenching and unclenching her fists.
Struggling with himself, Spike dropped his cigarette and ground it out with his boot. Feeling conflicted, he sighed, bracing himself as he gathered his thoughts. He had his ancient enemy in front of him, her death being the very goal of why he even came to town. Spike couldn't bring himself to want to kill her in that moment. "It's the nightmares that's the problem now."
"Nightmares?" She asked begrudgingly, her thoughts unknowingly matching the creature in front of her. Buffy cast her gaze away from him, the act of a civil conversation with a vampire who had tried to kill her caused a roil in her stomach. The topic of conversation didn't help.
"Most nights, she dreams about the mansion. It can get bad."
Clenching her eyes closed, Buffy breathed out. Her mind was scrambling a million miles a minute, with violent and chaotic thoughts popping up and disappearing. "Cass wouldn't forgive me if I hurt you." Her eyes popped open and focused on Spike, "But I couldn't forgive myself if I let you hurt her."
"'ve been with her almost night since you been gone and I haven't laid a finger on her." Spike said empathically, "I won't hurt her. I can't."
Buffy stilled, the threat leaking from her stance, but the worry still laced within her gaze. Taking a moment, she eventually breathed out, "Drusilla is really gone?"
"She's gone."
"Okay," she replied. She turned to go back in the house. Mid-turn, she paused, glancing back at him, "You hurt my sist-"
"Yeah, yeah," he cut off, "you'll kill me dead. I got it." He sauntered off into the night, some tension melting away as he left the Summers' backyard.
Cold hands gripped her forearms, slamming her into the floor. She felt the grip release as a knee was planted on her chest. A throaty chuckle simmered the air as the cold blade of a knife grazed across her bare stomach.
The dream blinked out of existence as a scream erupted from Cassandra's throat, waking her up and flinging her into a sitting position. Her chest ached as deep, rushed breathes pumped from her body. Panic began to solidify as trembling wracked her body, a cold sweat enveloping her.
Her bedroom door slammed open as Buffy ran in, her gaze immediately falling on the open window. Seeing no threat, Buffy ran to her sister, and wrapped her arms around her shaking form. Rocking Cassandra, she murmured soft words of comfort.
"I thought the dreams had gotten better," a tired voice stated from the doorway. Cass looked up through bleary eyes, blinking away tears she hadn't realised had formed. Her mother was wrapped in a dressing gown, her hair dishevelled, and her eyes darkened with exhaustion.
"You knew about the dreams?" Buffy asked softly.
"They were bad at the start of the summer. She would scream multiple times a night. I almost put a mattress outside her room," Joyce sighed, looking down at her slipped feet. "I thought they had gotten better."
"They hadn't," Cass croaked, "I just found a way to deal with them." Joyce looked at her sadly as her sister gripped her tighter.
"I'll make some hot cocoa," their mother said, moving off down the hall.
The twins were silent for a moment as they listened to their mother walk away. Cass grappled with her breathing, pulling in deep breaths, and letting them out in a shaky whoosh.
"Spike," Buffy stated, "that's how you've dealt with the dreams."
Cass nodded softly, her head brushing against her sister's arm. Buffy snuggled in closer tucking her head next to Cassandra's. "I'm scared for you, Cass."
"Me too."
A few days later, Cassandra dragged her feet into the school, watching as Buffy and their mother charged ahead. Joyce had a determined look on her face as she entered the school, seemingly mentally preparing herself for a run in with Snider.
With leaden feet, she walked up the concrete stairs and into the building. She found Willow and Xander near their lockers, talking urgently and giving furtive looks towards the principal's office.
"Hey guys," Cass said, not noticing her friends jump as she turned to put in her locker combination, "You speak to Buffy?"
"If you call it that," Xander grunted. Cass looked at her friends and saw the tension in them. Xander had his arms crossed, looking like he swallowed sour fruit, with Willow fidgeting beside him.
"What's with the attitude?" Cass asked.
