Fic... "Right Place." PG-13. Unbeta'd.

["A.M. Glass"]

Title: "Right Place."
Author: Angela
Copyright: Nov. 23, 1999
E-mail: glasswrks@xxxxxxxxx
Disclaimer: Joss owns all the characters from "Buffy:
The Vampire Slayer", all other original characters
belong to the author. No copyright infringement is
intended this is a non-profit piece of fan fiction.
Author's Note: It's an angst filled piece.
Distribution: Just ask.
Rating: PG-13 for a few bad words.

*******************************************


"Umm… Buffy… are… are you sure that this is the right
place?" Willow asked her friend as they stood in front
of the entrance of a warehouse.

"Yeah… this is where I saw the 'late' Miss Richards
duck into," Buffy replied looking around.

"I… I should wait outside, while you go in," Willow
said.

"No… I need you with me, I don't want to worry about
you being alone out here," Buffy told Willow. "Come
on, I think I see a way in."

A few minutes later they were inside.

"Okay Will, I want you to stay behind me, all right?"
Buffy asked.

Willow nodded her head and felt Buffy hold her hand as
she led them through the building.

Buffy paused on occasion, listening, trying to put a
fix on the newly arisen vampire.

"Anything?" Willow asked.

"Nothing… I don't get it," she replied.

They searched every inch of the warehouse to no avail.

"She's gotta be around here somewhere, she couldn't
have just vanished into thin air," Buffy muttered. "We
weren't that far behind her." Buffy stood with her
hands on her waist, her index fingers tapping
nervously. "Okay… if I were a hungry vamp being chased
by me, where would I go?"

Willow walked over to the stairwell that led to an
office on the upper level.

"We checked every inch of this place, the loading bay
doors are rusted shut. It doesn't look like anyone
tried to force their way out," Buffy said out loud,
her back to Willow.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?

"Umm… I'm not sure if this is a good time to mention
it… but… but what if she hid in a place we all ready
looked?"

"Is there something you need to let me in on Will?"

Buffy turned around slowly, the sinking feeling in the
pit of her stomach growing in leaps and bounds, along
with the sudden sense that a major 'Wiggin' was about
to occur.

Willow was standing up, her face ashen, as the former
Miss Richards had her hands wrapped around Willow's
throat. Buffy took a step forward.

"Stop!" Cassandra Richards shouted, making Willow
cringe.

"Let… her GO!" Buffy demanded.

"No."

"If you don't, I'll kill you," Buffy stated.

"Well, you see, we have a slight problem here,"
Cassandra said. "Even if I were to let her go, you'd
kill me, so… either way, it's a no win situation for
me… unless."

"Unless what?"

"You may be good at what you do… but are you fast
enough to reach her before I snap her neck?"

Willow squirmed.

"Let her go, and I'll let you live…" Buffy said, her
heart pounding in her chest.

"Yeah, for how long? I mean, would you let me live
long enough to let your friend go, then kill me? Or
would you wait until you had a better opportunity to
do the job?"

"Buffy… don…"

"I don't believe I gave you permission to talk did
I?" Cassandra asked squeezing Willow's throat.

"HEY… hey… don't hurt her anymore," Buffy said.

"Ah… this is interesting… you care about her don't
you?" Cassandra questioned. "Answer truthfully or I'll
take a quick bite," she said, dropping her head until
her mouth was level with Willow's neck.

Willow looked at Buffy then closed her eyes, she
shivered as Cassandra flicked her tongue out and
licked her jugular vein.

"Tasty…"

"Leave her alone, you BITCH!"

"Temper… temper. You haven't answered my question.
You care for your little friend don't you?"

"Yes… now let her go!" Buffy replied.

Buffy watched as Cassandra Richards loosened her grip
around Willow's neck, then took a step backwards and
up the stairs.

"I answered your question… let her go!"


"I will… in due time," she replied, forcing Willow up
the stairs with her. "You know what? I didn't ask for
this… I liked my life; I had a lot to live for… now
look at me. I'm so hungry right now… all I can think
about is your friend's blood rushing through her
veins, and that excites and sickens me at the same
time."

"Where do you think you're going?" Buffy asked taking
a step forward.

"Stop! I promise you… I will kill her if you take
another step."

Buffy heard a whimper coming from Willow.

"I'll… I'll give you my word… I won't kill you if you
release my friend… please!" Buffy pleaded.

Buffy watched helplessly as they made it to the top of
the stairs.

Cassandra closed her eyes for a brief moment, and when
she opened them once more, she had vamped.

(This is not good… I don't have a clear shot) Buffy
told herself, looking for an opening that would allow
her to rescue Willow.

"What's your name?" Cassandra whispered into Willow's
ear.

"Will… Willow Rosenberg," she replied.

"Nice name. Now, Willow Rosenberg, I need your help."

"Me? What can I do?"

"I need you to tell your friend to back off, she'll
listen to you. If you can get her to step away and
turn around, I'll let you live, seems like a fair
enough trade. Don't you think?"

Willow thought about the offer for all of five
seconds.

"No."

"No? Do you understand what I've offered you? You get
to live… I go on my way, everything's great."

"If we… if Buffy let's you go… you'll have to kill in
order to survive… and I couldn't live with that
thought," Willow said, struggling in Cassandra's
grasp.

"You know… you're right… that's too bad," Cassandra
answered.

Buffy could see them talking but she didn't have idea
what they were saying. Then she saw the 'late' Miss
Richards shrugging her shoulders.

"NO!!!" Buffy cried out as she started running up the
steps, all the while thinking she wasn't going to be
in time.

As Buffy would recall later, everything slowed down.

Willow felt the initial piercing in her neck, and
fought against the assault… until she found herself
relaxing into the onslaught of emotions that
threatened to overtake her. Her eyes closed as she
finally gave into the sensations.

