Disclaimers – Buffy, Willow and any other
characters from the series belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I’m just
borrowing them for a little while.
Other Disclaimers – This story has a relationship
between two women in it, if that or the thought of the Slayer and a Witch
getting it on bothers you leave now. If it is illegal where you live, I suggest
you move, soon!
Summary – This is the third and last
sequel after "A Higher Power" and takes place just after "The
Next Illogical Step", enjoy.
Thanks - Special thanks go to Diana Renee, for all her help and
patience Beta reading this story, pointing out problems and solutions, and all
in all making this a better story.
Feedback – Please send any comments or
suggestions to Alex at keeper444@webtv.net.
Flames will be summarily deleted.
< > Thoughts
Kresis sat on
his high-backed makeshift throne; his leg casually draped over the arm of the
chair. He was trying to mask the seething frustration that these...wanna
warriors were invoking in him. A
hundred vampires and demons and not a one had the potential to even be an
arms-bearer in the Royal Guard. How in
the five worlds of Taurus was he supposed eliminate the most powerful Slayer in
the history of this world, not to mention her mate, the Great sorceress with
such as these?
Count Kresis
couldn’t stop the impatient tapping of his talons on the table next to him, the
only outward sign of his boiling emotions.
He drank his favorite thick red mixture of twenty-year-old single malt
scotch and AB negative.
As per the
duties expect from one of his rank he was listening to the badly wounded demon
snivel about how the Slayer and Witch had defeated his carefully planned
ambush. He kept the fact that he
expected his forces to lose to himself.
Oh, he had
done the best he could by his soldiers-as he did by all his forces. But, his plan was to wear the Slayer and
Witch down by getting them to fight a series of ambushes on his terms. The General had watched the training drills
weeding out the slackers and identifying the ones who exhibited the most
talent. Then he had separated the
strongest to give them extra training-extra food-he treated them the best and
encouraged teamwork. They were the best of this ragged sorry group-they were
his only real hope of success.
Growing tired
of the sycophant’s simpering he rose from his throne and slowly stepped down to
stand next to the pathetic excuse for a commander. He put a reassuring hand on
the demon’s shoulder; he wanted this to be swift and painless for the fool.
He didn’t like
wasting a resource, but he had to somehow keep order within his ranks. Kresis knew that as the body count rose,
discipline would fail, so he needed to maintain total control of what he
laughing refereed to as his troops.
“Don’t worry
my friend, you will never again fail me.” Kresis said sarcastically and without
warning he tore the demon’s head off with a single smooth motion. “No one fails
me twice.”
He threw the
head down next to its still quivering body and walked to the door.
"Clean
that up!" He ordered the surviving members of the dead demon’s squad as he
walked out of the room. He was satisfied that within the hour all of his
commanders and their troops would know the price of failure and discipline
would never become a problem.
He cursed at
the shortsighted idiots on the council. They had been so afraid that he would
return to wreak havoc on them they had laid this ludicrous curse on him that
kept him away from the Hellmouth.
He knew that
if he could just get at those two bitches then one way or another all this
would be over. The Count wasn’t a fool, he wasn’t desperate enough to attempt
getting closer to the Hellmouth yet, but time was getting short. If things didn’t start to work out soon-then
he might have no alternative.
*****
Willow came
down the stairs after her shower surprisingly refreshed. It was hard to imagine that less than twelve
hours ago she had been taxed to her magical limits. Under normal circumstances she should have been totally wiped out
for at least two or three days-not bursting with renewed energy as she was now.
Something had
been slowly changing inside her ever since her little jaunt to Brigit’s
world. It almost as if they were
becoming stronger in their abilities.
Buffy should not have able to stand there and just pound it out with six
vampires and two demons the way she had last night, or as Willow corrected
herself, this morning.
With the
thought of Buffy came the memory of their abject failure with the innocent
girl, those bastards, had used as bait.
The young witch felt terrible about the girl-but it was Buffy who was
suffering from the soul poisoning guilt.
For the second time in less than twelve hours Willow felt impotent--what
good was all this power she was developing if she couldn’t ease the other half
of her soul’s pain?
She found
Buffy awake when she reached the bottom of the stairs. If awake is what you would call it, she
thought to herself. The young girl was
sitting on the couch staring down at the carpeting, her normally bright hair
nearly brown from the dried blood still matted in it. Willow tried hard not to gasp as the slayer faced her with dead
and defeated eyes. While the physical
damage to the blonde was impressive, it was the utter despair that radiated
from her lover in waves, which truly frightened Willow.
“Oh, Buffy...”
The Witch whispered as she sat down on the couch next to her soulmate. She reached out to take the slayer in her
arms and then pulled back because there was literally no safe place to touch
her. Besides the gashes on her arms the
witch saw cuts and livid busies all over Buffy’s body, even through the ragged,
bloodstained clothes she still wore.
“I got her to
drink some soup and a little bit of Gatorade.” Cordelia said quietly as she
walked into the living area with a mug of soup for Willow.
“Thanks.”
Willow took the mug and began to sip the hot chicken broth. She noticed as the slayer dropped her eyes
back to the carpet.
“You guys are
in serious need of a grocery run.” Cordy announced. “I made a list of the basics, if you could finish it with what
you want I’ll go, after we take care of her.” The brunette finished with a
pointed look at Buffy-Willow could tell that she was trying to provoke the
slayer-Buffy hated to be spoken of as if she wasn’t present.
