Fic: "Immortal Love" part 2

["Quindo Ma" <quindo-ma@xxxxxx>]

Chapter 3: Crossing the line



Giles put the phone back on the table as Xander came in. Giles turned his head and saw the mess he was in. Carrying Cordelia in his arms and bleeding out of at least half a dozen cuts.

"My god, Xander what happened?"

"Big evil... six or seven vampires attacked... were able to dust 4 of them before she was knocked out... then I dusted without even looking and then they were gone." He was breathing heavily.

"Ok, put her on the couch. I'll get the supplies."

Giles headed into the kitchen to get the first-aid kit he always had there. It was necessary for Buffy, but sometimes, like now, the others needed it too. Xander laid her onto the couch whispering soothingly into her ears and trying to repress the tears that were welling in his eyes.

"Come on Cordy, you have to come back. Please don't leave me alone."

Giles returned and started to wipe away the blood while Xander unclothed her. After all, they needed full access to the wounds. Giles gasped as he saw the slash across her stomach.

"Fast Xander, call the ambulance! We can't do this alone." Giles demanded and handed him the phone.

Xander took it and called 911. Six minutes later he and Cordelia were driving in the ambulance followed by Giles in his car.


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"Cordelia!!"

Willow was startled by the loud words that left her lovers mouth as she woke up.

"Buffy? Is everything alright?"

"Will...? Oh, yes. Angel, LA, we driving back... Angel you must hurry. Cordelia is in danger."

"How do you... oh yes, prophetic dreams."

"No, this time it was different. I saw how she was transported in the ambulance. This has already happened. Please Angel, we must hurry. Willow may be the only one that can help her now."

"Me? What do you mean? I can't help her if this has already happened, and as you said the ambulance has already gotten them. I don't know how I could help, I mean-"

"Will, trust me, you can. And about the ambulance, I have seen what caused the cut. It was magic. And you are the only one I know of who is strong enough to do this", Buffy said while putting her hand on Willow's shoulder.

"Ok?"

"Ok."

Angel sped the car up and drove as fast as he could risk it, and within two hours they arrived in Sunnydale and headed straight to the hospital.


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Buffy stormed in, and almost crashed into Giles who was waiting there.

"Buffy? What are you doing here? And why are you already here? I thought you would need at-"

"No time for questions Giles. Where is Cordy?"

"Wha-? Oh yes, how do you know?"

"Giles", Buffy pressed out between her lips. He could clearly see the impatience in her eyes.

"Sorry. They...they are still operating her. She has a bad cut across her stomach, and a hole in her head-"

"Giles, I know what is going on, I saw it. But now we must help her. The knife that caused this was magic, and if we don't help her soon, she will be dead."

Just at that moment a doctor came out to them. "Mr. Giles?"

"Ah..yes, that's me."

"Can I talk to you... alone?"

"Is it something about Cordy? Is...is she ok?" Buffy asked.

"Ah... no, I'm sorry, but... we couldn't help her anymore. The blood loss was just too great."

Buffy saw the look in Xander's eyes as they heard the last comment. She could clearly see his heart break.

"Please can we see her?"

"Sorry, but that is not possible right now."

"Please. This is really important. I have to leave soon, and I just want to see her one last time", Buffy lied.

"Well, ok. I think I can make an exception this time. If you would please follow me."

Buffy grabbed Willow's hand and tugged her into the room where Cordy was.

"Could we please be alone? Just for a moment."

"Sure."

The doctor left, and Buffy shoved Willow across the room next to Cordy's bed, and took position opposite of her.

"Will, trust me, you can still help her. Just open your mind to the powers of nature and let me help you."

"O...ok. But-"

"No 'Buts'. We will get her back."


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"Giles? What are they doing?"

"I have no idea. I didn't even expect them back so fast."

"You knew where they were? Why the hell did you send us out to look for them then? Did...did you know about this?" Xander was almost yelling at Giles, and the anger was clearly written on his face.

"God no, Xander. I would never intentionally hurt any of you. What I meant was that Buffy had called, just before you came in and explained that she was in LA. God knows how they landed there, but they were driving back with Angel and..." his voice trailed off. He didn't know what had happened, and he didn't know how to explain this to Xander. All he wanted was that he could undo all of this.

"I'm so sorry Xander. I never wanted this to happen, you have to believe me."

Xander's face lost some of its fury, and the old Harris returned.

"Sorry G-man. I just didn't know whom I should blame for this. If I had been more careful then-"

"Xander, this is not your fault. You have done your best, and I'm sure that, if anyone can, Buffy will help her."


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The nurse entered the room and was stunned by the sight in front of her. The two women the doctor had led in there just minutes ago were standing on opposite sides of the bed where the dead woman was laying. The two were holding hands and a blue light was trailing across their arms, and left their hands just above the stomach of the dead woman. She heard them speak in some language she couldn't understand, and then suddenly the woman on the bed bucked up and started to breathe.

"What the hell are you two doing in here?" the nurse asked as she got her voice back.

