So, without further ado, onto the next chapter.)
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Knock, knock,
Who's there?
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"I don't know what happened," fear shone in her eyes. "One second we were laughing and talking and the next second she's…"
Giles frowned as he let one eyelid fall, covering the glazed, shocked expression that had unsettled all of them. Even Spike was looking disturbed. Again, he looked to Buffy.
"Why didn't you take her to the hospital?" he demanded.
She tightened her jaw slightly. "Because it's clearly mystical, and you're the guy for that."
"And also maybe because you don't like hospitals?" Anya added. Helpfully. Or so she thought.
"This was extremely irresponsible of you," tweed rustled as he stood. "We need to get her to the hospital immediately. Honestly, Buffy, why did you come running to me when there was…?"
"Cut it out, Watcher!" Spike growled. "This isn't gonna help Platelet!"
"I don't need your opinion Spike!" Giles flared back, worry getting the better of both of them.
Anya looked on, feeling suddenly, strangely detached from this bunch of angry, worried humans and one demon. That had always been a thing with vampires, she noted clinically. Always driven by their baser instincts. Spike? He was something more. He was emotion. Blood. She would know, she has been a Vengeance demon, after all. Any strong emotion she used to be able to instantly feel, her senses fine-tuned to anguish. It didn't mean she couldn't feel everything else, though.
Now, it was not so strong. But that didn't mean she could still feel it.
A part of her awakened. It wanted to join the throng around the fallen girl. Join Tara worriedly counting her heartbeat, join Willow holding her hand. Join Xander joining in. But she felt out of it. How could she feel excluded when even a vampire was taking part?
The confusion rose in her as she looked at the pale skin made even more ghostly with the black hair that framed it and the empty face.
Was it really only six months ago the two had first stumbled so chaotically into their lives? She looked towards Daniel. The fear was painted wooden over his face.
How could 'Xander's uncle's illegitimate child' and 'Willow's random cousin with black hair' come to have meant so much to them? It wasn't as if they'd spent overly that much time together.
It was then that Anya took her first step towards realizing lines between what came almost naturally for humans and what demons had to struggle for.
It was the little moments. The little things people said and did. It was the laughter, pure and heady as they wrestled. It was the snarking and the smiles. The shyness and the stutters. It was a broken angel, mending her wings with a single concerned touch. All that and more.
There were no ordinary moments with humans. Everything took on a special, harsh, light. There was more, of course. There had been the fights that she'd seen and Daniel looking sullen for weeks. There had been Dawn screeching and Cassandra weeping, and somehow the Scoobies had been pulled in. Not enough to participate, to take part in this world of theirs. But enough to feel, for a moment, the intensity of innocence broken away by a startling maturity.
It was feelings. It was the humanity. That was why they mattered.
And suddenly, finally, she realized why Xander was always so willing to risk life and limb to help Buffy. She finally realized why his relationship with Willow. She finally realized why she was a little in love with these strange, these peculiar, these crazy humans.
And with that, she was one of them. The blossoming realization earned the radiant smile that Xander loved but never saw enough. She turned to open her mouth, declare anything when the words broke through again.
"Giles… I don't think it will help if we take her to the hospital."
The Watcher agitatedly pushed his glasses back. "And why not?"
Tara gestured towards the girl. "I t-think she's waking up."
As they crowded around, Anya slipped over to Xander, the smile still on her face.
"Xander, I think I've just…"
He shook his head. "Anya, not now," came instinctively out of his mouth, but when he turned he caught the remnants of the smile that was now fading away.
"But…"
He kissed her forehead. "You're beautiful, Ahn," he grinned, before quickly moving to help Spike carry Cassandra over to a chair.
She was left behind, an odd look on her face. Maybe there was still a lot to learn. But now at least she had hope and understanding.
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Ba-dumpBa-dump
"Who's there?" she screamed.Ba-dump
Ba-dump
"Answer me!"
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
"Where are you… you… you…?" echoes rebounded back, multiplying and descending down again to nothingness.
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
"This isn't funny, you know!"
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
"S… show yourself!"
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
She quavered. Felt wetness coat her fingers as she grasped at a wall. She screamed.
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
The reflex action hurled her away, stumbling and falling as she ran from the fountain of blood. The sickly sweet smell hung over her. She couldn't run from that.
