FIC: Becoming One (Part 6)

["Pat Kelly"]

Hey everybody.

As of now the angry email messages can stop. Here's part 6. Hope you enjoy.

NEW EXPERIENCES


'Don't waste time, child.'

Willow heard the woman's voice in her head. Amid everything going through her right now, she didn't want to have to decipher this lady's cryptic advice. It was important, though, she could tell by the expression on her face.

'Focus, Willow. She still has time. I'll lend as much assistance as I can.'

What was she.God! CPR. Buffy had only been gone a few minutes. She set her friend's head down on the ground and kneeled over her chest. She was determined.

"Cordelia, apply pressure to her wound."

She wasn't sure what Willow had in mind, but she moved away from Xander and down to the wound in Buffy's stomach. Holding back any remarks, she looked around for something to use. Giles slipped his jacket off, and handed it to her. She tried to push as hard as she could to stop the bleeding.

Willow was about to tell him that she wanted to try CPR, but he didn't need to be told. He put his hands over Buffy's chest, and looked to Willow. She leaned down, and moved Buffy's lips open. Buffy was still warm. That was a good sign. Six breaths. One.two.three.four.

Giles followed up with six compressions on Buffy's chest. Willow repeated her breathing. "Come on, Buffy. Come back."

"Someone should call an ambulance." Xander said, in obvious pain. Physical as well as emotional.

"They are already on their way." The woman said.

Willow glanced up at her quickly, and she and Giles kept repeating the process. Oz came in. Dressed. He just looked at everyone, and down at Willow trying desperately to resuscitate Buffy.

"Is the -" Giles started to ask.

"I heard sirens. They'll be here any second."

"How did you get clothes?" Xander asked, needing a distraction.

"Van. Lucky there's no one on the road at dawn."

"Angelus is gone, isn't he?"

"Could be dust."

"He's not." The woman said.

That's when Buffy started to breathe, but went into shock. There was a lot of blood loss. Willow started to panic.

"I don't know what to do!"

The wail of the ambulances was heard parked on the street. Two EMT's rushed into the mansion carrying a stretcher. They weren't sure why they were there at first, but then saw Buffy on the ground.

They both carefully lifted Buffy onto the stretcher.

"We need to get her to the hooked up to ventilator. How long has she been in shock?"

"About a minute." Willow answered.

"We need to hurry." They all started to follow the EMT's out, and Xander couldn't move. "Don't move. Two other guys are coming up with a stretcher for you."

He nodded.

Willow hopped in the back of the ambulance once they got Buffy situated. She grasped her hand. Buffy, although breathing and alive once more, had yet to open her eyes. They drove off.

Cordelia went with Xander in the second one, leaving Giles, the woman, and Oz behind.

"What's going on?" Giles asked her.

"She's missing something."

"You don't like explanations. I can tell." Oz said.

"Something Willow now has. Though she's not aware of it. Yet."

***


In the ambulance, Willow was trying hard to mask her panic, and still gripped Buffy's hand tightly. The driver was talking on the radio to the receiver at the hospital, and the second man was in the back with them. Buffy's body had calmed somewhat.

"Summers, Buffy. Female. Eighteen years of age. Stomach wound. Massive blood loss. She's stable, but she'll need transfusions. We'll be there in two minutes."

"Why aren't her eyes opening?" Willow asked.

"She's weak from the loss of large amounts of blood. It's a miracle she's made it this far."

"But she should be doing.something!" Willow said raising her voice.

"I know you're upset, but I need you to calm down for me, okay? Can you tell me what happened?"

"She.I'm not sure. It happened really fast. Is she going to be okay?"

"They'll do everything they can for her. It would really help if we knew her blood type. The faster she gets blood, the better shot she'll have."

"Her mom would know. It never really came up before. I should call her -"

"The hospital already did." The paramedic put his hand on Willow's shoulder. "You gave her a fighting chance by reviving her as quickly as you did. She must really mean a lot to you."

"You have no idea." She said quietly.

The ambulance pulled into the ER entrance, and the mad rush began. As much as Willow wanted to stay with Buffy, she knew she had to let the doctors handle her now. She went inside to wait for everyone. Especially Buffy's mom.

***


Angelus. She could see his face. He was looking at her. Pure pleasure in his expression. She lowered her eyes, and saw the hot poker in his hands. He was getting ready to use it.

Looking across the room, she saw.herself? Where was Buffy? Unless.

He jammed the poker forward and it penetrated.

Everything sped up, and she shot across the room toward herself and entered.

'I'm with you, Willow.'

Willow shot forward, coming awake. Where was she? Buffy's bedside. Joyce was there, standing next to her chair.

"Willow, are you all right?" She asked.

"Yeah.bad dream. Did the doctor say anything?"

"She's stable, she.they don't know why she isn't responding. They said the operation went fine. She accepted the blood." Joyce was speaking in a monotone voice, and her eyes were red.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Summers."

Joyce kneeled down to face Willow. "You didn't do anything wrong. Don't blame yourself." She hugged her. "If it wasn't for you."

Willow smiled weakly, and glanced up at the small window in the middle the door. Looking in, was the old woman.

"I need some fresh air. Will you -" Joyce nodded, and Willow stood, kissed Buffy softly, and left the room.

She went out in the hall. Oz was sitting in a chair against the wall, and the woman was gone.

"Hey." He said. "How's she doing?"

"Same. Where is everybody?"