"Buffy's gone for months, and we don't even get a call when she gets home?" Xander demanded, "Like we're not even a second thought?"
"She didn't have much time in between being grilled between Mom and Giles," she replied, folding her own arms to match his.
"Cass, we understand Buffy had a lot going on, we-ah, we were just worried, you know?"
Sighing angrily, Cass slammed her locker shut, "Look I get it. I was worried sick too. But she went through something we can't even imagine. Just-" She sighed again, this time more softly, "Just please try and give her some space."
Xander scoffed and walked away, leaving Willow to look at her friend sheepishly before murmuring something about classes and shuffling off in another direction.
Resting her forehead against her locker, and wishing she had stayed in bed that morning, Cass closed her eyes for a moment before moving towards her own classes.
"She didn't even show up," Buffy said morosely on their walk home. Cass had met her sister after school, the disappointment of the day evident before they even spoke.
"They're hurt Buff, and they don't understand."
Her sister shuffled with shoulder slumped, "I didn't mean to upset them."
"I know, and they're not mad at you. Not really. But they don't know what to feel so they're lashing out." Cass put her arm around her sister, "they'll come around."
"I guess." They made it to their street, slowing to a stroll so they could finish up in privacy. "With this, and Snider's welcome home party, it's hard to be happy to be home."
"Don't say that Buff, please don't," she pulled her sister in closer, "I can't have you leaving again."
Buffy nodded as they got closer. She shuffled her feet until they had stopped. With a deep breath, she looked to her sister, her eyes grave. "Spike said you were still having bad dreams," she shuffled her feet, dropped her eyes, "but I didn't think-". She cut herself off, unable to continue. She reached her hand out and grabbed her sister's hand, squeezing it tightly.
"It's okay Buff," Cass responded, squeezing the hand back. She hesitated for only a second before asking, "You spoke to Spike?"
With a sigh, Buffy dropped her sister's hand and started walking towards their home. "Yes. It wasn't a conversation I enjoyed much. But yes."
Cass cleared her throat, feeling it become thick, "Did- Wou- What did you talk about?"
Her sister chuckled, "what did you think? You!" abruptly, she stopped walking and turned to Cassandra, "Look, I don't trust him. But he seems to care." She started walking again, "I mean, I guess. I don't really have a great track record of letting vampires in our lives."
Lightly jogging to catch up with her sister, "I trust him. Can you trust me? That's all I really ask, for now."
"Yeah, I can trust you," she chuckled, moving up their porch stairs, "God help us all with where that'll lead us."
Chuckling, Cass followed her sister inside, and found their mother in the kitchen.
"Hey girls, how was your day?" Receiving mixed murmurs in reply, Joyce smiled while she busied herself in the kitchen making her daughters a snack. "Oh, Willow called. She said something came up, and she wouldn't be able to make it."
"Did she leave a message?" Buffy asked as she grabbed a pitcher of juice from the fridge.
"No. But I had a thought. What if I invited Willow and Mr. Giles and everybody over for dinner tomorrow night?" Joyce smiled at her daughters, receiving dubious looks in return, "Don't you think that would be nice?"
Buffy poured Cassandra a glass of juice, passing it over and then pouring one of her own. Cass saw the hesitancy in her motions, the contemplation as she filled the second glass.
"Since I sort of already did, I was hoping for a yes."
The girls looked at their mother, and then at each other. A glance of understanding passed through them as they turned back to Joyce with light smiles.
"I hate it when you two do that."
"It'll be fun," Buffy responded unenthusiastically. Noting her mother's disappointment at the response, and Buffy's dejected posture, Cassandra perked up, "It'll be great!" A wide smile plastered across her face. In return she received a grateful smile and eye roll, performed in unison.
"Buffy, do me a favor? Run down and get the company plates."
"Mom, Willow and everybody aren't company-plate people. They're normal-plate people."
"We never have guests for dinner. Indulge your mother?"
