A/N: Yes... It's true, the computer is fixed. It's a miracle... a $150 miracle.
Thank you to the Brilliant James Taylor for Fire and Rain, and Sarah MacLachlan for I Will Remember You.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Everyone had already eaten when they gathered to say goodbye to their fallen outside in their newly shielded area. Rachel stood with the slayers, but still held Puck's hand. They had set up candles to illuminate the area and now Buffy was about to speak.
"Today we were blessed. Since this terrible curse has fallen upon us we've tried our best to reach out and bring any survivor we find here. Today we managed to bring home many. And now we gather to mourn and celebrate the lives of the few we have lost today." Buffy took a moment to look down and calm herself. "Caridad was a slayer that has been with us since Sunnydale. She fought the First Evil and the Turok Han. Over the past few years she has fought and defeated anything she's been pointed at. She trained at least twenty slayers. She was a leader, a fighter, a true slayer and a dear friend and we'll truly miss her."
As she stepped back, Dom Toretto stepped forward and began speaking of Brian O'Connor. After he finished it was Professor Severus Snape's turn for Theo Knott. After they finished speaking, Rachel stepped up and began speaking.
"I know most of you don't know us, I mean New Directions, the Glee Club from Ohio, but we've found in our lives that whenever something happens, some stumbling block is kicked into our path, it helps us to sing about it. Singing is also a way we express ourselves to others. We've sung this song before, and it holds a very special place with us. We, along with our new friends from the school for performing arts would like to sing to those of you who have lost so much."
Everyone else stepped forward, and they made room for the new kids to blend in. Finn began the song.
"Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susanne the plans they made put an end to you."
Rachel was next.
"I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to."
The rest of the club came in for the chorus.
"I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again."
Mercedes was the next to sing.
"Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day."
Santana finished the verse.
"My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way."
Once again the group came in for the chorus with the rest of the solos being sung by Puck, Quin with Marco and Denise finishing off the song. When there was silence the group stepped back into the crowd.
Rachel stepped to the middle, but in front of everyone, the group humming to her back. The song she began singing had only been altered slightly, and the group behind her only came in for the chorus. Her voice was beautiful as she sang I Will Remember You, changing the 'I's' to 'We's'. Puck moved over to Rachel and wrapped his arm around her slender shoulders and she curled into him.
Afterward everyone had a moment of silenc, the quiet only being broken by the sobs of Mia Toretto.
Giles moved to speak to everyone. "Thank you children, that was truly beautiful… I suppose I shouldn't call you that anymore. Some of you are slayers, some hunters and some healers… none of these are callings for children." Giles turned his eyes on everyone. "My group and I have been fighting this fight for a very long time; perhaps not this specific fight, but the fight against evil to save humanity certainly. We've each of us lost someone or several some ones that we've loved. I know each of you have also lost someone before this atrocity, but now… now we must accept that there's more to lose. For now we're safe here, and we'll continue to fortify and protect ourselves. We'll continue looking for survivors as well. Please remember, if you don't want to be here, we can get you wherever you wish to go. However we cannot guarantee that it will be safe. Our current plans are tentative, we plan on settling here for the winter and then, depending on our size and our needs, we'll start relocating. That is also something we'll be doing over the winter… looking for a new home area."
Xander Harris stepped forward and leaned over Giles shoulder to speak, "We don't want to make it seem like we're making all the decisions. We're definitely a democracy around here…always have been, unless it's the worst of times, and that's only been once. You've got questions, concerns? Come talk to us… or heck, just voice it. We know that we're going to need to start organizing, but tonight isn't the night for that. Tonight is the night to celebrate the lives of those we lost. To remember them and remember what they brought into our lives. Tomorrow, we'll start planning"
Draco sat on the steps of the Wellington Arms and stared at the creatures at the gate with pure hatred. Theo had been his to protect for a long time; both as a Slytherin and a friend. And when all had gone into hiding it had just added a larger sense of protection… this time for everyone in that pit.
The thought that those beasts had gotten Theo… could've gotten Ginny. If only Theo had agreed to wear the leather clothing Buffy Summers had provided everyone with. The twins loved theirs, kept flirting with the Hispanic bird. But Theo, he'd scoffed at the leathers, had said he only needed his robes and his wand. He'd forgotten they were in a new world with new dangers. Hells, not even just a new world but a new dimension! Draco and the other Slytherins, besides Theo, had learned very quickly arrogance here would do two things, piss someone off or get you killed, sometimes both. In his arrogance, Theo had gotten himself killed learning the hard way.
"What are we brooding about?"
The soft feminine voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Hello, Katherine."
"I really do prefer Kit," She told him.
"I cannot call you that," he shook his head.
"Why not?" she asked curiously.
"The Deatheaters… they hunted foxes, and when they found one with offspring they took them all to Voldemort. Some occasions he would slit the throats of the young and drink their blood and eat their hearts; other occasions he threw them to his precious snake," Draco didn't realize how much disgust filled his voice.
"And you had to watch all of this?" Instead of the revulsion he had expected, her eyes and words were filled with compassion.
"We were spies," he stated thinly. "We witnessed many things. Snape, my father and I watched as Potter, Hermione and Ron Weasely were brought before the Deatheaters. We watched and did nothing as instead of killing Potter Voldemort had Nagini, his damned snake bite a chunk out of his abdomen. We watched that beast pump venom through her fangs. We watched as Deatheaters murdered Weasely in front of Hermione, watched her face as she watched the boy she loved die in agony." Draco didn't realize tears were now slipping down his face and he didn't feel the small hand slip into his own to grip tightly. "And then the Dark Lord ordered us to rape and murder her," he whispered. "Crabbe, Goyle and I. We were to 'destroy the Mudblood'. I was too late to stop Crabbe and Goyle, but not too late to send them to Hell."
Draco looked into Kit's soft, weeping eyes, still talking softly, "I wrapped her in the cleanest sheet I could find. Her body was so bruised and she was so quiet… I thought she might be dead… but do you know? She never flinched… from me, Draco Malfoy, the boy who'd tortured her through school, the boy who'd watched her love die, the boy who'd just savagely killed two others in front of her… she never flinched. She didn't speak, but she wrapped her arms around my neck as I picked her up and I ran, taking her from that vile place." He suddenly noticed her hand within his own and jumped slightly. "You shouldn't be any where near me, Katherine. I am so many things that are unclean…"
"Don't be stupid," she snapped.
He kept muttering, "Malfoy, Slytherin, Deatheater…"
"For every bad thing you've done, you've already started making amends. There are a lot of people here that know a lot about that, and we don't judge you for it. You have a lot in common with Faith, especially your pain, and Faith is my personal hero…" For a moment some shadow moved through Kit's eyes but it was too swift for Draco to recognize. "You have a choice, Draco, you're here now. You can continue to live in the past or you can begin to live in the now and move towards the future and whatever that holds. Hard choice, scary choice, but all yours."