"Giles went to get coffee, and Cordelia's still trying to get Xander to stay in his bed. Doctor doesn't want him aggravating his leg again. How are you?"

"How do I look?"

"Like you could use massive amounts of sleep."

"Just woke up from a nap in there." 'And I'm in no rush to do it again.' "Did you see -"

She spotted the woman down the hall, and saw her turn to go into a room. Without a word, she followed her. The room had no occupant. Just an empty, freshly made bed, and a window, which the woman was standing by.

"You know."

"Know what? That Buffy's lying in a bed, not waking up, or moving at all? Yeah, I got that pretty clearly."

"And do you know why?"

"My brain's not really working that well right now, so could you just come out with it?"

"Have you asked yourself why you were healed and she wasn't?"

Willow thought back to her dream. Was it a dream? 'I'm with you, Willow.'

"She's in me," Willow said slowly.

"Very good. Although, more specifically, her essence. What some would call a soul. She saved you."

"How?"

"Your bond, Willow. Her desire to keep you safe was so strong, that at the moment you and she were going -"

"To die, her soul traveled into me, and kept me alive. Took away all my wounds."

"More than that, my dear."

"What do you -"

Willow looked over at her right side, and saw a vampire standing there. Not stopping to wonder how or why it got there, on instinct, she charged it, knowing exactly what to do She did a sweep kick, and connected with its head. It vanished.

"How'd I do that? How'd I know -"

"She's guiding you. Don't you see?"

Willow was speechless. Her shock passed, and she quickly began to worry. "But I'm not the Slayer. I can't."

"Yes you can. But you are right. You aren't the Slayer, but you may have to be. For a time."

"How do I get her back?"

"She has to want to return. And it must happen before too much time passes."

"Or?"

"There is a delicate balance in all things, Willow, and by Buffy's soul inhabiting your body, that balance is disrupted. Buffy could be lost forever. Her body could stay in the coma-state indefinitely. And you.two souls in one body, could have consequences."

***


Willow didn't tell anybody about what she had learned. Saying you have someone's soul wasn't the kind of thing you just came out with. Especially because she felt responsible. Buffy gave up her soul to keep Willow going, and now she was lying prone in a hospital bed. Willow felt like a thief, although she knew she had nothing to do with it.

As she looked out the window in Buffy's room, the light from the full moon shined on her features. She was glad Oz was locked in the mausoleum. He had really taken it hard that he didn't remember to lock himself up the night before. Even though his wolfness really came in handy, and probably saved his and Giles' lives.

They had all just been so preoccupied, that a lot of things had slipped their minds. And now they were even more distracted. Seeing Buffy in this condition was hard for them, and she saw the looks of sympathy they gave her too.

Willow turned back to Buffy's bed, sat in the chair next to it, and grasped her hand. It was cold. She had sent Joyce home, who after a long "discussion" and some crying, she left reluctantly. She wanted to feel close to Buffy again, and even with her soul, she couldn't feel anything.

She felt her eyes start to droop.

***


She found herself standing in the middle of the graveyard. Knowing instinctively that it was a dream, she waited. Then she felt something stirring in her.

"Willow?"

Buffy's voice. That was Buffy's voice.

"B.Buffy?"

"Are you okay, Will?"

"Where are you?"

"With you."

"With."

Before she could finish, she felt something untangle inside her. A few moments later, Buffy was staring her in the face.

"See?"

Willow hugged her immediately, and noticed she had a light illuminating around her.

"You're glowing."

"So are you." Willow looked down at her hands, and saw that she was indeed glowing. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? You're.not.body." Willow babbled.

"You're better aren't you?"

"Cuts and bruises wise. But.I need you."

"You have me."

"Not like this. You have things.you have to go back."

"I don't want to. It's safe with you. Nice."

"What about me.out there? Xander? Oz? Cordelia? Giles? We miss you. Your mom is really upset. What about her?"

Buffy's light began to dim as she frowned. "No. I won't."

She vanished, leaving Willow standing alone. How was she going to do this?

A group of vampires suddenly appeared, encircling her. She assumed a fighting stance, when one of them approached her. Its face shifted, and took on the guise of Angelus.

"Can you handle it? I don't think you can. You're not Buffy. We'll destroy you, and her soul. And then the world."

Together, her and Buffy's voices mixed, coming out of her mouth as one. "No!"

***


Sweat dripping down her forehead, she was startled as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She kicked up her leg, and jumped out of the chair. Giles was now on the floor, and she looked at him guiltily.

"What.are you doing here?" She asked.

"I came to tell you that visiting hours have been over for the past half hour. Xander came in earlier to tell you, but you were asleep, and he didn't want to wake you." He got up, and tried to regain his composure. "Where did you learn that?"

"I didn't. Well.kinda. I don't know."

"Willow?"

"There's things you need to know. Things I need to know."

"Such as?"

"Who's the Wicca lady? Oh, and how to slay."

Seeing his puzzled expression, she looked back at Buffy quickly, then led him out of the room. This was going to take awhile.
















"When I held that gun, I felt an incredible surge of power. Like God must feel when he's holding a gun.." (Homer J. Simpson)

"You've been fighting evil here for three years, and I've helped some, and now we're supposed to decide what we want to do with our lives. And I just realized that that's what I want to do. Fight evil, help people. I mean, I think it's worth doing. And I don't think you do it because you have to. It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."

"I kind of love you."
(Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers, BTVS)

"Don't.."
"What? Don't love you? I didn't know I got a choice in that."
(Angel, Buffy Summers, BTVS)