Chapter Twenty-Seven : The Funeral
The ride back to Buffy's home was long and silent. The truth of the past couple of hours, was still beginning to sink in. It was hard to believe that, just this morning, Brian was awake, full of energy, and alive. And in a split second, he was gone. Taken from them in the worst way the former Sunnydale Highschooler's could imagine. Vampire. Somehow one had turned Brian's nurse, and then made her wait to strike. She had been alive a few days ago. But no one noticed any change in her.
Now, Xander and Willow sat in the back of Angel's car, while Buffy rode up front, all wishing they could turn back time. Angel did not exceed the limit as he carried his friends back to the home Buffy and Brian had shared for the last five years. Buffy a widow. That was something Angel had never allowed himself to think of. He had always thought Buffy would remain single. But now she was a widow. Angel looked at Buffy as she sat beside him. She sat with perfect posture. Her back was straight and aligned. Her hands were clasped together in her lap. Her hair was tucked behind her ears, showing the emotionless look on her face. Nothing twitched, not even a tear feel from her eyes as she stared at the road. Angel knew she was spacing and not watching the road. She was slowly retreating into that corner of her mind, where she could hide from the world. There were no vampires, no demons, and she was a happy innocent girl, worrying about whether on not someone would ask her out the Spring Dance.
Angel glanced in his rear view mirror, looking back at Xander and Willow. Willow had her head resting on Xander's shoulder. The glistening streaks on her cheek and slow breathing, told him that she had cried herself to sleep. He saw Xander had his arm around her shoulders, his head resting on hers. His hand rubbing her shoulders in comfort. Xander looked up at the mirror, and made eye contact with Angel. Angel nodded at Xander and he did the same. Angel then returned his eyes to the road, and continued to drive.
Angel turned and pulled into the driveway, carefully preparing himself for anyone to act out. He pulled the car to a stop under the bedroom that stood over the drive. He put the car in park and turned off the motor. He looked to Buffy who still stared straight ahead. Angel placed his arm over the seat and looked to the backseat at Xander and Willow.
"We're here," he said to Xander, as he watched Willow's sleeping form. Xander nodded at Angel and gently pushed Willow, waking her.
"Hey, Will," Xander said gently, as Willow yawned. "Come on, wake up. We're home."
"Home?" Willow asked sleepily, "Where's Buffy?"
"She's up front, with Angel."
"Oh, Ok," Willow said, opening the back door and getting out.
Xander followed Willow out of the backseat, and Angel walked around to Buffy's door. Opening it, Angel held out his hand.
"We're home," Angel offered looking at Buffy. Buffy blinked her eyes, but did not move. Angel licked his lips, as he kneeled beside her. Carefully, Angel placed a hand on Buffy's arm.
"Buffy," Angel whispered. At Angel's touch, Buffy spun her head around glaring at Angel as though he had awakened her from a peaceful dream. But the anger faded, and Angel saw it become replaced with a mixture of pain and sadness.
"Buffy, you're home," Angel told her, before standing and extending his hand. Buffy rapidly blinked her eyes, looking around Angel's car for anything she might be missing. She then reached out and took Angel's hand, allowing him to help her out of the car.
As Buffy's head appeared above the car's hood, Buffy turned to look at the house she had shared with Brian for so many years. Buffy scanned the rock façade that decorated the outside of the two-story Victorian she had shared with Brian since they married.
Slowly, Buffy began to walk around the front of Angel's car towards the side entrance that led to her front door. Angel followed close behind, as did Willow and Xander.
Buffy began to dig into her purse for key. Reaching for the lock, her hand suddenly began to shake uncontrollably. She stared at the welcome sign that hung over the beveled glass door, before looking at Angel.
"I-I can't," she whispered as tears that had been hidden during the ride, finally threatened to fall.
"What do you mean you can't?" Angel asked, placing a supportive hand behind her shoulder.
"I can't. I can't unlock the door."
"Why?"
