Children of the Earth
by WillowX
Nowhere But Here
[reviews]
Chapter 10
Nowhere But Here
Here I am ... alone ... in the dark ... sitting on my bed. The bed that used to belong to Joyce, that later belonged to Tara and I, but that now ... belongs to me and Buffy. This is our bed. Buffy and I are a 'we'. Two months ago I sat here wondering if she'd ever speak to me again and now I sit here waiting for her to get home ... waiting to hold her in my arms again.
I should be training. I should be preparing for the battle that's to come, but I can't concentrate right now. I can't move. I can only think of her...of Buffy. In a few minutes it will be midnight and her own battle to save Dawn will begin. She's ok now though. I can sense her. I can feel what she's feeling and I know that she's safe. As a matter of fact, it's kind of cute, she's actually missing me right now. The thought of that alone makes me smile.
Hope disappeared a few minutes after Buffy left. She didn't say where she was going, just that she had to go. That it was something of great importance. I tried inviting myself to the fieldtrip but there was no use, she insisted it was something she had to do herself. Her abrupt departure concerned me a bit and when she left she was shielding her thoughts from me. She hadn't done that since she arrived and I didn't find her unexpected secrecy very comforting. Suddenly I got very suspicious. I don't like being suspicious ... I'm not generally a suspicious person. Well ... at least I try not to be. Ok Ok so there was that one time I was suspicious of Oz and Veruca. But...HEY... I wasn't being the 'jealous girlfriend', I was being the 'diligent Scooby'... she was evil! Ok Ok so I got a little suspicious of Faith...but I can't help it... Faith's got that whole 'let's get naked' attitude ... I mean ... Have you seen the way she looks at Buffy sometimes? 'B this and B that' ... And ... and ... ugghhh head ranting is sooo not user friendly. I'm getting tummy rumblings already. What was I talking about again?
Hope! Right! Suddenly it became very important for me to find out as much as possible about Methos and Hope. Something wasn't sitting right with me. I remembered having seen a book at the Magic Box that mentioned Methos back when I was researching the resurrection spell. I asked Tara and Anya to get it for me. I'm hoping it will shed some light on our current situation.
After Anya and Tara left it occurred to me that I was alone in the house. For the first time in a long time fear consumed me like a burning fire. Actually, it was a strange feeling. My head kept telling me I had nothing to be afraid of. It reminded me that I am a Sorceress, that I have power, that I can sense evil approaching. What could I have to fear?
My heart, however, was having a severe case of the wiggins.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The room was dark except for the dim glow of lighted candles and the smoky smell of burning incense filled the air. I closed my eyes momentarily to absorb my surroundings. Instantly, a rush fluttered through my body as I felt the evil in the room dance around me ... it was invigorating.
"Are you ready to begin Amy?" Methos asked as he looked at me from across the smoke of the burning incense. We were sitting on the floor facing each other surrounded by an army of candles. My nerve endings were tickling and Methos knew it.
"Yes. I am ready." I responded. Methos carefully opened a wooden box that was sitting between us on the floor. Once the lid had been uncovered a bright red light shone from within. His face slowly contorted into an evil grin.
"This is the Orb of Gehasi." He explained. My eyes widened in shock.
"Gehasi? The Gehasi?" I asked astounded.
"Yes. The Harvester of Mystical Energy himself. Legend has it that the Harvester roamed the Earth stripping witches and sorceresses of their powers. He hated women but, more importantly, he hated women with authority. In his lifetime he hunted thousands of witches and eviscerate their power... storing it here." He finished as he held the Orb up for me to see. A chill ran down my spine.
"Let us begin." He instructed and I nodded in agreement. This was way cool.
"All powerful Lords of the underworld hear my plea
Cover the eyes of the Sorceress so that she can no longer see
Strip her of her strength
Strip her of her power
Make her weak this very hour."
The Orb of Gehasi began to glow bright red. I stared at the center of it as we chanted in unison and, for a second, it seemed as if it incased an ocean of blood. For a moment my mind wondered as to how much power that orb, the size of a mere baseball, contained. How many lives has it ruined? How many witches fell powerless to its hold? And now, thousands of years after its creation, it will bring forth the end of the world. The birth of the age of evil ... Armageddon.
Yes. This was invigorating indeed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I've checked the house Boss, she's the only one home. If we want to attack we have to do it now while the others are away." The vampire explained to Spike. We were kneeling in the bushes on the side of my house. Spike had my hands and legs tied and he had gagged me with a dirty cloth.
"Did you hear that Nibblette?" Spike hissed into my ear. "Your sister IS as stupid as I always said she was." He finished evilly.
My body was exhausted from fear. Every single part of me ached. I had no idea it was possible to hurt so much. My nose was stuffed from crying and it was getting harder and harder for me to breathe through the gag. I'd been holding back the urge to vomit for hours. Every breath of air I took tasted like blood.