But all her
lover did was clutched her injured arm tighter against her chest and sigh as
the slow trickle of tears began again.
“Buffy, honey,
please let’s talk about what happened.” Willow begged her soulmate.
The Slayer
didn’t answer; she just shook her head emphatically, no.
The helplessness
Willow felt was threatening to overwhelm her.
She just couldn’t stand to sit by and watch the person she loved more
than life itself be in such pain. Yet,
she just didn’t know what she could do to ease it.
“Okay then,”
she said with a resigned sigh. “Let’s
get you cleaned up and into bed.”
*****
Hela, Countess
of the First Circle, Matriarch of the house of Red Swords of Tarsus sat in her
throne room smiling slightly. She was
overjoyed as she watched the couple in a glowing red sphere. Her devious and
complicated plan was coming together perfectly.
That idiot
Kresis had been stupid enough to attack those two head on, once again
underestimating his opponents. The Slayer and her little Witch-Kit had thrown
everything right back at him weakening him even further.
Her own
mystical attack will be more subtle.
If everything
worked according to plan then, the slayer would be under her control before the
Witch knew anything was wrong.
“Oh, Max,” the
beautiful demon called to her human servant. “You don’t want to miss this, I’m about to start the Slayer’s
training.”
*****
Weeping softly
Buffy cradled the young girl’s lifeless body. She looked down at the innocent
face as the dull death-clouded eyes turned toward her.
“Why did you
forget me? It was your fault, you let
me die?” The girl’s hollow voice echoed in her ears. “Why? You could have
stopped him?”
“I-I-I
t-tried.” Buffy stammered, stunned by the accusation. Some part of the slayer’s mind knew this was a dream, that it had
already happened and that there was nothing she could do to change it.
Even as she
watched, a red glow covered the young victim’s face and it changed-to
Willow’s. Instead of cradling the
teenage girl in her arms she held the lifeless corpse of her lover. The witch’s blood pumped out through the
wound in her neck spraying Buffy with crimson.
“Will you
forget me, too?” The dead Willow asked spitting blood out of her mouth with
every word.
After a
shocked instant the tiny slayer felt as if a pit had opened up under her feet
and she was falling. She tried to hide the truth of her failure in denial, but
the lifeless green eyes of her soulmate continued to accusingly stare up at
her.
The dream
Buffy let out a horrific scream, dropping her soulmate’s body and curling on
herself. She prayed for insanity to
come and release her from the agony of failing the one person she couldn’t live
without. She lost all sense of her
dream, of who she was, as a red haze filled her mind and she knew that without
Willow, there would be no escaping the pain this time. She would be lost in
this eternal hell of reliving her failures.
She felt the
musical voice more then she heard it.
It started as a soft jingling on the very edge of her conscious
awareness and grew as she tried to focus on its beauty. Once she acknowledged it, that she could
hear it, it seemed to reach right into her and run through her nerves to her
core.
Buffy found
that if she concentrated--the notes almost became words-and the words began to
wash some of the emotional distress away.
She forced herself to uncurl and stand just so she could better hear the
song.
As she stood,
she understood the words for the first time and a peace engulfed her.
“Listen,” they
beckoned. “Listen, little slayer, believe in me. Surrender to me and you will
never hurt again.”
Buffy didn’t
want to question the music; she was frightened it would leave her, leave her
utterly alone, still she was the slayer and she had to know.
“How?” She
whispered.
Silence. The beautiful music stopped. Buffy was left straining to try and hear
it. But, all she could make out was her
own harsh breathing-panic seized her as the emotional agony threatened her
sanity once again.
“You need to
be punished.” A voice said softly behind her and the slayer whirled dropping
into a fighting crouch, only to find the dead teenager looking at her calmly.
“Once you
accept your punishment, everything will be all right.... See?” The dead girl
finished. She lifted her hand, placing
it over Buffy’s heart.
The slayer
looked back up at the girl’s face just as an intense wave of red light crashed
down the dead girl’s arm and slammed into her chest. Wave after wave of mind numbing pain tore through the slayer
until it hit the core of her being.
She knew she
deserved the punishment and she accepted it for her failures.
“That’s
right,” the dead teen encouraged. “Surrender to it and its pleasure.”
Then the
nature of the pain changed and Buffy lost all control as the red light centered
in her sex....
And she woke.
And she was
blinded by the bright morning sunlight pouring into through the windows.
“Giles, she’s
awake, again.” Cordy's voice shouted.
“Thank god, I
was beginning to get very concerned.” The ex-watcher said entering the room.
The slayer
tried to blink her vision clear but couldn’t; all she could make out were two
big people-shaped blurs.
She was
terribly confused by the sudden shift from her dream to being awake....
<>
Still, there was a dream, wasn't there? <> She thought to herself, as the
images faded.
“Buffy? How do
you feel?” Giles asked, tentatively sitting down on the bed next to her.
She blinked
again, trying to make him come into focus.
“Damn, she
must be still out of it.” Cordy's voice stated when the slayer didn’t respond.
“No, no, I'm
fine.” Buffy was able to force the words out. <> I’m sure I had a
dream. It was important. I needed to remember it. <>
“Well, it’s
about time!” Buffy looked at the blur that had to be the tall brunette. “Do you
know how worried we’ve been?” Despite the irritation in Cordelia’s voice Buffy
could plainly hear the fear her friend felt for her.