"Because Brian's not going to be on the other side. He was always on the other side."
Angel sighed as he understood what she was saying. Softly wiping Buffy's eyes, he told her softly, "You have to. It'll be okay. I'm here. We are all here." Angel turned to reveal Willow and Xander, both with tears in their eyes.
"You'll stay?" Buffy asked, the first sign of hope escaping her voice.
"As long as you need me to," Angel smiled. Buffy started to smile herself, before quickly turning away, to stifle her sobs. She looked back to Angel then Willow and Xander, before steadily placing the key in the lock and turning the key. The bolt unlocked with a snap, and the grieving widow and her friends entered the house.
Buffy walked inside, and looked at the empty house. Dropping her jacket from her shoulders, She moved to place it on the coat tree by the door, stopping when she saw Brian's hanging in front of her. Buffy reached out to touch the fibers of Brian's leather coat, bringing her other hand up to stifle her cries. Xander caught her jacket when she dropped it, watching Buffy walk into the Living room. Angel followed behind, ready to console her whenever she needed.
Xander and Willow placed their coats on the tree, before splitting ways. Xander walked towards Buffy, and Willow to the kitchen. Xander joined Buffy on the couch, and Willow brought out a tray with tea and crackers for all. She handed a cup to each mourner, taking a seat beside Angel on the coffee table. Buffy just stared at the cup of warm tea, tears rolling down her face. Xander wasn't doing much better. Somehow in the last five minutes, he had gone from consoling to needing consoled. Only Willow and Angel seemed to have level heads.
"Oh my god," Buffy said her head flying up in shock.
"What," Xander asked, as he and the others tried to read Buffy's face.
"Giles," Buffy said, looking at her friends. "And Dawn. They have no idea what's happened!" Buffy set down her cup and placed her head in her hands, her hair falling around her face like a curtain.
"Dawn's going to be a wreck," her muffled voice said. She raised her head back up and pushed her hair away. "She'll take this just as hard, if not harder than when Mom died."
"I need to go call Giles," Buffy said attempting to stand. But Willow and Xander pushed her back down.
"I'll take care of Giles," Willow said, with her 'resolve face'. "You just sit here and rest."
"Thanks, Will," Buffy said, smiling at her best friend. Buffy wiped her face, the gravity of the last few hours, finally catching up to her.
"You feeling tired, Buff?" Xander asked watching Buffy rub her face.
"Yeah, a little," Buffy said as she looked to Angel. "Can you help me upstairs?"
"Yeah," Angel nodded, "Sure." Buffy smiled weakly as she took Angel's hand walked towards the stairs. Only Willow saw Xander roll his eyes at the scene, and kicked him in the side of his leg.
"What was that for?" he asked as Willow cleared the table.
"You know," she said, picking up the tray and heading for the kitchen.
"What? Because I rolled my eyes?"
"Not because you rolled you eyes, but why."
"Can I help it if I think Angel's just looking for an opportunity to take advantage of Buffy?"
"Xander!" Willow exclaimed as she set the tea set in the sink. "Angel would never, and I mean never, take advantage of Buffy! And certainly not while she's grieving!"
Willow turned to the sink and began to wash out the tea pot.
"I just can't get over the fact that Brian's won't be here for dinner," Xander said looking through the island that stood between the kitchen and the Dining room.
"Yeah, I know," Willow said turning to look where Xander was. "It's so strange to think that just a few months ago, we all sat down there to have Thanksgiving."
"And opened Christmas gifts." Xander turned to look at Willow, and saw her leaning against the sink, holding her face in her hand.
"It's just so unfair!" Willow threw the sponge in the sink. Xander turned and moved to hold Willow. He turned her into him and petted her head.
"Buffy's worked so hard for normal, and now she loses it to Vampires again," Willow whispered between sobs.
"Shh, I know Will," Xander consoled. "Life has always been pretty crappy to Buffy."
"What is she going to do now?"
"I don't know, Will. I just don't know."
