Flood
by Valyssia
13.2 Epilogue: The Seeds of Life
[reviews]
Two
(two years)
After the Flood
Moving to the end of the steel grate, Buffy peered down into the swirling energy vortex. A deep sigh drifted out and she turned back to meet her sister's gaze. She placed a reassuring hand on Dawn's shoulder and said, "I need you to take care of Will for me now."
Quirking an eyebrow, Dawn stared at her sister as if she'd grown another head and gasped, "Huh?"
Buffy cracked an amused grin and winked. Facing the light again, she grumbled, "Because she's gonna be completely insufferable after this," and bounced off the platform. This is so gonna suck! Spreading her arms, she arched her back and plummeted into the tear between worlds.
As her body was engulfed by the vortex, every nerve ending lit up with pain. Her vision swam. Alight with color, it dimmed, slowing turning black.
***********
Tearing her gaze from the broken, crumpled body at her feet, Willow glanced at her watch. Five minutes. 'Kay, so...let's be rational about this, five minutes isn't long enough. I know if I reach down and touch her, she'll be—she'll be cold. But she's supposed to be. It's how it works.
After taking a deep breath, she struggled to wipe the worry from her face. In truth, she wanted to collapse to her knees and weep. It's too soon. Giles told me when the stranger pulled her out of the ocean, he worked on her for ten minutes before she came around. He called it a 'miracle.' 'It's a miracle she lived.' That's exactly what he said. It might be, but it's a miracle with rules. She can dive off a cliff and drown in the ocean, but if she bleeds to death, she's gone.
The others moved around behind her, but Willow ignored them. She was consumed by her inner monologue, trying to reassure herself it'd be fine. When Adam—when Adam beat her to death. Stupid, stupid, Buffy, she just wouldn't back down—she should've backed down. When she died, again it took ten minutes. It took days for everything to heal, but the— But she came back to life in ten minutes. Least that's what that liar Spike said. Still, ten minutes, so...
As she stared at her watch, Dawn came up behind her. Eight minutes.
"I want cookies tonight."
Willow was shocked by the bluntness of the statement. She gasped, "Huh?" and spun around to meet the amused teenager's gaze. How can she not be worried?
Folding her arms across her chest, Dawn stated firmly, "I want cookies. Oh! And Snoopy pancakes in the morning."
Quirking an eyebrow, Willow glanced back at the broken body and tried to wrap her mind around what she was hearing. She wants cookies?
"Look, Buffy gave you to me and I want cookies."
Willow choked, trying to stifle the hysterical laugh that bubbled up.
A bright smile lit the teen's face and Dawn offered reassuringly, "It'll be fine, Willow. Another minute and she'll be fine."
"But we don't know that," Willow stammered anxiously, "This was a blood thing. What if she's not fine?"
"She'll be fine," Dawn insisted, "But don't think that gets you out of the cookies."
Willow glared at the face of her watch, willing it to move without touching it magickally. She'll be fine. She will and if I do—if I break down, she'll tease me about it for days. Dawn's right I need to—I need to wait. I need to stay calm and wait. The hand ticked and she turned to face the body. Any second now.
***********
A deep blurry haze surrounded Buffy. She was vaguely aware of the others around her and her own trembling body. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. Her back arched as she reflexively inhaled deeply, filling her empty lungs with air. When she let go the unsteady breath, her body slumped back to the ground. She lay choking for a moment. Finally, control returned and she scanned the faces of her family: Giles, Xander, Anya, and Dawn. Her gaze came to rest on Willow. I love you.
A subtle smile curled the corners of Willow's lips. Shaking her head, she turned to Dawn and said, "Cookies?" Dawn took the offered hand and the two started to slowly walk away.
Bewildered by the exchange, Buffy started clumsily trying to move. Huh? Wait! What cookies? Where are my cookies? Struggling to speak, her voice cracked as she called out, "Hey! Where's my—?" Her voice failed, stifling the thought.
"You're the one that gave me away," Willow called back, "Not my fault."
Vying for Buffy's attention, Anya stated frankly, "I think you should try again. Your form was a little off. It was sloppy. Your back was too arched. I'd give it a five."
Xander put his arm around his girlfriend and smiled sheepishly down at Buffy before he quipped, "Those Swedish judges—they're just ruthless, aren't they?"
Completely flabbergasted, Buffy peered up at Giles, pleading for some measure of sanity with her eyes. What do you mean 'my back was arched'? It hurt like a bitch, you unbelievable cow!
As Giles offered a hand down to the slayer, Anya turned away in a huff, ranting, "I am not Swedish, Xander! I'm an all-American girl!"
Accepting the hand, Buffy rose awkwardly to her feet, thankful that Anya's shrill voice was getting further away. I'm so glad they got their own place. Her head throbbed painfully and Giles put his arm around her for support.
Buffy watched vacantly as Xander shrugged and took off in Anya's wake while the former vengeance demon continued to seethe, "I love apple pie, Superman, that silly game with the bat and the men in tight shorts, and money just like every red-blooded American girl!"
Leaning into the embrace, Buffy remarked weakly, "You see what I have to put up with? I die—I die saving the world and—" she sighed despondently "—no one seems to care, Giles."
When Giles began to slowly guide her away, she leaned heavily on him so she wouldn't fall.
"They care, Buffy," Giles remarked reassuringly, "They just have a very unusual way of showing it. They have faith in you—faith that you will prevail. And I for one am extremely grateful."