“Oh and poor
Willow; she has been beside herself-she feels guilty for leaving you to go to
the magic shop so she could get some stinky herbs to do a healing ritual-how was
I to know you were going to spike a fever in the twenty minutes she was
gone. That was just so unthoughtful of
you....”
"Cordelia
would you please shut-up!" Giles snapped at the babbling brunette.
At the mention
of Willow's name Buffy got a flash of a memory-it was more like a sense
memory--that her lover was in extreme danger.
“Willow, where
is she? Is she okay?” The Slayer asked
trying to sit up so she could find her soulmate.
“She’s fine
Buffy, she's sleeping in the guest room.” Giles said. But, when he touched her on her chest with the intention of
making her lie back down she got another flash of something or someone touching
her in the same spot.
“I need to see
Willow, now!” The Slayer cried as she got yet another flash, only this time it
was of dead green eyes staring up at her.
She tried again to stand up but her body betrayed her and she fell back
down, a sick dizziness forming in her in her head. Her thoughts were growing even more confused....
“Giles, I’ll
carry her in there.” Another people shaped blur said from the doorway. “Keeping
them apart will only make her sick again.”
Xander spoke walking over to the bed.
“It is against
my better judgment, Xander. Willow was
up for forty-eight straight hours and she needs her rest.” Giles stated as he
stood and faced the young man.
“I know,
Giles, but Buffy won’t wake her up. If anything having her there will help them
both rest." The Slayer heard as the blankets were lifted off of her and
strong arms picked her.
“I gotta say,
I agree with Xander.” Cordy piped in following the procession down the hallway.
Xander gently
placed her on the bed next to her soulmate and all Buffy could think about
doing was curling up around her and falling asleep despite the audience.
*****
Hela sat on
her throne as she listened to the report from one of her vampire spies in
Kresis’ camp. She knew it would not be long before her ex-mate would be amiable
to her offer of assistance and that would be his downfall.
It had now
been a week since her success with her first intrusion into the Slayer’s mind.
Like the
majority of males, Kresis had made the mistake of underestimating his
opposition because they were female. He
had tried to spring two more ambushes on the Slayer and her mate-both had met
with complete failure.
Hela herself
had observed last night’s ambush and she had to laugh at the incompetence of
Kresis and his troops.
The only thing
he had accomplished was killing off a significant potion of his forces and giving
the little Slayer vivid nightmares about the people he had used as bait.
He'd obviously
underestimated the Slayer and her lovely little witch and now she was certain
that he would underestimate her ambition, too.
HE could never understand her capacity for hatred and soon he'd be at
her mercy.
For centuries
she had chafed at the thought of her ex-partner still alive and able to enjoy
life’s pleasures after she’d done her best to destroy him.
Exile would
never be adequate revenge for her after what he had done! Once she had total control of the Slayer,
and her soulmate, then the council and the Darklord would fear her!
Maybe she
should raise her goals.... Mistress
Darklord didn’t sound so bad to her!
Either way once the slayer and the little Witch-Kit were under her
control and fully trained no one would dare act on her decision to rid herself
of that arrogant bastard Kresis.
<>Soon
it will be time, <> she thought. <>Soon there will be no way that
fool will be able to refuse my terms and then it will be only a matter of time
until he is dead. <>
She chuckled
at her own cleverness.
“Goddess,
Cordy,” Buffy whined sleepily.
It felt like
she and Willow had only just fallen asleep when Cordy came bouncing into the
bedroom. She was there to demand that
Buffy come with her to the seamstress for the final fitting. Buffy had missed one of the fittings because
she had still been recovering from her illness. Even now, her mind shied away from memories of that ambush.
“But, at least
we were able to save the ones last night,” she mumbled under her breath.
“What?”
Cordelia asked.
“I said,
you’ve made me go to that dungeon three times already, isn’t that enough
torture, or do your especially hate me?”
“Oh, no, Miss Almighty
Slayer,” the beautiful brunette scolded. “You know for someone that’s supposed
to be so tough you sure are a baby about the little things.” Cordy put on her
best Queen C face. “Now get your cute little butt out of that damn bed and get
dressed! If you are lucky to get someone as great as Willow to marry you than
you should be happy to do this
for her.”
“Oh, do you
really think I’ve got a cute little butt, Cordy?” Buffy asked, with a
mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Buffy
knew that there was no way she should do what she was about to do-but she just
felt too good to pass up the chance to get one up on Cordy.
So, she pulled
back the covers revealing her nude body to her painfully straight friend. “And
here I was afraid it was getting too big, what do you think?”
The look on
Cordelia’s face was priceless! <>
She shoots and scores. <> Buffy thought.
“I...ah...well...oh...it’s...I
don’t....” Cordy stammered confused and embarrassed by all the exposed Slayer
flesh. “You...really...”
Buffy was
enjoying her friend’s dilemma far too much to let her off the hook. It wasn’t everyday that Cordelia Chase
turned as red as an apple! So in order to fluster the girl even further Buffy
yawned and stretched like a pampered cat, all the time watching Cordy fidget.
“BUFFY!” a
familiar voice screamed at her as Willow appeared in the doorway to their
bedroom. “Will you please leave poor Cordelia alone and get out of that bed
this minute.” Buffy looked up as the
Witch stalked into the room with both hands on her hips. She closely resembled her mother at that
very moment.