Angel walked with Buffy up the stairs to her bedroom. Buffy opened the door, and walked in, taking in the scene before her. Everything looked the same as it had the morning they had left for work. The champagne sheets that covered the bed, were neatly folded under the cream pillows, and Brian's cornflower bathrobe draped one corner of the bed. Buffy's pink satin one draped the lounge chair that stood at the foot.
Angel watched Buffy walk across the room, taking the image of the room. Their dressers stood side by side, across from the bed. Buffy's vanity stood by the window, to take in the natural light. Buffy walked over to the bed, and peeled off her gray top she was wearing, revealing her black bra. She tossed the top in the laundry basket by the bathroom, and peeled back the covers. She lay down looking at Angel.
"You be okay here?" he asked as he turned to leave.
"No!" Buffy shouted, suddenly feeling scared.
"What?"
"Please, stay," she asked, her eyes reflecting the hollowness she felt of being alone.
"Um, okay," Angel said feeling very nervous. He walked over to the bed, and began to take off his shoes. As he bent over, Buffy noticed the condition of his shirt.
"You tore your shirt."
"Yeah, fighting a nest of vamps will do that," Angel said, slipping off his shoes.
"Well, throw it over towards the laundry, and I'll fix it." Angel looked at Buffy, a question in his eye.
"Oh, give me some credit, Angel," she scolded, catching his look. "I'm not going to jump you, just because my husband died." It was the word 'died' that sent Buffy off into another fit of hysterics.
"Oh god, Buffy, I'm sorry." Angel said leaning over and grabbing Buffy.
Carefully, Angel wrapped his arm around Buffy, holding her close as she sobbed uncontrollably.
"Shh, It's okay, Buffy," Angel whispered in her ear. "I didn't mean it."
Buffy continued to cry into the creamy satin sheets, as Angel held her.
"It's okay, you go on ahead and cry. I'm not going anywhere." Angel continued to whisper words of comfort in Buffy's ear as her body convulsed and sobbed. Eventually, the sobbing slowed, and the convulsions stopped. Angel listened, as Buffy's cries soon faded, and became replaced by slow even breaths. She was asleep. Angel pulled her slightly closer to his body, and nestled his head into the pillow. He placed a kiss on her head, before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
A few hours later, Angel heard the door to Buffy's room open, and a voice say, "What in blue blazes!?"
Angel cracked a lid, and saw Xander standing the crack of the doorway, his mouth hanging open, and his face turning about five shades of red.
"Xander," Angel said quietly, trying not to wake Buffy.
"You just couldn't wait could you? You just had to take her at her most vulnerable!" Angel looked over at Buffy. Angel was shirtless on his back, and Buffy had an arm starched across his chest, hiding her bra straps. It would be logical to assume that one would be naked under the sheets.
"This isn't what it looks like," Angel whispered hard, trying to get Xander to calm down. Yeah, when pigs fly.
"Oh, I think it's exactly what it looks like. God! I knew Willow didn't see things right!" That's what prompted Angel to carefully move Buffy's arm, and get out of bed. Angel stood, revealing the slacks he had been wearing earlier.
"Damn it, Harris!" Angel sternly called Xander pointing to the hall. Once the door was closed, Angel let him have it.
"I am getting really sick of your little tirades! Ever since I walked into this town, you have done nothing but do everything you can to piss me off!"
"Can I help it if you're an easy target?" Xander snapped. "I mean after all, you are the one who has hurt Buff more than anyone on the planet, in this dimension for that matter! Human or not!" Angel took a breath and looked down at the floor. Xander had a point there. Not that he could do anything to fix it. But that's why he was here now. To try and mend fences between he and Buffy. Did that mean Xander too? What was his deal? Then it came to Angel. Payback's a bitch.
"You're still sore because that pretty little school teacher got killed," Angel said, a playful smile on his face. "What was her name again?"
"Ms. Calendar," Xander said his blood starting to boil.
