Rabidreject- Thanks for the review. And yes, it was a very big step for Joyce, huge in fact, and you do see the very, very bad side effects of it all in this chapter. And I'm glad you think I portrayed the characters correctly. And ah yes, moe Watchers. Still wondering whether they are to be a hinderence or a help. Haha. And as for all things Post-Chosen, you'll just have to wait and see. And your end comments were really touching, thank you so much. It means a lot.
zigpal- Ah yes, but you should know me by now. Whenever Joyce gets a dose of the badness it's usually for a very good reason. And you may wish to note that she decapitated the Bringer just like Giles decapitated Randall and she did it with a sycthe, which just happened to be Buffy's final weapon of choice. All important intwined joinyness I promise. Hehe. Thanks for claps and review.
A/N: This may be badly edited as I'm just all over the place today so sorry in advance.
Looking around in the morning, Lily could barely believe the utter chaos that was Revello Drive. Almost every window in the entire house had been smashed to pieces by the Bringers and was presently being boarded up by the ever-working Xander. Pieces of furniture was also broken, and discarded- viewed as less important to fix when compared to windows and doors- another thing they didn't have right now. They had a thick piece of wood covering the doorway.
The dining room table could no longer be seen by the naked eye as it was covered by Willow's laptop and the many surrounding texts and papers regarding The First and any reference to the Evil. Sat at the table was Willow, typing away on her laptop, Tara helping her and Daniel, Cassandra, Jacqueline, Ted and Dawn were helping with the paper-oriented research. All of them trying desperately to find some weakness in The First.
Andrew was still unconscious from the previous night and was bound to a wooden chair by rope in the middle of the living room. Anya was hovering around him, occasionally taking a seat in the armchair next to him, waiting impatiently for him to wake up so she could begin hitting him again.
All the Potentials were in the basement- since it was now empty due to Spike's absence- doing what they could training wise. Lily didn't have the heart to tell them that when they were overjoyed at what a precise roundhouse they made that she and Buffy could make the target without a moment's thought and knock the punching bag off it's hinges completely in the process.
Buffy was in the kitchen- the stress from the previous night's events and the constant battle they were now fighting more than ever- causing her to have a serious case of the munchies. She had already worked her way through two boxes of cookies.
Lily's younger self was upstairs, asleep. She worried over how much her seven month year old self slept; she must practically snored away her first year apparently. And her parents were up there with her. Joyce had yet to come down the stairs or even out of her room yet, she was still traumatized by what she had done when the Bringers had attacked, and Giles wasn't, under any circumstances, going to leave her alone. Lily had checked on them a quarter of an hour ago to find that while her Mom was still in a state of shock she did register other people's presences and was able to hold a conversation, if only a minimal one.
In conclusion, not only was the house a wreck, but everyone within it was also.
"Oh, that was something," Anya suddenly said, breaking into Lily's reverie and she turned to see Andrew's face now wet and Anya holding an empty cup.
"What?"
"He twitched," Anya explained, "But then nothing"
Lily thought about that.
"Maybe you should try hot water," She suggested and Anya looked truly happy about the idea as she went to head back into the kitchen, but at that moment Buffy, after having finished her cookie dosage, came back into the room and the ex-demon promptly fell back into her seat.
"Nothing" She said, even though Buffy hadn't asked her any question.
"What?"
"Oh, well I-" Anya was saved having to give an explanation as Andrew awoke, spluttering and choking on the water that had been poured all over his face. "Look who's awake!" She began lightly brushing the water off his face as he choked, "Silly Andrew, you've drooled all over yourself"
"I- I was about to be dead..." He stuttered, looking at Buffy, "You saved me"
"For the time being," She replied, before becoming uber menacing as she spoke to him, "But if you don't tell us what we need to know- I'm going to offer you to The First on a platter and let him chop you into tiny little pieces"
Andrew drew back, gulping in terror before suddenly the fear diminished as a puzzled frown crossed his expression.
"The First what?"
"It's the name of the evil thing that pretended to be Warren and got you to kill Jonathon," Anya explained chattily, completely destroying the menacing atmosphere Buffy had created.
"Ah," He nodded in understanding, "Not very ominous sounding"
"It is if you understand the context-" Lily told him, but he wasn't to be convinced.
"No an evil name should be like Lex or Voldemort or-"
Lily sighed and rolled her eyes, before deciding to leave the interrogating to her oldest sister and Anya. She decided she'd finish off any cookies Buffy hadn't gotten her hands on and so headed into the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks when she saw her Mom and Dad there. Her Mom was sat down and seemed in just as bad shape as she had been upstairs, but she was out of her room now which Lily chose to take as a good sign.