"I'll grab it," Cass offered, jumping from her seat, and moving into the basement. Finding a box to give her enough height to reach the plates, she almost knocked off them off the shelf when Buffy piped up behind her, "you don't have to fix everything, you know."
Glaring at her sister, Cass carefully climbing down with the plates in hand, "What do you mean?"
"Trying to make me feel better, being super positive for mom," Buffy shrugged, taking the plates out of her hands, "you don't have to do it. Not with what you went through."
Cass turned to grab the smaller set of plates, "I know. I want to. It helps, you know?"
"Yeah, I know," she replied sombrely before following her sister out of the basement.
Spike wandered through downtown Sunnydale, the summer heat causing his cold skin to prickle as he glided through the crowds. The last couple of nights played through his head, thoughts jumbling as he tried to pull them together.
After his run in with the Slayer, Spike had packed himself into the DeSoto and spent the rest of the night parked on the edge of town, willing himself to drive out and away from the danger that was Sunnydale. The sun was peaking over the horizon by the time he had turned the car around back into town.
Another day hiding out in the mansion hadn't helped his mood.
He was out the door as the sun inched below the horizon. Spike had begun prowling by instinct, his eyes wandering for the weakest amongst the pack of chattering humans. He felt a swell in his chest as a young couple broke from their group, slinking off to a nearby park for privacy. A soft growl grew from his chest as he stalked after them, his feet light on the ground as he followed them deeper into the greenery.
Spike watched as the young man stopped by a tree, gently pushing his girl against it and leaning into her kiss. Circling, Spike could smell their arousal on the air. Their hormones rushed him, leaving a water taste in his mouth.
Darkness covered him as he lunged forward, his arm around the boy's neck and pulling him away before the girl had time to notice his pale monstrous face. Awareness, and then quickly terror, filled her face as his fangs ripped into the lad's throat. Two deep draughts entered him before her scream erupted from deep within her chest.
His vision flickered.
Shuttering, he gripped the arms of his wheelchair as Cassandra's scream ripped through him again. Wheeling himself forward, he peeked into the room. Angelus stood over Cass, fiddling with a knife. As he shook the knife, blood splattered over Cassandra's face, causing her to flinch and Angelus to snicker. One look at her cut-up body told Spike where the blood had originally come from.
Spike clenched his eyes shut. A strain on his arms brought him back to the moment, his eyes shooting open. Looking down, he saw the crying girl. Her eyes were locked on the blood running down her lover's face.
With a strangled grunt, Spike threw the lad down next to her. She watched as the body hit the ground, wincing as it dropped hard.
"He's alive," Spike grunted before staggering away. Frustration flooded him as his legs ate up the distance away from the park. The few times his feeding had been interrupted by images of Cassandra's bloody body; he had shrugged it off as a reaction to spending so much time with the lass. Now, he knew something was wrong.
His chest ached with overwhelming emotions as he almost jogged towards the mansion, putting as much distance between himself and the bloodied couple as he could. The feelings of remorse and shame dogged him through the streets, adding to the insecurity and doubtfulness he felt about his stay in Sunnydale.
"Can't keep going like this," he muttered to himself as his walked the long road to the mansion. A vampire couldn't stop feeding because of human girl. A vampire couldn't stop feeding at all. The boy's life's blood swim through him, its music fuelling his every motion and thought, kindling its very need.
A trip to the butcher crossed his mind, fleeting due to his disgust at the thought. He wouldn't weaken himself like Angel, the ponce. No. He had to go something, and he had to do it now.
Arriving at the mansion, he stared at the building. The moon's glow cast the buildings shadow over him, the usual welcoming embrace of darkness leaving him cold and alone. His demon rose in response, fighting off human confusion.
Rage flooded him now. Hot and deep within his chest, anger bloomed. The demon hated weakness. Hated uncertainty.
The demon wanted action.