Both Buffy and Willow ignored her, keeping up the chant. They used all their energy and the help of Christopher and Birgit and their connection to them, to have access to the spells they needed for this.

The nurse reached out to stop whatever they were doing, but a short bolt of electricity forced her to take a step back again. She headed out of the room and called for the security.

"Excuse me, but what is going on?" Giles asked as he saw how the nurse acted as she came out of the room.

"Your two friends are doing... something crazy in there. This...light... is emanating from them. Whatever they are doing, it isn't normal."

"Light?"

He headed towards the room and opened the door.

"What do you mean? There is nobody in here."

"WHAT?!?"

"This room is empty." 'At least I hope it is empty, and that they didn't just hide themselves.'

The nurse ran back into the room.

"But...but...but... I saw it. I mean they even shocked me, literally."

"Well, I don't know what you have seen miss, but I can't see anybody in here. Buffy and Willow left a few minutes ago. I wanted to stay here to wait for Cordelia's parents. And, well... Xander is her boyfriend."


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Chapter 4: Returning



She opened her eyes and looked into a very familiar face. The last thing she remembered was that some vampire had rammed that knife into her. She wondered what had happened, and how they had found Buffy and Willow.

"Cordelia?"

"Cordelia are you ok?"

"Hmmm?" She sat up and looked into the faces of those she and Xander were looking for.

"Did..did we find you?"

"Actually no. We were in LA, but you were injured and we had to help."

"Injured? What? Where? Who? Am I ok? I mean, I don't feel any pain...am... am I dead?"

"No Cordy, you're not dead. It's a long story. Sleep now. You need the rest as much as we do." Willow looked up into Buffy's eyes and smiled.

'I have...I mean, we have done that. We have brought her back.'

'Yes we have. Just remind me to thank Christopher and Birgit next time we meet them.'

Buffy stood up from the couch and headed into the kitchen.

"I'm quite hungry now, you too?" she shouted.

'Buffy, please be quiet. She needs her sleep. Being resurrected isn't really something that happens everyday to her.'

'Sorry, but you haven't answered my question. Are you hungry?'

"I think that after such an exhausting job everyone would be hungry", Willow whispered into her lovers ear while placing her arms around her waist.

"Oh man. You'd think that after we started meeting in his house, Giles would start buying more than just this", Buffy said pointing into the refrigerator.

"Well, you could take some of those sausages and make a sandwich."

"Hmmm...a sandwich..." Buffy turned around and looked into the eyes behind her, "...I think I know something else I want to taste."

"Hmmm...sounds delicious, can I taste some of that too?"

Buffy leaned forward and kissed the hacker, licking her lips and demanding entrance.

'Sure, you can.'

Willow responded by moving her hand up to Buffy's neck and pulled her even closer than the slayer thought was possible. Just in that moment the door slammed open and a very nervous ex-watcher entered the house, shortly followed by Xander.

'Awww... they really know how to break things up.'

Parting from Buffy Willow answered, "Yeah. But I think we should go in. This whole thing will definitely need some explanation."


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"Buffy, Willow, are you here?" Giles shouted from the door.

They came out of the kitchen, their arms around the others waist and greeted him. He gave them quite an odd look, but returned quickly to his normal watcher face.

"How did you do all of this? And how did you know about-"

"Where's Cordy?" Xander interrupted. Buffy pointed towards the couch and he immediately changed the direction and hurried over to her.

"Let her sleep. This was very exhausting, and she needs the rest."

He nodded and took her hand in his.

"You never do that again, you hear me? I need you too much to let you go again. I have lost you once and I will not loose you again, you hear?" He was already crying because he finally held her in his arms again. But this time she was alive.

Clearing his throat, Giles brought their attention back to him.

"Are you willing to explain this to me, or do I have to find out for myself what has happened in the last 24 hours?"

"Sorry Giles. Can...can we do this tomorrow? This whole thing was a little exhausting and I need....", Willow faced her love, "...we need some rest. So if you don't mind?" she continued, pointing to the guestroom in the back of his house.

"Sure, sure. Go and sleep over it. But tomorrow I want an explanation."

"Thanks Giles."

With that Buffy and her friend went back to the guestroom to take a nap. Xander kept kneeling on the floor in front of Cordelia, whispering soothing and loving words in her ears, and Giles.... well.. Giles did what he always did when he didn't know what to do. He made some tea, and went into his library to read.


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TBC...

Again I hope everbody got this and enjoyed it.


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Scene of the week from NMR:
(Warning: Contains spoilers for NMR and torture from Joss)
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Willow: "Tara, I have to tell you-"
Tara: "No, I understand, you have to be with the person you l-love."
Willow (smiling): "I am."
Tara: "You mean..?"
Willow: "I mean. Okay?"
Tara (breathlessly): "Oh yes!"
Willow: "I feel horrible about everything I've put you through. And I'm going to make it up to you. Starting right now."
Tara (dry-mouthed): "Right now?"
Willow nods. Tara blows out the candle. Executive Producer Joss Whedon.