“Really, I
can’t leave you alone for a second without you pulling something like this.”
Her incredible lover continued to scold her. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Ooooh,
something wickedly nasty, I hope.” Buffy purred sexily not quite ready to let
Cordy off the hook yet. The
exhibitionist slayer rose to a sitting position and to Cordy’s further
frustration stretched again this time for real.
“Besides she
started it.” She said as she winked at her lover to join in the fun. “Cordelia
told me ‘I had a cute little butt.’ ”
“She what!”
Willow exclaimed incredulously, trying hard to maintain an indignant pose.
“Cordelia Chase are you in here flirting with my fiancee? You just stay away
from her she’s taken.”
Cordy opened
to her mouth to say something-but nothing came out.
“Well, that's
a first,” the tiny slayer laughed from the bed. “Cordelia Chase speechless!”
Unable to keep her serious look any longer the witch broke out laughing and was
soon followed by a now covered Buffy.
“Well, I
never...” Cordy began unable to keep from smiling herself.
“We know you
never, not with us anyway. I think
that’s why she teases you so much.” Willow explained to her friend. “That and
you’re her match.”
“Hey, hey, in
the room, here!” The blonde spoke from the bed.
“Oops, sorry
honey,” Willow apologized.
“S’kay, you
can make it up to me later.” She winked again at her lover, this time full of
promises for later.
Then all three
girls laughed as the reason for why Cordy was running so later herself flashed
across her face. Buffy didn’t think it
was possible for someone’s face to be so red.
“C’mon Cordy,
I’ll feed you breakfast while the flasher over there gets dressed.” Willow took
the now fully embarrassed Cordy downstairs.
*******
Knowing that
Buffy and Cordelia would be busy at the fitting for most of the day Willow’s
mother decided to take advantage of their absence to ambush her daughter.
Sheila
Rosenberg had never been quite comfortable with her daughter’s lifestyle
choices and now she had fallen in love with that Bunny person. She thought
not. Willow may have fooled Ira, but
she was no one's fool. If her daughter
insisted on having this fiasco then the least they could do was have a normal
wedding! Or at least a semi-normal wedding, since it was with another a
girl. And by normal Sheila meant the
wedding she had always wanted.
Then that
Bunny person had foiled her plans by having her awful friend, that Chase girl
do the planning, and doing it all wrong to boot! If she did say so herself, which she did.
Sheila had
fought Cordelia tooth and nail over every decision from the napkins, (what was
wrong with paper, didn’t that Chase girl know how much a cleaning bill for
linen would be?) To the actual wedding
party, of course the Blums from Nebraska had to be invited, their Great
Grandfather had been on the boat with great cousin Josh, once removed!
But the
absolutely final straw was when she saw what her daughter was wearing for the
ceremony. Why, oh, why did Willow insist on that Bunny being the bride? Why? Because they wanted to put her, Sheila
Rosenberg who had suffered through 14 grueling hours of labor to bring Willow
into the world, into an early grave, that’s why.
And on this
one point Sheila Louise Rosenberg, Ph.D., was not going to give in-her lovely,
wonderful, daughter was going to be the bride!
Or else! Besides, she had read about women couples and roles, and she
knew that Bunny was the “man” of the house.
So she waited
until that awful Chase woman carted off Bunny to the final fitting just so she
could get her daughter alone. If she
had to she would pull out the heavy duty guns-her father’s bad heart.
*****
When Cordelia stopped
her car in front of the townhouse Buffy let out a loud sigh of relief, she was
so glad to be finally home. This had been as close to a day from the darkest
pit of Hades, as she’d had in a while.
“What?”
Cordelia asked getting out of her car.
“Nothing,” the
slayer answered, following her, as she noticed a familiar car parked in front
of them. “Say, isn’t that Mrs.
Rosenberg’s car?”
“No, it can’t
be....” Cordelia answered her.
Then Buffy’s
Slayer ears heard arguing coming from her house, and having an idea what was
going on the Slayer growled and stomped off toward the front door with Cordelia
following close behind her.
As they
approached the front door the voices could be clearly heard. Buffy and Cordelia
looked at each other and groaned both knowing exactly what was happening on the
other side of the door.
*****
Willow's head
was pounding like there was a jackhammer in there trying to get out. Her mother
had been there for over 2 hours alternating between yelling, whining, and
browbeating. All her arguments were
also seasoned liberally with a large dose of guilt.
Her mother was
totally off the deep end about everything concerning the wedding. All the
details were up for grabs from her choice of clothing to her role as the groom.
What had begun
as a minor irritating throbbing at the back of Willow's skull had grown into a
full-fledged-sight-blurring-nausea causing, knee buckling migraine.
Finally, the
small Wyccan had taken just about all she could stand from her “loving” mother.
“Really Willow
are you trying to embarrass your entire family with this behavior!” Sheila
Rosenberg continued to screech. She was
seemingly enraged by her own daughter’s obstinacy.
“I just don’t
know what has gotten into you. After all I’ve done for you, this is how you
repay me?”
At that point
Willow lost it.
“What’s that
mother?” the redhead snapped. “All you’ve done for me, mother. What have you
done for me mother?” Willow said
quietly, least her head would split wide open on the spot.