Out of the corner of my eye I can see Janice. She woke up about an hour ago. The look of anguish on her face was heartbreaking. I might just be a teenager but I know what fear looks like. I've seen it plenty of times. I've seen it in Buffy's eyes. I've seen it in Willow's eyes. I've even seen it in my own. Janice's fear, however, is different. She has no idea what's going on, what she's up against, why they took her. She must be wondering what she did to deserve this. Little does she know that the only thing she did wrong was choose her friends poorly.
"It's time to get this circus started then." Spike said happily. He grabbed my hair again and dragged me roughly along the ground as he walked towards the back of the house. His demon face grinning proudly.
"Do you know what the best part about the last two years has been?" He growled harshly as he walked. All I could do was whimper in response.
"All the knowledge I acquired." He said with a smile and then chuckled. "You see Niblette, now I know how it works. The group. The team. The Scooby Gang." He finished sarcastically and stopped walking when he reached the steps to back porch. I couldn't see Janice but I knew she was somewhere behind me. I could hear her muffled crying. Before I had a chance to turn to look for her Spike started up his big bad speech again.
"I studied you all from the inside out. I know how you react. For example, you see this door here?" He asked as he pointed at the kitchen door. "Ordinarily I would be able to walk in without a problem. But you see... your sister's new bitch probably put a bit of the mojo on it." He chuckled again. "A 'de-invite' I think you call it." He paused for a moment to finish chuckling and then removed the gag that was covering my mouth.
"So now..." He said with threatening eyes, "I need a Key to get in." He whispered evilly into my face. With one forceful swing he threw my body hard against the door. I felt as my bones crushed against the wood and glass. The door broke open and the next thing I felt was my head hitting the hard kitchen floor. There was hot blood running all over my face, covering my eyes so that I couldn't see. I was panting fiercely against the kitchen floor.
"DAWN! OH DAWNIE! LOOKY LOOKY HERE!" Spike singsonged from outside. I turned slowly wiping the blood from my eyes and that's when I saw it. Spike was holding Janice. The look on her face. Oh my god...the look on her face.
"Invite me in!" He growled. My heart was pounding vigorously. The thumping was so hard I could hardly hear anything else around me.
"Stop it Spike! Stop! She has nothing to do with this! I'm the one you want!" I managed to get out through labored breaths.
Spike swung his head backward in a hearty chuckle. "You're the one I want? You're the one I want? When are you going to get it? You're the one nobody wants!" With that said he snapped Janice's arm like a dry twig. I heard her muffled holler as her eyes squinted in pain.
"Invite me in or I'll drink her." He threatened as he stood at the doorway of the kitchen. I couldn't think. Janice's eyes were beginning to roll back into her head. I hesitated for two seconds and Spike quickly pulled her head to the side and sunk his teeth into her. I watched in horror as her body went into convulsions from fear.
"OK. Spike stop!!!! Ok." I screamed through tears. He lifted his head slowly as blood dripped from his mouth. Janice was still moving. She was still alive.
"Come in Spike. Come in. Come in." I said as my voice trailed off softly between tears. I didn't want to think anymore I was so exhausted. I couldn't even feel my legs. The smell of blood on me was sickening and I no longer had the strength to continue. Just then I heard a familiar voice call from behind me.
"DAWN!"
I rolled over slowly and saw Willow. She was shocked to see me and I too was shocked to see her. All this time it was Buffy I thought he was after. All this time I was expecting him to get a good ass kicking
What have I done? What have I done to Willow?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I sharpened my senses to find evil and roamed the streets of Sunnydale at night searching for the moving door. As I walked over the bodies of the junkies lying scattered over the floor I knew it was true. Only one person could be responsible for this.
"Rack?" I asked confused as I walked into the back room. I was surprised to have heard his name mentioned earlier. But I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. Why hadn't I sensed him before? He turned slowly at the sound of my voice and glared in my direction.
"Hope." He said with a cynical hiss. My chest tightened. It was him...but why?
"I thought you were dead." I exclaimed.
"Correction ... you'd hoped I was dead. Wishing something would happen doesn't automatically make it true." He responded in a lazy voice.
"That's not true. I never wished for your death. I would never..." I began to explain but he interrupted harshly.
"Don't patronize me! I know what happened. I don't need you explaining it to me. I was there... remember?" He said with anger dripping from his eyes. Of course I remembered. How could I possibly forget? It was one of the worst days of my life.
"I still have the scar you gave me as parting gift." He said as he traced his finger over his right eye.
"Your father did that to you!" I countered and his anger increased.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" He threatened.
We stood breathlessly observing each other for a few minutes. What happened to him? His features emanated evil. His intentions were all evil. There was no good in him. He looked at me, smiled broadly at what I had mentally concluded and then proceeded to speak.
"So what is this Mother? Did you come here to assess my intentions? Read my mind? Well...go ahead. I wouldn't want to disappoint you." He said sarcastically and opened his mind to me.
I closed my eyes in pain as all the evil thoughts in his head flooded out like a violent river. He was, indeed, very disappointing. The longer I let his thoughts invade me the more pain ripped through my soul. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse I gasped and opened my eyes in agony.
"You're going to open the Hellmouth!!" I stammered and he smiled broadly in response.
"Have you any idea what consequences your actions will bring?" I asked in a disciplinary tone.