"Hey," She said quietly, and her Mom started a little at the greeting, but found herself able to smile slightly when she saw it was Lily.
"Hi"
"How are you feeling?" Lily asked kindly and her Mom put on a brave face. It wavered slightly.
"Okay...a little hungry," She added, but then she fell silent again, looking down at the kitchen counter. Giles stopped making breakfast for the two of them to look over at Joyce and then at Lily, concern evident in his eyes.
"Buffy and Anya are trying to get answers out of Andrew in the living room," Lily said to both of them, breaking the silence lightly, "He's been unconscious for a solid eight hours, but Anya kept throwing things on him until he woke up. He woke up before we could scold him with boiling water." Her Mom didn't laugh. Didn't even smile. Just looked at her briefly as though trying to detect whether Lily was joking or not. "Anya was kinda disappointed about that" She added. Nothing again. "Andrew thinks The First should be called Lex Luthor," She added as a last attempt and her Mother looked at her with wide-eyed disbelief, "Seriously," Lily insisted, "That or Voldemort"
Her Mom laughed. Actually laughed.
"Sorry," Joyce apologized, "It just...gave me a visual of Rupert and Buffy having a serious conversation over how to defeat Darth Vader"
Lily smiled at Joyce, before grinning over at her Dad, proud that she had been the one to cheer her Mom up.
"So this breakfast you're making..." Lily said to Giles, taking a seat opposite to Joyce, "Couldn't be made for three could it?"
"You're coming to school," Buffy said abruptly causing Lily to jump slightly as she had been completely lost in her thoughts. She had been looking at her Mom sat in the living room. She was still what could be described as a nervous wreck, but she was getting a bit better. Giles had just left the room for a moment to get her a drink- water, though Lily suspected her Mom wanted something stronger right now- and now Joyce seemed visibly uncomfortable sat on her own and she edged further along her seat on the sofa, finding the secure corner to lean against. Pulling her eyes away, Lily turned to look at her sister from where they were both stood in the hall.
"What?" She asked, slightly confused.
"Andrew spilled about some seal. Said it's in the school basement." Buffy explained, "Giles can't come coz he's too busy with Mom and Mom's busy with...well, everything. I mean not that I'd ask anyway but...anyway, Xander's tagging, but I wouldn't say no to a second Slayer. You know, just in case the no eyes brigade show up again. You game?"
Lily looked back at her Mom for a moment and then looked back at Buffy, shrugging slightly.
"I'm game"
"It's around that corner I think," Andrew said as the four walked through the basement corridors.
"You know 'I think' is what led us to the dead end that smelt like the dead," Lily pointed out, a slight threat in her tone of voice.
"I said I wasn't sure..." Andrew quietly defended himself and Xander shoved the boy forward a few steps.
"Well, be sure this time" He told him, "Because-" He cut off and came to stand still as before them all, they saw the unearthed seal before them.
"Is it just me or does that thing seem to be oozing badness?" Lily asked everyone, raising a hand slightly as though she was in class.
"Yep," Xander nodded in agreement as they all slowly began to walk forward, "Just check out the goat-heady badness"
"What does it do?" Buffy asked as they all stood around. Lily walked closer, slowly stepping onto the seal itself, kneeling down for a better look.
"I don't know," Andrew shrugged, "Something not good. It didn't work cause..." He faltered, "There wasn't enough blood"
"There's blood here," Lily said from where she knelt, brushing her fingers over the bloodened engravings, "Lots of it" She looked around at everything else and saw a wooden contraption that looked very much like a torture device, "Looks like The First made another sacrifice"
"The seal could have been activated," Buffy said, panic building as Lily suddenly rushed off of the seal, shaking a little and moving her shoulders as though to shake something off, "What is it?" She asked.
"Nothing really..." Lily answered as she tried to shake off the intense feeling of ultimate badness that had come off the seal. She had felt it pouring out and leaking, coming off in invisible waves, trying to contaminate her, corrupt her. That was when she had leaped off of it. She'd never gone as far or been as bad as her Dad, but she admitted, mainly only to herself, that she had that same weakness for magicks- particularly of the dark variety- as he did. It was a rebellious streak, admittedly, but with the environment they were constantly in, it came out in a slightly more dangerous way than other teenage rebellions. Either way, she did not want to risk the evil being contained by the seal reaching out to that part of her so she had got away from it as quickly as she could. She was not comfortable sharing this information with Buffy or Xander though and especially not Andrew whom she barely knew, "Just general evil coming off of it. Probably not a good idea to stay near it for too long"
"Good point," Buffy agreed, "But if The First has made another sacrifice then who..." It suddenly dawned on her, "Spike." She said with a sigh, "That's what they needed Spike for"
"I had nothing to do with that!" Andrew immediately exclaimed.