"Oh, yeah, Jenny. She was a real nice lady. And because a demon wearing my face killed her, you think it fair to blame me for it?" Angel began to advance on Xander, making young man back step. It's not. It was Angelus'. The demon. Buffy taught me that.
" Come on, you're just jealous because Buffy and I hooked up. Admit it." Angel watched as Xander's hands slowly became fists. That's it, Angel thought.
"You can't stand the fact that every time she needed comfort, she would race to my door, and I was dead! She didn't need the nice warm arms of her buddy, Xander. No, she had to have the cold comfort of a vampire! And one who enjoyed killing her friends!"
That was the final straw, and Xander gave Angel a swift punch in the jaw. The force knocked Angel's head back a bit, surprising the ex-vampire. Angel shook off the pain, and looked at Xander wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
"I'm little stronger than you remember, huh Angel?" Xander said, standing in a fighting stance, ready to counter.
"A little," Angel admitted, with a cock of his head. "But you're still weak."
Xander swung again, again making contact with Angel's face.
"Come on!" Angel egged. "Is that all you got? I killed your favorite teacher!"
Xander lunged at Angel and knocked him to the floor. Angel smiled, and laughed as Xander tried to hit him harder. This isn't getting anywhere, Angel thought, thinking he had to get Xander to really let loose. Oh, man. I really don't want to. Angel realized there was only one way to get Xander to that point where he was beyond pissed.
"You know what Angelus' favorite part was? Putting her on display for your friends."
"You son of a bitch!" Xander yelled and threw another punch at Angel.
"OW!" Angel screamed, feeling his nose break. Yep, that did it. Angel lay there as Xander tried to pummel Angel's face in the floor.
"You killed Jenny! You hurt Buffy! You killed Brian!" That's when Xander stopped, his fist raised in mid air.
"Oh, god," Xander said as he sat up and looked at Angel's face. "Angel, man. I'm so sorry."
"No, you're not. But thanks."
Xander extended a hand to Angel, to help him up as Willow and Buffy came upon the scene.
"What the hell is going on?" Buffy yelled as she tied her robe around her.
"Yeah, I heard thuds from downstairs, and thought someone was trying to break in," Willow said, as she saw the bruises on Angel's face.
"What Happened?"
"I let Xander take out some of his hostilities," Angel said wiping his bleeding nose.
"My god, Xander! It looks like you threw him in front of a train!" Buffy rushed over to Angel and investigated his injuries.
"What started it?" Willow asked.
"Not a what, a who," Angel looked at Xander. "Xander came in to check on Buffy and found me with her, and the way it looked, he though I had slept with her."
"Xander!" Buffy glared at her friend.
"That started an argument which told me that he still had some pent up feelings about what happened in Sunnydale. That compounded with recent events, well, I made him hit me."
The girls stared at Xander.
"Well, do you feel better?" Willow asked her best friend.
"Yeah actually, I do." Xander said, realizing what Angel had done.
"So do you think you can drop the "you're going to take advantage of Buffy" vendetta?"
"Yeah," Xander said extending his hand out to Angel. "And, uh, sorry about the nose."
"Don't mention it," Angel said shaking Xander's hand. Buffy placed Angel's arm over her shoulder, and escorted him into the bathroom to get him cleaned up and bandaged, while Willow took Xander downstairs to put ice on his hand.
"So what was that all about?" Willow asked as she grabbed a kitchen towel, and popped ice.
"It's a guy thing, Will. It'll be too complicated to explain to you females." Xander said, wincing as Willow placed the ice on his hand.
"Well, let me guess. You saw Angel in bed with Buffy, and because he was in Brian's bed you flipped?"
"Okay, so maybe it's not that complicated." Xander said.
Willow rolled her eyes. "Men!"