With a whirl of his black duster, Spike moved towards his car. He hadn't unpacked it, and was glad he didn't. Spinning the wheel, Spike peeled away from the mansion and didn't look back.
Cassandra watched her sister flutter around the dining room, straightening cutlery and dusting plates. Buffy stopped before the mirror in the hallway, fixing her hair for the fourth time in the past quarter house.
"You look beautiful, Buff," Cass remarked from her seat on the staircase. Her sister sighed, tension shuttering through her with the deep breath. "Tonight has to go well," she muttered in return.
"It will," Cass responded warmly. She got up and moved around the staircase to hug her sister, "I'll make sure of it."
Responding with a sunny smile, Buffy opened her mouth to reply but was forestalled by the ringing of the doorbell. Rushing towards the door, Buffy opened it widely. Both Summers sisters were shocked to find Devon standing with an amp in his hands.
"Hey, Buffy. So where do you want the band to set up?"
"Wha-the band?" Devon ushered himself in around Buffy, scoping the loungeroom for a suitable set up location. He soon locked eyes with Cass, smiling as he sauntered over, "Alright Cass, looking good. We definitely have to catch up sometime tonight."
Hearing a confused sure come out of her mouth, Cass turned to see Oz and other members of the Dingos come through the front door. Before she knew what was happening, a steady stream of started flowing through the house.
Cass felt a tight knot in her stomach as she fluttered around the party, cleaning this and moving that. More than one priceless artwork had been moved in the past hour, retreating safety to their mother's bedroom upstairs.
Joyce had retreated to the backyard, with Giles in tow, both with a roll of their eyes at the raucousness of youth. Strain circled Joyce's eyes when she had first found half a school's worth of teens in her home, but determination to get back to normality kept her from voicing her displeasure. With a quick promise from her children that nothing would be broken at the end of the night, she grabbed two glasses and a bottle of wine and led Giles through to the yard.
Now Cass moved determined through the party, anger at the pit of her stomach. Why would anyone throw a party at someone else's house? Cass had a feeling she knew why, and was in search of her friends to find out if her suspicions were true.
Through the crowd, Cass saw the flash of red hair, bobbing in the opposite direction. Following, she saw her sister dragging Willow into a quiet area.
Finally catching up, Cass slowed down as she caught the tone of the conversation.
"This isn't avoiding. See? Here you are, here I am," their friend rambled in response to Buffy's question.
"So, we're cool?" her sister asked hesitantly.
"Way! That's why, with the party, 'cause we're all glad you're back," she responded, insincerity peeking through her over the top enthusiasm.
Cass heard her sister's defeated "okay," as she turned away. Seeing the hurt in Buffy's face, the red-hot anger inked up from her stomach. Clenching her fists, Cass turned to Willow, catching the other girls' eyes. She knew her emotions had bled through her gaze, because Willow blushed in response, dropping her eyes quickly to the ground.
Stamping down her displeasure, Cass spun, following after her sister. Finding Buffy siding up to Xander, she was startled to find him chatting closely with Cordelia. Pushing through the shock, Cass approached unknown by the trio. Watching as another one of their friends blew off Buffy, Cassandra wasn't surprised to find her sister running up the stairs, her head down.
Unable to control herself any longer, Cass marched over to Xander. She slapped him on the back, using more force than necessary, "Wow thank you so much for this amazing party we didn't want or ask for. Thank you so much for coming over to celebrate Buffy's return." Before he could respond, Willow approached with trepidation, clearly overhearing their conversation.
"Cass, we just wanted-"
"Oh no, I know exactly what you wanted. You wanted to avoid actually having to talk to Buffy so you didn't have to tell her how mad you are."
Her face reddened again, but this time with a mix of determination, Willow began to respond, "Don't you think we're entitled to be mad?"
Backed by Willow, Xander spoke up "Yeah, we have the right, she just bailed on us!"
"No!" Cass yelled, jolting her friends with her fury, "No, you don't have the right!" a quick cut of her hand forestalled whatever Xander had begun to say. "You have no idea what she went through! You have no idea what she had to do to save us, again."