“Oh, lets
see? You were never there for me when I
was lost and alone in school.” The
witch’s said as her headache suddenly started getting better. "Oh, what
else, do you know the humiliation of going to the school nurse to learn about
my menstrual cycle? Well? What did you
do for me then?”
Now that she
had started to pour out all her pent up emotions she couldn’t stop. “The only
person I ever had growing up was Xander and you treated him like dirt.”
“Well, he was
dirt, from the wrong side of town!” Sheila retaliated.
“Crap, mother
he was my only friend until I got to high school!” Willow stood and walked over
to the window remembering the day she met Buffy.
“Then I met
Giles and Buffy and Oz who treated me like a valuable person, Mother, part of a
team!” The Witch turned back to her mother and saw the hurt and anger on her
face. But, it only served to enrage the
young woman more, “I was in love with Oz or at least thought I was....”
“See this is
what I mean,” Sheila pounced. “You thought you were in love with that dreadful
musician-and now you ‘think’ you are in love with that girl! I just want to keep you from making the same
awful mistake again!”
Willow stalked
over to mother, fury blazing in her eyes. “That is just so much stuff,
mother. I found a real true love in
Buffy and then I almost lost her because I was afraid it would embarrass you
and Daddy!”
Thinking about
her Slayer made all the hurt and anger drain away from Willow.
She added,
speaking softly, “I have a chance to be happy with someone that loves me more
than life itself. But you wouldn’t know about that, would you? If you did you
would be happy for us instead of sitting here screaming.”
Willow could
see that her mother was beyond livid.
The witch would place a bet that none of her students had ever spoken to
her like that before.
“Willow
Rosenberg, how dare you speak to me like that?” Mrs. Rosenberg yelled, outraged
by what the young redhead was sure she felt was her daughter’s disrespectful
outburst.
“I don’t know
who has led you to believe that you can just run over my feelings this way, but
I have an idea. I just know it was that Bunny that put you up to this!”
“One more time
my name is Buffy that’s B-U-F-F-Y, Buffy.” Willow's lover and protector said
calmly from the doorway. The two Rosenberg women turned and looked at the
petite blonde that was leaning casually on the doorframe. From the power
radiating off her Willow could tell that her Slayer was in a mood.
“Now would someone
tell me where you get off coming here and treating my fiancee this way?” The
Blonde asked.
One set of
green eyes looked at the slayer with complete love, adoration, and gratitude
for her timely entrance. Another,
identical set of green eyes narrowed in anger at the interruption.
“I have every
right to be here this is my daughter's home after all.” Sheila Rosenberg huffed
haughtily.
“True, very
true,” Buffy agreed as she walked slowly over to her Wills and took the witch
in her arms. “But you see it’s my home too and when you barge in here and try
to force the woman I love to bow down to your selfishness--then my only
recourse is to tell you to get out.” She finished calmly.
It was all
Willow could take, so the girl turned to face the Slayer and buried her face in
the blonde’s chest and started crying.
Her mother
began to say something rude, but Buffy guessed the woman’s intention and cut
her off.
“I said leave
Mrs. Rosenberg!" Buffy growled angrily. "You've done quite enough
already.”
Seeing that
she had lost this battle over the wedding and quite possibly more, Willow’s
mother wisely shut her mouth and left without another word.
“How much of
that did you hear?” Willow asked after the door slammed shut. Hoping her slayer
hadn’t heard much of her infuriated speech.
“Oh lover,”
Buffy started, lifting Willow’s head so they were looking into each other’s
eyes. “I heard everything and I must say I am so proud to call you my soulmate
and lover!”
Willow kissed
her beloved slayer lightly then was pulled into another far more passionate
kiss by her soon to be wife.
The kiss
lasted until Cordelia cleared her throat.
“Geese you two
give it a rest already.” She said grumbly, “I’ve had to deal with that woman
ever since you two put me in charge and nobody’s rewarded me like that!”
“What’s the
matter Cordy? Jealous?” Willow quipped to tease their friend.
Cordelia
scoffed at her accusation.
“I told you,
she thinks I got a cute butt,” Buffy stated joining her lover in the fun.
“I...you...we...I
mean I thought we covered that this morning.” Cordelia cried demurely showing
off her acting skills. “I mean I wouldn’t dare covet you, Buffy, imagine what
Will would do to me? Besides if I was after anyone, it would be Will, her’s is
cuter!”
Both girls stared
slack jawed at the grinning brunette.
“I still got
it!” Queen C announced.
The rest of
the day was spent going over details for the wedding and going back and
correcting the things they found that Willow’s mother had secretly changed.
Once again Cordy
was an invaluable asset when it came to figuring out where the overbearing
woman had messed with their plans.
All three
agreed that while they looked forward to the public event, they would be glad
to get it over with.
“At least
those Wyccan friends of yours from San Francisco knew some members of a local
Grove to help them set up the joining.” Buffy sighed, “We aren’t allowed to
have anything to do with that.”
“Yeah I guess
so,” Willow said wistfully. “It would have been easy considering it’s all written
down so there’s no guess work, like with this little monster we’ve created
here."
The three
friends laughed then returned to finalizing the details of the public wedding
and the required reception that followed it.
Buffy and Willow were very late for patrol that night.
A light fog
swirled around them as the Slayer and her chosen mate stalked into the
graveyard’s oldest section.