(OH… MY… GOD… it feels so good) Willow thought as she
started to slip into the blissful state of
unawareness.

**

"Will… come on Will… please wake up," Buffy said
choking on the words.

**

Buffy had managed to stop Willow's fall as Cassandra
pushed the limp body down the stairs.

**

"Please… Will… please don't leave me... WAKE UP!!"
Buffy shouted, as the tears fell and splashed her
friend's face. "No.. don't you give up on me Will. Do
you understand me!?!"

Buffy rocked Willow in her arms, smoothing her
friend's hair, she turned briefly and looked at the
pile of dust that once was Cassandra Richards.

"I can't do this without you Will… please come back…
please" Buffy said, bending down and kissing Willow's
forehead, watching as her friend struggled for each
breath.

**

Willow drifted aimlessly… floating.

She was tired.

All she wanted to do was go to sleep.

Embrace the darkness that seemed to surround her.

"'I can't do this without you…'"

(What was that?) she wondered.

**

"Will… I know you can hear me. I've never really told
you have I? Never told you that I thank God for you
every night. How I realized that my life has so much
more meaning with you… Xander and Giles," Buffy
struggled to say through the tears, her throat
swelling with emotion.

**

"'Thank God for you every night…'"

(Buffy?)

**

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry you came with me… It's my
fault."

**

"'….my fault.'"

(Hey! I know what I was doing. I know the risks, we
all do. It's not your fault) Willow answered.

**

Buffy sat rocking her friend back and forth.

"You're my best friend Will… I love you… don't leave
me," Buffy whispered.

**
"'You're my best friend Will… I love you… don't leave
me.'"

(I'm not leaving you… am I?)

**

Buffy felt a shudder through Willow body.

"Will? Come on… fight… You've never given up, don't
start now!!"

**

Willow fought against the tide of darkness that
surrounded her and clawed her way towards Buffy's
voice.

**

Buffy jumped as Willow shook violently, then stopped.

"Willow? WILL!! Hey… come on, you're scaring me…"
Buffy grabbed Willow by the shoulders and shook her.
"Come on… stop joking around, it isn't funny. GOD DAMN
IT WILLOW… DON'T YOU DIE ON ME!!!!"

Quickly Buffy laid her friend flat on the floor and
bent down and placed her ear by Willow's mouth and
nose.

Nothing.

**

(You shouldn't swear Buffy)

**

Adjusting her position, Buffy pinched Willow's nose
and covered her mouth with her own and began the
process of performing CPR.

"COME ON!!" Buffy shouted, keeping count in her head.
After fifteen compressions, she gave Willow two more
breaths, then checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

Buffy repeated the procedure over and over again.

Her arms began to feel like lead, she wasn't sure how
much longer she could continue before becoming too
exhausted to do anymore.

"One.. and two.. and three and four… " Buffy counted
until fifteen, then covered Willow's mouth again and
gave two more breaths.

**

"You are not supposed to be here yet."

(Where am I?)

"That doesn't matter right now, you have to go back
child. You are needed."

(Needed… me? I think you have the wrong person…
Buffy… she's needed) Willow answered.

"You are correct, Buffy Summers is needed, but you
are wrong. You are needed as well, she needs you. Even
as we speak, she is trying to revive you. You are an
important person in her life. You have no idea that
most of the time she is fighting this fight, is
because of you."

(Me?)

"You… she loves and cares for you as deeply as one
can love another. If you die, she will."

(How?)

"She will want revenge on anything and everything
evil. She will no longer listen to anyone, not Giles,
Xander or even her mother. She will grow sloppy… and
she will die."

(I have to go back.)

**

Tears were streaming down Buffy's face…

She couldn't do it anymore…

She had failed her friend.

She bent down to do the final two breaths.

"I'm so sorry Will…"

She gave Willow the oxygen from her own body, feeling
that it wasn't enough, then she turned her face to the
side and took another deep breath.

With a reverence she had never known before in her
young life, Buffy Anne Summers completed her task.

Placing her mouth gently over her friend's, she
breathed into Willow's body one last time.

And was shocked as she felt her breath being drawn out
of her.

"Willow?"

Quickly she turned her face to the right and listened.

"hi."

"WILL!?! OH… GOD Will… is that you?" Buffy asked.

With an instinct borne over the years of fighting
vampires, Buffy all ready had Mr. Pointy at the ready.

Just in case.

They had all discussed the possibility of 'turning'
and they had made their wishes clear.

Buffy was to stake them.

No matter how hard they might plead for their 'life',
Buffy was to end their existence as quickly as
possible.

"Yeah… but you might want to check…"

Buffy nodded her head, and with her left hand,
searched for Willow's pulse, her right hand squeezing
the stake, hoping she wouldn't have to use it.

"I'm… I'm alive?" Willow asked after seeing Buffy's
face light up.

"Oh.. yeah. You're alive…" Buffy replied, crushing
her friend to her.

"Oh… hurting… Buffy… Buff… not so hard," Willow
groaned.

"I'm sorry Will… I'm sorry," Buffy replied, releasing
her hold. "How do you feel, you scared me to death you
know. Don't you ever do that to me again."

"Umm… hurt, like I've been run down, dragged down the
street and gone over speed bumps at full speed. I'm
sorry, I didn't mean to scare you… I'll try not to do
it again," Willow replied, feeling utterly safe in her
best friend's arms.

"I should have never brought you here… this is my
fault…"

Willow winced as she lifted her hand and placed her
fingers on Buffy's lips.

"Buffy… wherever you are… it's where I want to be…
it's the right place."

Buffy held on to Willow…

Her lifeline.

The End.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com