"Oh thanks for that," Xander told him sarcastically, "Cause otherwise we might have thought you were up to no good here at the satanic manhole cover" Xander looked at the boy in disgust, "You killed your best friend"
"He's in a place of joy and peace," Andrew recited, "He told me"
"No," Lily told him harshly, "No one told you. Something evil tricked you and you let it. Again"
"Guys," Buffy interrupted the three of them, handing each a shovel, "Can we save the encounter session? We need to cover this thing up. Whatever it does, we can't leave it exposed like this"
"So what next?" Lily asked, after they had covered the seal and they were all heading back through the basement. Buffy was still holding her a shovel as though it were a weapon when she should have left it behind with the others, "I mean we find a seal, but we didn't find a Spike"
"I'm surprised you're bothered," Buffy replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm sorry," Buffy half-apologized, "But since you've been here you basically joined the Hate Spike club of which your Dad and Xander are like the founders. I'm just...I guess I'm just surprised it's a concern for you. I mean I didn't even mention him for this er- trip"
"Buffy, I don't like him," Lily told her, "He annoys me in just he annoys me kinda way. Like..." She searched around for an example and her eyes lit up when she realized she had one, "Like Andrew annoys me. Doesn't mean I don't care about what's happening to him. And I don't just mean that in a 'The First is using him so we're in deep shit' kinda way. He annoys me but I don't want him tortured"
Buffy stopped.
"You think he's being tortured?"
"Well, I doubt The First plays by Houseguest rules," Lily replied softly, "And so I doubt Spike's being offered tea and biscuits"
"Buffy,"
The two sisters turned to see a very confused Principal Wood stood before them.
"Robin," Lily said in surprise and both Wood and Buffy looked at her like 'huh' so she hurried to cover her tracks, "Wood. Robin Wood is..is your name. You're the Principal of this school."
"Yes..." Robin agreed slowly, looking at Lily in pure confusion, "I am. And you are?"
"Oh I'm-"
"This is Victoria," Buffy cut into Lily's reply and Lily looked at her with wide eyes, "She's...she's...a cousin. From outta town. Victoria the outta town cousin"
"Oh," Wood nodded, looking from Buffy to Lily and back again, "On your Mom's side?" He guessed and Buffy smiled.
"Can't you just tell?"
"Yeah...I thought you were sick Buffy. That's what Dawn told me this morning"
"Oh she is," Lily insisted and Wood looked at with a raised eyebrow, "But she's got better now. Must have been a twenty four thing"
"Yeah," Buffy nodded, "And I'm all better now"
"What's with the shovel?" Lily asked bluntly, noting that Robin, like Buffy was carrying a shovel.
"Oh yeah," Wood said as though only just realizing it was in his hand, "Somebody left it in the courtyard. I was returning it"
"That's some full service Principaling ya got there," Buffy commented, "Wow"
"I try," Wood smiled, before looking questioningly at the shovel in Buffy's own hands.
"Oh erm..."
"There's just shovels left all over the place in this school," Lily smiled, "Buffy just came here to tell you th-that she'll be back in. Tomorrow. Saw the shovel lying around which is such an obvious safety hazard and so decided to return it. Great minds think alike eh?"
"Right..." Wood nodded slowly.
"Okay," Buffy smiled, brightly, handing him the other shovel, "We have to go now. I will see you bright and early tomorrow" She grabbed her sister's hand and dragged her off.
"It was erm, nice to meet you," Lily called back to Wood.
"Likewise," She heard him reply, sounding more than a little suspicious.
"Hey," Lily said as they stepped out of the basement, into the school where Xander and Andrew were waiting for them- Xander looking less than happy to have been stuck with the geek, "It's Christmas" She commented, noting the tinsel decorating the halls.
"Oh yeah..." Buffy nodded, "I hadn't even noticed. Maybe we should decorate the rubble when we get home"
"Has potential," Xander agreed as they all began to walk out.
"Joking aside, maybe we should do something," Lily thought aloud, "Tis the season after all. And I think we could all do with a break"
Willow was meditating on the dining room table, preparing herself for a locater spell with Tara. The two were both sat on the wooden table, opposite each other, with their legs crossed and holding one another's hands. Their eyes were closed and they were breathing in sync. They were trying to find The First magically, while Buffy and Giles were out trying to find it manually.