“For Goddess
sake, Buffy,” Willow complained. “Why is it so hard for you to tell me what's
wrong?”
“Let it go
Wills,” the obviously troubled blonde growled through clenched teeth. “Not
every part of my life is open to discussion you know, or is that too much to
ask?”
“Fine!: The
witch snapped glaring back at her lover. “All I want to do is help you through these
dreams, but if you are going to bite my head off every time I try to talk to
you then just forget it.”
Buffy was
about to make a sarcastic remark when her “Slaydar” started tingling.
She stopped
dead in her tracks and began scanning the surrounding area, her eyes straining
trying to penetrate the shadows trying to locate the danger she sensed was
near.
Knowing the
meaning of her soulmate’s sudden stop and feeling her anxiety Willow froze
where she was and waited for a signal from her companion.
Buffy's
sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of a scuffle not too far off to the
right and she silently let her partner know as she headed toward the noise. The
sound led them to a heavily shadowed tree lined lane that meandered lazily
through the woods to a clearing lit up by the bright summer half moon.
In the center
of the clearing was a stone altar that was surrounded by six chanting vampires,
and on the altar was a young girl struggling to free herself from the bonds
that held her.
Examining the
situation carefully, the Slayer came up with a plan of attack that would draw
the vamps away from the girl. She just
hoped it would give Willow enough time to free the girl.
Indicating her
intention to her partner, Buffy stepped out into the clearing before Willow
could protest her decision.
“Hey, guys.”
The Slayer called out, “is this a private party or can anybody join in?”
Six very ugly
faces turned to look at the intruder.
As Buffy had predicted all six began advancing on her, forgetting their
bound captive entirely.
As if on
signal they rushed at the audacious blonde expecting her to run and were caught
by surprise when she stood her ground ready to fight.
Once the
conflict began Willow used the shadows as cover to get around behind the half
dozen undead and hurried to the altar.
She was determined to free the girl as quickly as possible so she could
join her mate in he fray.
Willow
stealthily made her way to the alter and using her athame began cutting the
ropes that held the would be sacrifice. The brave young witch had turned to
lead the freed captive to safety, when an unnaturally strong pair of hands
suddenly grabbed her from behind. She turned her head as far as she could to
see what had grabbed her and saw that the cute young
brunette that
was gone and in her place was a female vampire in full game face.
Willow
struggled, but was held fast in the vice-like grasp of the monster. The vampire
was smiling hideously at her in triumph. Willow immediately tried to use magic
to free herself, but just like in all the other ambushes, some kind of strong
dark power was protecting the Vampire.
“I’ve got the
witch.” The vampire shouted victoriously. “You can come out now.”
The first six
vampires backed away from the Slayer as six more joined them.
“We are one of
Lord Kresis’ elite corps,” the apparent leader of the party crowed to the
stunned Slayer.
“You would not
believe how much planning our master put into this ambush,” he continued. “And
now we have not only been able to trap the dreaded Slayer but we have also
successfully separated her from the witch for the first time.”
“To answer
your question Slayer,” another one of the vampires said laughing triumphantly.
“This is a private party but don't worry, you and your bitch are the guests of
honor.”
“Wouldn’t you
know it,” Buffy quipped, with far more confidence than she felt. “I brought the
party favors.”
Buffy pulled
out two stakes from her belt and feeling that a good offense was the best
defense she attacked the nearest vampire in a whirling twist planting the stake
his long dead heart. As that one exploded in a cloud of dust, the blonde blur
moved on to her next target, all the while pushing the fight toward the vampire
that was holding her lover. She vowed that she would save her beloved or die in
the attempt. The Slayer fought with a
ferocity far beyond anything she thought she was capable of doing.
The
surprisingly sudden and vicious attack seemed to have unnerved the vampires and
it threw them into a panic. The
instructions from their leader and all the training they received hadn’t
prepared them for the fury, strength and speed that they faced in the blonde
slayer.
As the
vampire’s leader tried regain control of his troops by having them fall back
and reform, the female vampire holding Willow made the mistake of watching the
fight. Sensing her captor's distraction
Willow began chanting quietly under her breath, gathering powerful magiks. The witch’s hands began to glow with a neon
green--signaling the power Willow had built.
When Willow
was sure she had gathered enough to break through whatever it was shielding the
unfortunate vampire that was imprisoning her, she let it loose. With a flash of incredibly intense green
light the female vampire disappeared.
No cloud of
dust, no flames, no screams, the vampire was just gone.
Willow
collapsed to her knees panting--she looked up to see that Buffy was in it
deep. The remaining vampires had
reformed and, now that they were over their initial panic, were fighting like
the elite guard they claimed to be.
She staggered
to her feet and rushed to her mate’s aid. She didn’t slow down long enough to
contemplate the meaning of the new range of her powers—all she could think
about was Buffy.
As she
approached, Willow continued to chant and balls of powerful green flames shot
from her hands destroying any undead creature it touched. Things slowed some
when the witch joined the reason for her existence and turned to guard the
quickly tiring Slayer’s back.
“Good to see
you, Wills,” Buffy admitted panting heavily from her exertions. “I was
beginning to think you were going to sit this one out.”
“What and let
you have all these hot young vamps to yourself?” Willow quipped, knowing that
her lover used humor to cover her fear that she was going to lose her mate. “I
think not.”