The next few days passed both quickly, and slowly for Buffy and her friends as they helped to prepare for Brian's funeral. Willow called Giles, and told him and Dawn, what had happened. They flew back on a red eye, and Dawn spent most of the next day with Buffy in their room. Willow continued to act as secretary, informing family, and making final arrangements. Xander resumed his 'gopher-ing" duties; going to get whatever anyone asked of him. And Angel and Giles continued to look for clues as to Jasper's whereabouts, but also mended fences over the past as well. Giles finally came to forgive Angel for the actions of his villainous alter-ego, and let by-gones be by-gones.
When the day of the funeral came, everyone felt strangely numb. Buffy, most of all. She sat at her vanity, placing the last bobby pin in her upswept hair. The late afternoon sun, shone through the window, making Buffy realize how pale her black camisole, and pencil skirt, truly made her look. Buffy leaned in close to the mirror, and brushed the crest of her cheeks. Two soft raps and a voice, jolted Buffy from her daydream.
"Hey, Buffy, are you ready?"
"Yeah, Angel, just a minute." Buffy took a deep breath and grabbed the black cardigan she had on the back of the lounge, and walked to the door.
"I'm ready," she told Angel as she stepped out.
"You look nice," Angel told her as she put on the sweater.
"Thank you," she said meekly. It had been strange having Angel in the house with her.
Since Brian's death, Angel had not left her side. He was always a name's call away. He had been a complete gentleman the whole time. He had actually set up in one of the guest rooms. After that first night, he had slept there. But last night, Buffy couldn't bear sleeping alone, and so he had stayed. There was no skin to skin contact. Strictly pajama to pajama.
Now as she walked down the stairs with Angel, she noted how handsome he looked in his black suit coat and slacks, white shirt and dark blue tie.
"You look…Good. Handsome even."
"You paused," Angel noted. "Why did you pause?"
"It's nothing really," Buffy tried to brush off, as Willow helped her into her coat.
"No, it's something," Angel said. "You had on your something face."
"It's just…Well…"
"Well what?"
"In that suit, you look like FBI." Buffy said as she stepped out the door with Xander and Willow.
"I do not!" Angel protested.
The service was held at sunset, Brain's favorite time of day, and the time of day when he had first met Buffy back in Italy, all those years ago. Brian was a truly loved individual; he had a fairly large family of brothers and sisters. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Nephews. The Priest said the twenty-third Psalm, and several members gave eulogies. Tears were shed, and roses were placed on Brian's casket, as one by one people filed by to say a final farewell.
Buffy stayed until the casket was lowered, and the earth poured on top. All other mourners and had gathered back at Buffy's for the wake. Willow played hostess. Dawn did not wish to go the funeral, but instead wanted to be near Buffy. Buffy assured her little sister that all would be okay, and sent her with Xander. It was more for Brian's family than hers, anyway. Buffy was alone until way past dark, when familiar footsteps approached.
"I thought I told you to go back to the house."
"And since when have I ever listened to anything you told me?" Buffy looked up from her place on the ground, and emerald eyes met chocolate.
"Never," Buffy said, reaching up to take Angel's hand. "What brings you to a graveyard, Agent Booth ?"
"You know that joke's a little old," Angel told Buffy as he straightened his tie.
"What? You don't watch TV?"
"Huh," Angel was confused. "I don't get it."
"Booth. You know, "Bones"? It's a television show."
"Never heard of it. Besides, I like to think I'm more of a Mulder type."
"He was FBI too, Angel."
"Oh," Angel said clearing his throat. "I never caught on with popular TV."
"Obviously," Buffy quipped.
"So is everyone still at the reception?"
"It's usually called a Wake," Angel corrected. "And they've mostly gone home. Why are you still here?"
"Trying to decide what to do with my life," Buffy admitted. "It's hard to imagine a time when I didn't already have my life planned for me. With Brian it was always spontaneous, and I liked that. And then it became routine. I stayed home, he had the job. "Now, I've started slaying again, and things are back to what they used to be. Me, alone with the creatures of the night. I think I'm beginning to miss the mundane part."
"We always miss boring" Angel said looking at Buffy, "after its gone."