Before they had left, Buffy had told Lily that the last time she came up against The First he had been holed up underground near a Christmas tree lot. So she was going back there. Lily offered to go with, power in Slayer numbers and all that, but Buffy had told her to stay at home. They needed one Slayer staying behind and Giles would go with Buffy instead. Plus, he seemed to be pretty knowledgeable on all things Firsty.
Lily drew her eyes away from the spell performance and walked over to her Mom, who was sat on the living room couch alone. She'd been doing that a lot since last night. Spending time alone. Not talking or doing anything, just staring. Lily took a seat beside her.
"Hello," She said simply, piercing the bubble of solitariness presently surrounding Joyce and she looked at her in surprise.
"Oh...hi"
"How you doing in there?" Lily asked with a slight smile, "Been to the outside world lately"
"What? No...I...I'm..." Joyce shook her head and turned away.
"Mom, I know it's hard to deal, but it wasn't the wrong thing to do," Lily told her, choosing to get straight to the heart of the matter, "You know that right?"
"Do I?" Joyce asked, "I keep telling myself it was wrong and evil and twisted and...I'd be better off-"
"Don't say things like that," Lily told her firmly, "It wasn't any of those things. You're not any of those things"
"But that's what I keep saying to me..." Joyce replied and Lily frowned as she realized her Mom's words may something very different than what she'd assumed.
"What do you mean you keep saying it?" She asked, "You mean you keep telling it to yourself? Or another you is telling you?"
Joyce nodded which Lily presumed to mean she was confirming the second idea.
"Mom you have to ignore that...that thing," Lily told her, panic building slightly, "Don't listen to anything it tells you. Anything. It's not you, it's not something good, it's not your subconscious, it's not any of those things. It's evil. It's The First. Please, you have to ignore it"
Joyce looked up at Lily, making eye contact for the first time, and she seemed to come out slightly of the horrified daze she had been in ever since the Bringers attacked. But at that exact moment there was an explosion from the dining room and Lily jumped up in surprise, before turning to look.
Willow's hair and eyes had turning completely black while in direct contrast Tara's were both white and gold. They were both struggling with an intense force between them, but while the force seemed to be feeding Willow, it was putting Tara in agony. As Lily ran over, the true form of the First burst out of Willow, glowering before them.
"YOU ONLY MAKE ME STRONGER!" The First said through Willow, it's demonic voice coming through.
Xander reached forward, picked up the bowl of herbs for the spell and smashed it on the floor before The First could do anything about. As quickly as it had appeared, the energy disappeared and both Tara and Willow collapsed, their colorings back to normal. Lily ran forward to check on the both of them. Tara was obviously in pain but recovering, while Willow was shaking from the trauma and fear.
"I feel it..." She trembled to Lily, "It's still in me"
"It's not, it's gone." Lily held her tightly to calm her down, "It's okay"
"I don't wanna hurt anybody. Don't let it make me. Oh god please don't"
"We won't, I promise," Lily assured her, "We won't use magic to fight this thing There are other ways, okay?"
"I can't...I can't..." Willow murmured over and over again.
Lily had tried to return to see if her Mom was okay, she had just been seeming to reach her when The First had attacked, but she had been so preoccupied with dealing with Willow and Tara and then her aunt, cousin, Watchers etc had turned up for research help they said, and had the Potentials tagging along with them so the chances of Lily getting to have some one on one time with her Mom and/or attempting to cheer her up were slim to none. With the uber crowds though and constant stress, Lily was insistent on one thing. That no matter how Buffy argued- and Lily knew she would- they were going to celebrate Christmas is some way. Maybe a big Christmas shindig for all of them was the key. She'd need to get a start now; there weren't even any decorations up yet! But, looking around at everybody taking over the house, Lily noted that it wasn't like she had a lack of people to help in that department. With this decision made, Lily went in search of Dawn whom she knew would agree with the idea and would know where the decorations were kept. Though Lily strongly suggested it was the basement.
It was the early hours of the morning when the house was finally decorated with the help everyone and now that very everyone had left, leaving just Dawn and Lily in the house. Oh, and Andrew, but he was now asleep and still annoying so the two sisters decided to not count him. Younger Lily was upstairs as was presumably Joyce since she wasn't on the ground floor.
"Looks pretty," Dawn commented, looking at the garlands and tinsel. Dan had even offered his helping hand by driving out in Joyce and Rupert's car and getting a tree which was now decorated. The only downside was the jeep now not only smelt of pine but had needles scattered everywhere over the seats.
The sound of the front door being opened reached their ears and the two sisters turned to see Giles and Buffy trying to sneak into the house quietly, both looking a little worse for wear.