"We want to know Cass, we want to be there for her, but how can we when she won't let us in? When she left without a word or call?" Willow mediated.
"And this is your way of saying you want to talk?" Cass gestured widely to the party continuing around them, "This is your way of saying, 'Let's have an intimate chat?"
Her friends were at a loss for words, with contrasting expressions and body language. Xander stood with indignant anger, his body stiff and arms crossed. Willow fidgeted nervously, her usual avoidance of confrontation crawling back.
"You'll have to let yourself out, I'm going to actually go talk to my sister," Cass growled, "feel free to talk all of these 'friends' with you," she finished with fingered quotation marks, huffing up the stairs.
"Wow, you wouldn't want to be on her bad side," she heard Cordelia remark as she reached the top of the stairs.
Feeling the grease of embarrassment rise up at her behaviour, Cass stuffed it down as she came to Buffy's room. Without knocking, she pushed open the door, finding her sister hurriedly shoving things into her bag.
"Buffy, no," she murmured, shutting the door firmly behind her. Buffy froze, looking up to her sister with tears in her eyes. "I can't do this," she whimpered.
"You can, Buff," she replied, moving over and folding her sister into a hug. She felt the shakes of sobbing as she held onto the other girl. "Tonight was hard, but you can do it."
"I miss him, Cass," Buffy sobbed into her chest, "I shouldn't miss him."
Her heart broke as she felt her shirt become damp with her sister's tears, "it's okay to miss him, Buff. He was a different man to what he was in the end. It's okay to miss that man." She felt Buffy grip her tighter as her words sunk in. "Just please don't leave me again. Please." Cass was surprised to find her cheeks had become wet with her own tears, "please don't leave," she whispered, sobs choking her words.
Through their weeping, they didn't hear the door open. "You're leaving again?" the question made them jump.
Turning, they found Willow in the bedroom threshold. Standing awkwardly, she looked at the half-filled bag in confusion, shifting a gaze back to the crying sisters.
"No," Cassandra replied bluntly before Buffy had a chance to respond, "she's still unpacking."
Willow felt the lie, but decided not to push the point, instead she shuffled further into the room. With an apprehensive glance towards Cass, she broached to Buffy, "Buff, I'm sorry for tonight, we just didn't know-"
Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, the blonde Slayer had launched herself at her friend, gripping her tightly. "I'm sorry I left, I'm sorry, I just couldn't-" her rambles were cut off as more sobs racked her body.
Looking over her friend's shoulder, Willow looked at Cass, worry and guilt dripping through her gaze. Buffy, who was usually so strong and sure had collapsed into her arms in a bundle of emotion. "It's okay Buff, I just want to understand.'
All her sister could do was nod and sob as she gripped her friend. Cass saw Xander arrive at the front of the bedroom. The anger on his face quickly melted at the scene before him. Swallowing, he stepped in, wrapping the two girls in his arms. "We missed ya, Buff."
A light chuckle emanated from the cuddle circle as Buffy extradited herself from their arms. "I missed you guys too, so much." She wiped her face, "I'm sorry I didn't call, I just can't- I don't know-" She began to shake again, her chest swelling. Cass moved forward, putting an arm around her.
"It's okay. You can talk when you're ready," she reassured her sister, with a pointed look at their friends.
Pushing out a deep breath, Buffy straightened. "Okay," she smiled brightly, "can we please get these people out of our house now?" they chuckled as she strolled out, the sure and strong Slayer back in place.
Cass went to follow, putting her arms around Xander and Willow as she did so, a squeeze given and receive in return all the apologies the trio needed. Willow looked at Cass, a small shy smile on her face. Cass grinned back and squeezed her tightly. A held gaze spoke of no hard feelings.
Opening her mouth to throw out a light hearted joke, she as stopped by a crash of broken glass coming from the downstairs living room.