"Yeah, I know," Buffy agreed as she kneeled before Brian's grave.
"I had always wanted to travel around the world again," Buffy thought aloud. "Just get on a plane and pick a place. Maybe I should do that again."
"You could," Angel knelt beside Buffy, and placed a yellow rose on the leaven earth.
"I think it would have been something Brian would have wanted you to do."
Buffy turned and looked at Angel, as bright smile on her face.
"I never really thanked you," she told him. "For being there for me after… You know… Brian died."
"It's what he asked me to do," Angel said as if it were already known. Buffy looked puzzled.
"Brian asked you to watch after me?" Buffy stood.
"Yeah, a long time ago. Back when you guys were in Miami at the first of the year," Angel also stood.
"That long ago? But he didn't know you! He never asks something that important of someone he's just met!"
"He just told me that you would be a wreck when he died, and he wanted me to be here for you."
Buffy looked down at the grave. She could her mascara begin to run.
"He must have known," she whispered, holding back tears. "He must have known that I was never his."
"I think he came to that conclusion long before I came back." Angel said rubbing Buffy's arm. Buffy knelt down before the grave again, this time placing a hand on the dirt.
"Poor Brian," she whispered.
Suddenly a hand came forth through the dirt, grabbing Buffy's arm and making her lose her balance. Buffy's heart began to race as she called for Angel to help. He grabbed her under her arms and pulled. As he pulled Buffy back, they inadvertently pulled whoever it was with them. The man let go, and allowed Buffy to gain her footing.
"What the …," Buffy said, staring at the man. He was wearing the tan suit she had just buried Brian in. When the man raised his head, Buffy lost all train of thought.
"B –B –Brian!?"
He looked at Buffy, and tilted his head, before vamping out and lunging at Buffy. Buffy jumped to one side as Brian lunged for her, and he landed on the ground. He quickly got back up and made another move. He jumped Buffy taking her to the ground. He swung a punch to hit her, but she blocked it, before flipping him over her head. Buffy rolled over to her stomach and pushed herself up. Brian also stood and rushed to attack Buffy. He didn't quite make it, as Angel stepped between them, and punched Brian's face.
It felt weird to hit Brian, but wearing a Vampire's face helped tremendously. So Angel hit him again, then slammed his stomach against Angel's knee. Brian retaliated, and punched grabbed the lapels of his black suit, and threw Angel against a tree. Angel's back landed with a thud against the bark, and it took Angel a moment to catch his breath. When he looked at his suit jacket, he saw that the lapels had been ripped,
"Hey," Angel cried, "This was a $1500 dollar suit!"
Brian looked towards Angel from his place above Buffy, giving Buffy her opening and placed her feet under Brian and kicked, freeing her from his choke hold. She coughed as she sat up, looking at Angel as he tossed her something from behind his jacket.
"Buffy! Catch!" Angel tossed Buffy a wooden stake. Buffy caught it as she stood, and waited for Brian to come at her again. An evil gleam, glistened in the vampire's eyes. Buffy remained in her stance, but twitched her body, making Vampire Brian charge. She stood still, and waited patiently, as he came closer.
He tried to swing at Buffy as he approached, Buffy blocked it and spun around, plunging the stake into Brian's back. Brian continued forward a few feet, before stopping and turning to Buffy.
"Good-Bye, Brian," Buffy said as he instantly turned to dust that settled on the mound that was his grave.
End Chapter
A/N: HA HA! Surprised ya huh? (Grins evily) Oh, and the Booth reference just spilled out! I didn't plan it, I SWEAR! LOL Hope you liked!
OH MY GOSH! The reviews I got from last chapter! LOL I WAY exceeded five! Thanks so much you guys! And just to warn you, just because Brian's dead doesn't mean its all happy ever after for our heros! I'm taking my cues from Joss, BUT I will NOT leave it up in the air like he was forced to! LOL Keep reading, and as always Read & Review! I need at least five to keep going!!