"What happened?" Lily asked as she and Dawn rushed over to them.
"There was..." Buffy trailed off as she looked around, "What happened here?"
"Christmas spirit?" Dawn offered in answer.
"Given what we're all going through right now, I thought we could use a little celebration," Lily added with a self-conscious shrug and Buffy just looked at her.
"That's nice," She said without sincerity, "Now would you like to hear about the vampire that did this to me or not?"
It was the next day, morning light was pouring through the windows and while Buffy was at work and Dawn was at school and the Potentials were banished to the far corners of the living room, nearly everyone else was gathered in the living room discussing Buffy's discovery of the Turok-Han last night. The Watchers among the group were leading towards blind panic at the thought of the incredibly strong and virtually unbeatable vampire that was previously believed to be a myth. The other Scoobies were left with just being confused and scared.
"Do,do you think that's what The First used Spike for?" Willow asked, holding tightly onto Tara's hand as though it would give her the strength not to be afraid, "To raise this Ubervamp?"
"Possibly," Giles nodded, "We can't be sure, but it seems likely"
"But it's just a vampire right?" Xander asked, "And I mean with two Slayers the odds are on our side right?"
No one replied which gave Xander the answer he was dreading.
"Erm...Dad?" Lily's voice came from the doorway to the kitchen as she walked in.
"Hmm?" Giles looked up from his scribbles and notes, slightly disoriented at having to look around at the real world once more.
"We kinda have a little problem"
"What do you mean? Buffy hasn't-"
"No, it's uh, nothing to do with this," Lily assured him, walking over to the table, "It's just..." She sighed, aware that everyone else in the room was going to hear what she said no matter what, "in the kitchen...Mom's...well...she's kinda...drunk"
"What?" He gasped while Anya smiled widely.
"Seriously?" She asked with a grin, before turning to everyone else, "That's great! I love drunk Joyce" When the non-Scoobies frowned at her, she explained, "She comes out with some amusingly insightful statements," She informed them.
"Why is she...She's in the kitchen?" Giles asked, getting up out of his seat and Lily nodded. He walked past her, out of the room. Lily followed on.
"Rupert!" Joyce exclaimed with a wide grin when the two of them walked into the room. She was sat at the island, slouched slightly on a stool, with a half empty glass of amber colored liquid in her hand. Joyce was not really a lightweight and could handle her drink, so Rupert knew for her to be drunk she would have had to have had a lot of those drinks she was holding.
"Joyce..." He said walking over, "What are you doing?"
Lily opted, for the sake of everything, to just watch the event from the sidelines.
"I..." Joyce told him, "Am having a drink. Several actually." She added with a smile. "Would you like one too?" She held out the glass to him and he took it out of her hand only to place it back on the table. She frowned in displeasure.
At this point, Anya, Willow, Tara and Xander joined Lily in the doorway. The rest, out of politeness, chose to stay in the dining room pretending they couldn't hear anything of what was going on.
"Joyce what on earth do you think you're...you can't act like this. It's not you" Giles said and she frowned at him, before grabbing the remaining drink.
"W-w-why not?" She asked, "I have stuff to to to deal with and...i'm solving it with this" She finished off the drink, "A-a-and, and don't you start with me me about it Rupert," She told him, jabbing the glass in her hand at him for emphasis, "Because I know for a FACT you've dealt with your problems this, this way...many time. Just drinking it all away..." She looked down at the empty glass, before looking up at Giles with a bitter expression, "'Nother thing we have in common I guess." She refilled the glass and held it up to him in toast, "Here's to you. Us. Whatever" She drank, but before she could finish, Giles took it gently yet firmly out of her hands and placed it on the far end of the island out of her reach.
"Joyce, you are not acting like yourself. This isn't..." He sighed, "You're drunk Joyce. Now let's just-"
"No, I am not drunk!" She protested, "I am" She thought about it for a moment, "I am..depressed" That stopped him cold.