Now the only
thing that worried the two defenders of humanity was that, although they were
fighting better than they ever had, they had now reached the limit of their strength. They were trembling with exhaustion and
there were still three vamps facing them.
“Wills, I’m
sorry...” Buffy gasped, barely able to hold her arms up. “I don’t...
how...longer I can...hold on...it looks like I’m letting you...down again.”
“No...I can’t
...accept that...we’ve got to... hold on” Willow whispered out of breath and
strength herself. “I won’t ...let it end...now. I know if we....”
She could say
no more as the abyss of total physical, mental exhaustion swallowed her, and
she collapsed in a heap. Even exhausted a faint green aura surrounded the
witch.
Buffy looked
down at her fallen companion and felt tears of frustration falling down her
face. With fatalistic determination the devoted Slayer and lover of the fallen
Sorceress straddled the body of her mate ready to defend them both from their
enemies.
“My love...”
Buffy panted, blinking the tears and sweat out of her eyes. She knew this was
the end but she was incapable of surrender because of Willow. “They. Won’t...
get to... you... with... out going... through... me.”
The first of
the vampires launched itself at the weary blonde defender and in a deadly dance
of kicks, punches, leaps and spins the two fought. The Slayer was surprised at how much stamina she still had, but
by the time her dance partner was dusted there was nothing left.
Swaying
unsteadily on her feet, her knees threatening to buckle, but refusing the
inevitable the Slayer looked even smaller than normal. Turning slowly to face
her last two adversaries the tiny blonde tried one last insult.
“Come
on...vamps,” Buffy shouted as loudly as she could and with as much contempt as
she could muster “You haven’t got the fangs to finish it?”
“You bitch, we
were going to do you quick,” the lead vampire snarled viciously. “But now your
smart mouth has convinced us to do you and your witch slut nice and slow so we
can enjoy every agonizing second of her death.”
“Gods... don’t
you guys ever get...new...material?” Buffy shot back and braced herself for the
attack that she knew must come.
A small smile
crossed her lips as she felt a trickle of power coming into her from Willow’s
unconscious form and saw the aura was a tiny bit brighter but Buffy knew her
beloved wouldn’t be able to get enough strength in time to help.
<>Good
try sweetheart, <> Buffy projected to her soulmate hoping the thoughts
were reaching her. <>There just isn’t time. I love you Willow. Now and
forever we will be together. <>
The petite
blonde watched her antagonists waiting for them--prepared to go down fighting. She wanted to take both of the vampires with
her hoping that could possibly save her partner.
The two vamps
began to circle her in opposite directions trying to draw the Slayer off
balance and failing, she was too well trained to fall for that.
Suddenly,
Buffy felt a familiar red haze cloud her mind and vision.
The next thing
she knew she was standing over her beloved Witch, in the empty clearing.
She looked
down at the peacefully sleeping redhead in confusion. <> Where’d the vamps go? <> She thought, searching
the dark tree line for movement.
Again, with no
warning the red haze pushed everything from the slayer’s mind--except the
urgent need to get her beloved to the safety of their home.
Mind and body
on the point of collapse Buffy picked up her unconscious lover and started
towards home.
As she gently
placed the Witch on the bed--she thought she had no idea how they made it. She couldn't remember anything after she
left the clearing.
<>None
of that matters, <> Buffy repeated the thought that formed in her mind.
<> You are safe. She is safe, go
to sleep now. <> And a red tinged blackness filled the slayer’s head....
*****
Countess Hela
and her faithful servant Max slipped out of her hiding place across from the
slayer’s townhouse unseen.
As they headed
for her temporary home, she could tell that her loyal Max had questions. Since everything was going exactly as planed
she felt benevolent towards the human.
“What is your
question, Max?” The Countess asked still humming a happy demented little tune.
The insane
little man looked at her adoring, “Thank you for your kindness, mistress.” He
started, she could see that he was carefully forming his question. “You had
them at your mercy, why did you not allow me to collect them?”
She laughed at
his stupidity. “The Slayer still struggles with her destiny as my slave. Her will must be completely broken for me to
gain total control of it. If we had
captured them tonight, I would never have been able to gain power over
her. No, for me to own the Slayer, she
must come to me willingly.”
“And the
witch?” She glanced down at the human with a withering glare and was rewarded
as Max dropped to his knees to beg forgiveness.
“Stand up,
Max.” Hela said, “the Witch doesn’t need to be broken for me to use her power
-- energy -- all I need is the Slayer.”
The poor little human still looked totally confused; Hela sighed
dramatically. “The connection between
the Slayer and a Witch cannot be broken, all I need to reach the source of both
their power is one or the other.”
Comprehension
finally dawned in Max's eyes. Hela
laughed again, “let us go and began phase two of the Slayer’s training.”
*****
Weeping
softly, Buffy cradled the young girl’s lifeless body. Some part of her mind knew
this was a dream. That it was the same
dream she’d been having for weeks. Still, that knowledge didn't dull the pure
agony she felt when she looked down at the death clouded eyes of the innocent
girl.
“Why did you
let me die?” The girl's hollow soulless voice asked. “Why didn’t you stop
them?”
“I-I-I
t-tried.” Buffy stammered, still stunned by the accusation even after all this
time. “It’s not my fault. I couldn't...”
The red haze
that would normally gently fill Buffy’s mind with the promise of absolution
instead slammed into her with a soul killing grief.