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
She curled into herself. The vibrating pain through her skin and her muscle and bone and her head and her heart clenched and she screamed again.
"S-stop it!"
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
She hugged her knees tighter, bent double under the agony.
"S-stop! I d-don't think I c-can take too m-much more!"
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
She rocked, back and forth, shaking her head from side to side as tears leaked out.
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
"Stop!" she shrieked. "PLEASE!"
Ba-dump
Ba…
Silence. The pain was gone. Sobbing in relief she crawled upwards. Her surroundings were no longer black and red. Her voice no longer echoed. She sucked in a heavy breath. The roundness of it filled her.
She tripped, and clawed upwards again, her black hair falling deep into her eyes as she shook her head to clear her vision. A maze now spiraled before her. Hesitantly, she took a step. And then another. Robotic, she lurched forwards, the fear turning her body into lead.
"H-hello?"
One corner. Three corners. Leftrightleftrightleftrightleftright. She wove in and out, now. No longer in control. Her feet carrying her deep into the center.
Leftrightleftrightleftrightleftright.
"Is anyone h-here?"
Leftrightleftrightleftrightleftright.
"Yes."
She leapt back, startled and afraid. Her mirror image stared back at her, smiling gently.
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"Cass!"
Dawn hugged her tightly as the girl's eyes slowly blinked open. There was a collective sigh of relief.
Cassandra winced as the aches came crashing down on her. She opened her mouth. Her maltreated throat croaked.
"Owwww…"
"Hey, Dawnie," Xander gently pulled her back. "Give her some room, hey?"
Dawn allowed herself to be disentangled from her friend reluctantly. Daniel didn't allow anything. He shook her shoulders gently.
"Cass! Cass! Are you alright?"
"Hey now, Junior," Spike was the one who intervened this time. "Look at her. Give her a couple o' seconds to catch her breath."
Willow looked from Xander to Spike and then back to Xander. And then back to Spike.
She and Tara shared a look. A smile blossomed over both of their faces.
She coughed. Hacked. Then she sat bolt upright and looked around before collapsing back down again.
"Whoah, take it easy Platelet…"
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Magic Box, Cassandra," Giles knelt before her, checking her temperature and pulse. "Good grief, you're as cold as death!"
Buffy winced. "Did you have to use that analogy?" she half-joked.
Anya studied her. "You still look a lot better than you did before," she voiced her opinion. "You looked like a week-old corpse. And I've seen a lot of them in my time. Not pretty."
Cassandra coughed again. "Thanks… I guess?"
"Now, we really need to get to business," Giles stood up. "What happened? Are you feeling better now?"
"Are you hurt?" Daniel interrupted. "Is everything okay?"
"Are you alright?" Dawn demanded simultaneously. "You just collapsed and…"
"I'm fine," Cassandra overruled them weakly. "Just… uh… I'm having a slight pain around here," she gestured to her throat.
The milky-white skin had been hidden before by her turtleneck, but now as she pulled it down, they all gasped. Except for Spike. He just sucked in unneeded breath.
A red mark stood out lividly from the pale surrounding skin. It was sunk deep, as if someone had branded it there. But it was the shape that shocked them the most.
"T-t-that's the s-sign out of t-the book you s-showed us!" Tara stuttered out, this time more out of shock than anything.
A silence.
"Research time," Giles said tersely.
Anya looked surveyed the scene.
"I'll get donuts with Xander," she grinned happily.
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It's been a while.
Yeah, I know that you know that, you prat. It's just one of those conversation things, right?
What? You think 'm tryin' to be civilized, now?
Are you off your soddin' hat?
Oh, what, she's telling you to tell me to stop bein' in denial, is it?
Denial is nice. It's safe. And who said anything about denial?
What rubbish are you on about? How the hell can you be in denial about bein' in denial?
What are you, a bloody shrink?
Ah, nevermind. Let's just not talk about this, eh?
Oi, you stop looking so gloomy. You don't have the bloody right when I'm so miserable myself.
Uh… you were supposed to glare and then laugh. Not just glare.
Well, to get off the topic then…
Why do you always wanna talk about this? Can't I just stay nice and safely in peace?
I… I don't want to talk about it.
No, that was not my William side coming through, you ponce!
Let's just forget it. For today. You're pissed, I'm pissed…
Hey, wanna get pissed?
…
Oh, geez, just cos you don't think it's a good idea…
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