"Depressed? Why are you-"
"Why do you think?" She challenged him in annoyance, glaring at him, "I killed someone. I. Killed. Someone." She laughed without humor at herself as though actually saying the words amazed her, "Now that isn't me. But I did" She looked at Rupert, before reaching for the glass again despite his protestation, "Guess you'd know all about that though wouldn't you? Randall went the same way didn't he?" She sliced along her neck with her finger, the universal sign for decapitation, "See...maybe we have a lot more in common than we think. You just..." She made the decapitation sign again, but Rupert's face betrayed no emotion at her words. "Lot alike us"
"Yes. We are." Rupert agreed, "But not like that Joyce, not like that. There are no similarities between those two events. You've got to stop thinking of it as killing someone, but as protecting your family. It was a Bringer and...doing what you did...it was no different than killing a vampire"
"Aaah," Joyce said knowledgeably, finishing her drink again before continuing, "But when one does it to a vampire. They turn to dust don't they? Ashes to ashes to ashes... his head just rolled. A person. No matter how evil. He was a person. And I killed him." She poured herself another drink while everyone watched in stunned and emotional silence. Rupert had stopped trying to stop her having more alcohol, "You know...Lily told me...and I I know it was The First talking to me...as me..." She wrinkled her nose in confusion, "Which is, is kinda weird...but maybe she was r-r-right. Better off not...I just seem to do..." She smirked without humor, "Getting kidnapped all the time. Just one great big distraction. With with a penchant for cutting people's heads off. Better for you all if I just wasn't here. Could all just get on with y-y-your lives..."
"That's it." Rupert said, refusing to even reply to the heartbreaking words she was saying as she drank, "I've had enough of this. And you've," He grabbed the glass and tossed it aside so she couldn't reach. It slid off the table and smashed, "had enough of that" He went to grab her hand, but she snatched it away.
"No," She said shaking her head vehemently, "You can't...can't...just treat me like a child l-lit-little wife you can tell-l what to to do. No. I can if I want." She got up off the chair with the intention of getting another glass but she swayed and stumbled as the alcohol fully reached her brain with the movement. But she didn't fall and didn't let it deter her. She continued onto the cupboard containing the glasses, but before she could reach the handle, Rupert grabbed her away and when she effortlessly slapped at him, not quite hitting the mark, he picked her up, swinging her over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, giving him full control and ensuring she couldn't break free. Though it wasn't for lack of trying as she punched and slapped his back with her hands and kicked his chest with her feet and legs. He didn't let it distract or faze him.
"Put me down!" She demanded, practically screaming, "Put me down Rupert!"
"No," He said simply in reply, "You are going upstairs and you are going to lie down until you've gotten this out of your system"
"Like hell," She replied, "I'm not a child! Put me down! Put me down!"
The group in the doorway shuffled aside quickly and silently, their eyes at the ground as Rupert carried the still kicking and screaming and very much drunk Joyce through the dining room, ignoring the people at the table as much as they ignored him before carrying Joyce up the stairs.
"Let go of me!" Joyce continued to yell, "Put me down now! You can't just do this! Put me down!"
He walked into their bedroom and while she was still kicking and screaming at him, dropped her down on her back onto the bed. The moment he let go of her, she went to get back up. He grabbed her again and she nudged against him with the full weight of her body to get him off of her, but being drunk had rid her of her equilibrium and instead she toppled into him, knocking them both painfully to the floor. It was barely a second, before she was scrabbling away again, determined to get away from him, but he held onto her waist tightly, keeping her from going anywhere.
Eventually, the energy just suddenly left her and she collapsed into his lap, leaning against his chest and crying.
"It just it hurts so much Rupert," She told him through the sobs, "I can't bear it. I can't take it anymore"
"I know..." He told her softly, holding onto her tightly and warmly and stroking her hair soothingly, "I know"
It wasn't a lie. He knew exactly what she was going through. He just wished she didn't have to.
The sun was beginning to set and everyone was still gathered at the Giles/Summers residence. Buffy had returned home with Dawn to find their Mother was in more of a wreck than when they had left in the morning. Giles had explained them, clearly feeling pained to do so, about how Joyce was feeling, what she was going through due to the events of the night The Bringers had attacked. Which was why she was not downstairs and was remaining in bed.
"Plus," Lily added, "She'll probably be suffering from a killer hangover soon"
"And also...not to add to like the uber distress Buff, but the sun's gonna set pretty soon," Xander said, silently referring to the issue of the Ubervamp.
"In seventeen minutes to be exact," Giles said, looking at his watch.
"Hey junior Slayers," Xander said over to the panicked looking Potentials, "don't look so worried. I mean sure, we may not know where Spike is or how to fight The First o if and when this Super-style vampire is gonna attacks us all. However..." Xander tried to think optimistically but it was Anya who helped him out. Ish.
"But look, tinsel," She pointed out the decorations with a positive smile, "So you know, erm prettiness in the face of death. That's good right?"
"Anya, sometimes, I wish you wouldn't help," Xander said to her not unkindly.
"What?" She asked in confusion, "I was supportive." She looked around at the others, "Right?"
"Maybe w-we should try another spell," Tara suggested, choosing not to answer Anya's question, "To weaken the vampire?"