"Did she throw them out the window?" Xander asked incredulously as the trio disentangled from each other and ran down the stairs.
Running into the living room, they were met with chaos. Party goers ran in every direction, screaming and ducking as large bird like creatures swooped and dove around them. Cass froze as one of the birds flew past her.
"Do they have faces?" She exclaimed, looking around. Buffy rushed into the house, Joyce and Giles a step behind her
"What in the world?' Giles huffed, coming to a stop beside the staircase.
"We don't know," Willow breathed, ducking one of the creatures.
"Xander, go to my room. I have an axe in the cupboard," Buffy commanded, taking control with ease.
"On it," he replied, running back upstairs. "Mum, Will, Cass, get everyone out of here. Giles, figure out what the hell these things are." Turning, Buffy ran into the kitchen, searching for weapon.
Moving quickly, Cass opened the front door, "Everyone out! Quickly!" Watching as screaming teens began streaming through the door, Cassandra moved into the loungeroom. Pulling and pushing people towards the door as she went, she found half a dozen winged creatures circling the living room. As she watched, she saw them still as their beaked mouths rose to the sky, scenting the air. With a synced high pitched squeal, they turned in unison, their human faces pointing towards Cassandra.
A hard flap of their wings, they dove at Cass, their claws outstretched. With sharp vicious talons, they grabbed at her arms and legs. Screaming, she found herself being dragged across the floor, smacking into furniture and debris as she went.
"Cass!" She heard her sister yell close by. Feeling a talon leaving her right leg, blood splattered across her as its body hit the ground. The creatures, feeling the oncoming danger, began pulling at her harder, digging their sharp claws into her skin.
Xander thundered down the stairs, yelling as he raised the axe above his head. With a violent swing, he took down two more monsters. Feeling the ripping of her body, Cass began to sob and kick, fighting back the creatures as best she could while avoiding the sharp weapons used by her friends.
With the death of three more of their flock, the remaining birds let out another ear-piercing screech and released her. With a flap of their wings, they flew back out through the broken window they'd smashed with their arrival.
In the moments of their departure, everyone stilled in shock until Cassandra's weak cries brought them back to focus.
Joyce ran to her dark-haired daughter, checking her wounds. Cass clung to her mother as she cried, the pain shaking her small body.
"Giles, what's going on?" Buffy asked frantically, looking down at her bloodied sister, "this is the second time Cass has been attacked this month. That can't be a coincidence."
"No, I'd think not," Giles responded thoughtfully.
Joyce looked up urgently, "some of these cuts need stitches, we have to go to the hospital."
Cass laid in her bed, the dreamy feeling of the painkillers filling her, making her numb and sleepy. Her mother and sister had done to bed hours ago, with Buffy promising they'd get answers from Giles in the morning. Cassandra laid awake watching her bedroom window, waiting.
Spike would come eventually. He hadn't visited in days. Surely, he would have heard of the attack and would visit. He would want to know if she was hurt.
Cass fell under the weight of sleep, dazed and alone.
A/N:
I know! Another long ass break between chapters being released. I am the absolute worst. In saying that, I promise this story will never be abandoned, it just may take a while to complete. Life has a way of getting between me and my writing, unfortunately.
Now I know people are rarely rational in hard situations, but I have always had a bit of an issue with how the Scoobies treated Buffy this episode, so I thought I'd let my character speak to my frustration. If I planned on writing up to season 7 (which I am not), you know I'd have a lot to say about THAT episode.
I am loving all your reviews and kind words, please keep them coming. I don't usually mind bad reviews, as they all help me learn to write better, but I found one in particular to be quite funny. The review said that I had not changed anything from the story, which was mostly true for the parts based in Season Two, however the review was on the chapter that was completely different. Ironic. I hope the next chapters are different enough for the rest of my readers.
Please review, tell me what you think, and favourite and follow. Each favourite/follow/review warms my heart and inspires me to write. So give your girl geeklady some love!
Until next time xx