Her dream self
fell to her knees gasping for air as the dead, innocent girl, turned into
Willow. Only this time Willow changed
into Jenny Calendar who hung lifeless from Angelus’ arms.
“Yes you could
have saved us all, Buffy.” A familiar baritone said from behind her.
She turned
toward the voice and saw her first watcher, Merrik, the blood still oozing from
the gapping hole in his chest.
“You could
have saved her, Buffy,” he repeated pointing at Jenny. “Just like you could
have saved us all. If only you had
tried harder, just a little more effort and none of us would have died.”
Buffy tried to
cover up her ears so she couldn’t hear the truth of the words Merrick spoke.
He was joined
by all the innocent victims she’d hadn’t saved over the last several years.
“You could
have saved us,” the voices of the failed screamed at her. “If you had tried,
you could have saved us, if you had really wanted to you could have saved us
all.”
“NO, NO, NO, NO!”
Buffy shouted as loud as she could, trying to drown out the crowd. “I tried, I
really tried, please believe me. PLEASE!”
The voices
stopped.
Buffy slowly
opened eyes she hadn’t known she had closed.
She peered around and found that she was alone. The silence was every
bit as damning as the cries of the people she'd failed.
She stood, as
the cold feeling of loneliness began to creep into her bones.
“Then why do
you resist your punishment?” The musical voice of her last dream asked. “Accept
your punishment, surrender to its power, and you will never be lonely or in
pain again.”
Buffy felt
herself falling -- and as soon as she gave into the beautiful siren song of the
music a red light washed over her -- with a pain so intense it became
pleasure. The promise of absolution
from the other dreams becoming the reality of ecstasy.
Buffy woke
still crying out....
Realizing it
was just another of those weird dreams that she forgot as soon as she woke up,
she choked off her screams. She didn’t want to wake her beloved lying next to
her. She watched as the beautiful redhead stirred slightly and mumbled
something in her sleep.
The love Buffy
felt for her soulmate rose up in her--she was sure that there had never, in the
history of the entire world, been anyone more beautiful than her Wills. She gently stroked her lover's side, knowing
the contact would at once reassure the witch of her love and help her Wills
settle back into deep sleep.
After the
ambush Buffy really didn’t expect Willow to wake-up before noon, at the
earliest, but the slayer had to make sure her soulmate wouldn’t disturb her.
Buffy noted
the bright morning sunlight streaming into the room from the open
curtains. She had been too exhausted
the night before to close them, so she got up out of bed to close them now.
As Buffy slid
out of bed, she quietly made her way to the downstairs bathroom, stopping by
her dresser to pick up a special item.
She closed the
bathroom door and leaned against it vaguely wondering what she was doing. Why was she in the bathroom downstairs, she
questioned, when all she wanted to do was close the curtains?
Music intruded
into her conscious mind; maybe Giles was re-living his mid-life crisis? She thought, while making sure the door was
locked.
Still confused
at her own actions she tried to make out the words to the music and couldn't,
though she knew exactly what the music wanted her to do.
Slowly, the
slayer climbed into the bathtub and sat down on the back edge. After a few
moments she realized she had something in her hand.
Buffy studied
the beautiful knife she held in her left hand. She admired the way the tapered
black plastic handle fit her hand as if it were made for her. The shining
surgical steel blade reflected the harsh fluorescent light into her eyes.
Caught in the
thrall of the musical voice she laid the flat of the blade against her cheek,
enjoying the feel of the cool steel on her fevered skin. Buffy slowly pulled
the flat of the blade across her cheek to her mouth.
Pausing before
she brushed the dangerous implement over her lips--her tongue suddenly flicked
out without her knowledge or control--over the needle sharp point. The slayer gasped and pulled back--her mind
clearing for just an instant -- until the coppery sweet taste of her own blood
washed over her taste buds.
She closed her
eyes and leaned her head back feeling her entire nervous system tingle as it
carried the pain from her tongue seemingly throughout her body. It began to focus in her belly where it
ended up as a burning knot.
The incredible
dark music seemed to bury itself deep inside of Buffy. The girl could almost feel tentacles
detaching from the knot in her belly and spreading through out her body.
As each of the
dark snakes surfaced it called for more pain--more blood. Buffy couldn't help
but answer the song--she had to be punished--she had to suffer for her sins.
Buffy lowered
the razor sharp blade until it rested against the soft highly sensitive skin of
her inner thigh.
<>How
perfect the same knife I used on Faith. <> She told herself,
<>someone else I've let down. <>
Buffy slowly
drew the blade up her thigh, bearing down enough so it sliced through her
flesh. The pain was exquisite. The darkness expanding inside of her applauded.
"At
last--I can feel something else," the slayer hissed and repeated the
process on her other thigh.
She was
panting heavily as the nearly orgasmic pain took control of her mind and body.
Buffy turned
on the water and let it mix with her blood and carry it down the drain. She ran
her finger across her skin coating it with the blood flowing freely from the
cuts. She put the finger in her mouth, sucked, and licked the blood from the
digit.
Buffy was in
her own world of pain, blood, and the dark song urging her on, demanding more pain
more blood.
Demanding she
do it in payment for her numerous past failures. It was telling her that only her own suffering could possibly pay
for causing all the pain and death that ruled her life.
And Buffy was
lost.