"No," Willow shook her head, "No more magic with all things The First. No"
"Hey," Kennedy said, stepping forward, "Could we have weapons?"
"No," Buffy and Lily said in synchronization, but Kennedy was not so easily refused.
"Trained fighters. Badness coming. I've heard worse ideas"
"We'll be armed when the Slayer feels we're ready," Annabelle said.
"I do not meen no deezrespect but eef a vampieur attacks, I will get a weapon for mayself whetheur Buffee wishes me to or not" Natasha admitted.
"You're frightened," Annabelle told her, "But you just must learn to control your fear"
"Hey you know what would help with that?" Kennedy looked at Buffy, "Weapons"
"It does kinda make sense," Rachel added, "We're sittin' ducks otherwise. And it's not like this house is standin' strong is it? I keep feelin' it's gonna just crash down around our heads."
"It'll come straight for us won't it?" Annabelle asked, her voice trembling and Buffy sighed, before looking at Giles.
"Better load em up" She walked off and Lily followed on supportively.
"I hate to state the obvious but this sucks"
"It pretty much does," Buffy agreed, "This is the first time I don't know what to do, like actually don't know. I've always had a feeling, an inkling, but this time..." She sighed heavily, "I don't know"
"Guys!" Molly called out to everyone, "Slayer Team guys" Everyone turned to look at her, "Annabelle's done a runner"
Lily and Buffy ran down the streets together at Slayer speed, wondering where the hell Annabelle could have gone to.
"Buffy," Lily said, coming to an abrupt halt and Buffy stopped beside her.
"What?"
Lily just pointed in answer and Buffy felt sick to the stomach as she saw what her sister had seen. Annabelle's mangled corpse.
Before either of them could fully take in what had happened the two were brutally knocked aside, flying over the concrete slabs and landing on the floor hard. They both looked up to see the Ubervamp before them.
"I'm guessing this is that primeval vamp thing?" Lily checked.
"Yep," Buffy nodded, before leaping up with her sister, both determined to beat this thing. Buffy let loose with a series of powerful roundhouse kicks and when the vampire was just about to get it's bearings, Lily spun round, snapping it's jaw back with a high right kick followed though with another roundhouse. Buffy went to hit forward, but the Vamp smashed her in the stomach with his fist before she could and she went flying back with the force.
Before he could go after her, Lily attacked him, using almost the same moves as Buffy but fearfully finding that the Slayer strong punches and kicks had little effect on him. He blocked her next punch before picking her and tossing her into a pile of concrete which smashed on her impact. She well to the floor with a groan of pain, coughing, blood from her splattering on the floor.
Buffy, a bloodied mouth herself, picked up a concrete brick and swung it at the Ubervamp, causing him to stumble backwards. She grabbed Lily's hand, helping her up, the two of them running off, further into the construction site. The two looked around desperately for weapons and had barely grabbed a metal pipe in time to knock the Vamp in the face violently. It didn't even faze him and he knocked the pipe out of Buffy's hand effortlessly and he backhanded Lily away before heading forward to corner Buffy with a series of powerful punches that hardly ever missed her and bloodied her up bit by bit,putting her on complete defense as she got weaker with every punch. Finally he punched her in the ribs, breaking the bones, before tossing her away. Lily, now recovered from being tossed away herself, now charged the vampire, attacking with all that she had. The Ubervamp didn't even flinch before he caught her leg, swinging her round into the wall. She slammed into it with full force and was stunned by the pain, and barely managed to duck a lethal punch, before she was knocked into a pile of building materials that cashed down upon her right leg, causing some serious damage as she tried to pull herself out from under the weight.
The collapse of materials on Lily gave Buffy an idea though and she ran forward,not to the Ubervamp, but to her sister, pulling her out from the rubble, and as the two ran Buffy pulled a rope down harshly and tons and tons of concrete and splintered wood crashed down upon the vampire and there was silence. Lily and Buffy looked at the pile of debris with a sigh of relief. No creature could have survived that in a million years. They smiled at each other, their brave facade fading slightly before they stumbled away from the scene.
There was the sound of rumbling and twisting metal behind them suddenly and they stopped in their tracks. They slowed turned in the direction the noise was coming from and saw the pile of rubble moving before the unharmed Turok-han broke out of it all, stood strongly before them.
Neither Slayer could believe and pure fear took them over completely and they did the only thing they could. They ran. They were just reaching the edge of the construction site, so close to freedom when the Ubervamp appeared in front of them. He looked at them both, before punching Lily in the stomach, the impact sending her flying back and slamming into one of the unfinished constructs. As she fell to the floor in immense pain she could only watch as the vampire essentially kicked Buffy's ass, each blow causing her major external and internal damage. He caught her best punch effortlessly in his claw, twisting it round, before sending her flying into the same construct Lily had hit before. Buffy fell to the floor lifeless, a few yards away from her as the wood and concrete started to fall on them. Lily managed to reach Buffy just in time to pull her out of the way of a concrete brick that would have crushed her skull, but that mere effort was too much and the same blackness that had enveloped Buffy caught Lily as well and she fell unconscious amongst the rubble.
She wasn't conscious, her eyes remained closed, but she was distantly aware of heavy weights being lifted off of her and Lily wondered what was going on, but the only thing she could acknowledge was the pain rushing through her body.
"God almighty..." Xander said horror as he looked at the state of the unconscious and bloodied forms of Buffy and Lily.
Joyce had a banging headache that seemed to reverberate through her entire body and she winced as she took some Advil and she had to move her head slightly to swallow the tablets. She was barely able to acknowledge the other people in the house, her head felt so bad. However, her headache fell completely from her mind as the front door opened and Giles walked in carrying a bloodied, seriously injured and unconscious Lily in his arms and Xander followed carrying Buffy who was in the same state as her sister.
"Oh my god," She gasped, her hand to her mouth, "What happened? My god, are they going to-"
"I don't know," Giles answered tensely and honestly, just as worried as Joyce for the two girls. "We, we need to get them...to get them both upstairs. In bed. Where they can..." He didn't say the word 'heal', because in the most honest part of him he knew that may not happen. That they may not recover from the attack by the ubervampire.
Lily awoke to the sound of voices. They were quiet and distant and coming from downstairs. She was in her room and there large spots of red on the covers from where she had carried on bleeding after being lay down on the bed. She was still in extreme pain but she refused to stay there, doing nothing. She was a Slayer. She would heal. But she needed to get up. That was the only way.
Pushing herself up off the bed, she stumbled forward a moment, before regaining balance and walked forward slowly, but strongly. One step at a time.
She stopped as she reached the bottom of the stairs, and took in the scene in the dining room. Buffy was speaking to them all. Everyone was there. Everyone except Annabelle.
"From now on we won't just face our worst fears, we will seek them out. We will find them and cut out their hearts, one by one, until The First shows itself for what it is. And I will kill it myself. There's only one thing on this earth more powerful than evil. And that's us"
Buffy looked at them all challengingly.
"Any questions"
"Yeah," Lily said, stepping forward and her parents looked visibly relieved that she was okay, though she saw Joyce wince in hangover worthy pain after moving her head to look at Lily.
"What?" Buffy asked, wondering what the hell she was going to ask.
"Can we have Christmas now?"
Lily had been right. Buffy had said that they couldn't have a party with everything going on right now, but Lily had argued that was exactly why they needed a party. If they didn't everything would just get worse and worse. They all needed to forget what a little while, rejuvenate to start afresh after. They all needed this, like really needed. Buffy looked around at everyone with a slight smile on her face.
Joyce, hangover gone enough now for her to be well and coherent, while she was staying off any alcoholic beverages offered at the large and cramped party was much better now that the party was allowing her not to focus on what she was currently coming to terms with. She was smiling and laughing easily.
Because she was okay, and also as were Buffy and Lily, Giles was also a lot more relaxed and was apparently enjoying the party atmosphere with friends he hadn't socialized with in such a long time such as Dan, and spending time with his sister and nephew whom he so rarely saw.
Willow was no longer panicked over all things magicky and neither was Tara as the two of them were dancing crazily and good-naturedly to the Christmas songs being played loudly.
Xander and Anya- well they just looked a whole lot more relaxed. They had been in a state of constant tension and stress lately with everything, but now looked perfectly laid back. But that may have had something to do with the pina coladas.
The Potentials had loosened up as had Cassandra and the other Watchers and now longer seemed as annoying as they initially had been. Despite the loss all of them had so very recently faced, they were partying away. For one night, allowing themselves to not think about any of it.
Dawn was getting on very well with Rachel and seemed to be having a fun time with the Potentials and Buffy was just enjoying one responsibility free night and seeing everyone else happy and relaxed. Plus Andrew was still tied to a chair which was all to the good.
And as for Lily, the one not currently being entertained by Jac and Dan, the brilliant mind behind this marvelous plan...Buffy couldn't see her through the party crowd. She headed forward, weaving though everyone to find her. It was only when she walked into the last possible room she could be in and she didn't find her that Buffy realized something. She was gone.