"Have you?" He asked in response. His question surprised me to say the least.
"Well...have you Mother? Have you any idea what consequences YOUR actions will bring? Are you willing to take that step? Is the red head really that important to you?" He asked.
I stood before my son for the first time in centuries. Nothing about him was familiar. Nothing about him was good. He wasn't even the shell of the person I held in my arms such a long time ago. I blamed myself for him. I blamed myself for everything that had happened. For not being strong. For not doing the right thing. 'Is the red head really that important to me?' He had asked.
Yes. She was.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When I heard the crashing sound of something breaking I was sure it was coming from outside, perhaps the wind blowing a tree against the door, but then... I heard the screaming. This was not the wind blowing. I ran out of my room, down the hall, and down the stairs. The faster I ran the louder the screams became. It sounded like Dawn crying. But...it couldn't be. I made a sharp left turn at the bottom of the stairs and went into the dinning room. That's when I saw it, Dawn on the floor...bleeding. I ran to her as quickly as possible.
"DAWN!" I screamed.
Her clothes were filthy and stained with blood. She rolled over slowly and I watched as the blood dripped from her forehead. When she finally saw me her expression was fear. Intense fear.
"I'm sorry." She whispered through tears. I couldn't understand what was happening. The door was broken but there was no one there. Had Dawn escaped? Did something happen to Buffy? How did she get here?
"Dawnie!! Oh My God Dawnie! What happened to you? What happened?" I screamed as I ran to kneel next to her body. She was going into shock. I couldn't understand a word she was saying.
I was leaning over her body trying to help her when all of a sudden I felt it ... a strong hand gripped the back of my neck, lifted my body straight up in the air, and flung me against the kitchen counter. My vision blurred for a moment from the bang of my head against the hard surface. When I focused again I wish I hadn't. Spike's bloody mouth was an inch away from mine.
"Well well well. Just the Witch I wanted to see." He growled into my mouth.
"GET OUT!" I threatened through gritted teeth.
"Make me!" Spike said with a harsh growl.
I closed my eyes and called on the wind. Nothing!
I called on the water. Nothing!
I called on the Earth. Nothing!
I was powerless before Spike and he knew it. He gripped my neck and squeezed slowly. I watched in horror as his eyes gleamed with excitement. He finally had me exactly where he wanted.
Leaning in closer he whispered in my ear. "So your girlfriend hates vampires, huh??? Do you think she'll hate you? I'll tell you what...if you're a good little Witch I'll help you hunt her down and kill her later." He said happily as if that was the part he was most looking forward too...watching me kill Buffy later. I struggled for him to release me. Kicking and twisting and pulling at his hand around my neck.
"Now now now," he said in a disciplinary tone, "we can't have none of that, now can we?" He said and strengthened his grip around my neck. I could hardly breathe now. The more I struggled the harder he squeezed. Oxygen. I need oxygen. With the last bit of strength I had left in me I concentrated on calling Buffy. I closed my eyes one last time and called on Buffy with all my might................
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We stood around in silence for a few minutes, watching our surroundings closely, expecting the attack at any minute. My body was sore from all the tension. I felt as if I've been at battle for days. And my mind...well my mind was deep in thought. Hope's words to me earlier this afternoon still lingered. What's to come? What am I? What decision do I have to make?
"What time is it?" Faith asked.
"A quarter past midnight." Xander provided.
"We've been here a half hour already." I whispered. Something didn't seem right.
"Looks like your vamp is late for a date, either that or this place is booby trapped." Faith interjected.
"There aren't signs of anything Buffy. Look at the floors. They are covered with dust and dirt. Nobody has walked on these floors in months. The only footsteps here are ours." Xander concluded.
Just then I felt a sharp pain rip through my heart. Something had gone desperately wrong. I doubled over in agony with a loud groan. My vision blurred and a bright light appeared in my minds eye. I screamed in fear when I saw it. Oh God no. No no no no!!
"Buffy what's wrong?" Xander screamed as he rushed to my side. I could barely breathe the pain was so great. Oh God no.
"This was a decoy. A trap." I whispered in between gasps.
"What's wrong? What is she talking about?" Faith asked confused.
I felt my body tremble in Xander's arms. The pain was devastating. How could this be? How did I not see it? How could I be so stupid?
"Buffy! Buffy! You're freaking me out! Buffy talk to me!" Xander screamed.
I laid my head on the floor and screamed with all my might.
"WILLOW!"
"Willow what? What's wrong Buffy? What's wrong?" Xander repeated hysterically. I opened my eyes to look at Xander just in time to see the vampire that was stalking us from the skylight.
"Xander... behind you!" I managed to squeal out in pain.
One by one they dropped in on us from the ceiling. The first two found themselves face to face with Faith, the Kung Fu Slayer. She wasn't kidding about all the training she underwent with the Council. They were dusted just as the next four dropped in. Xander stood and joined Faith with the Crossbow. I watched paralyzed in pain as they battled. For every vamp Faith and Xander dusted, three more appeared in its place. We were surrounded by them and Faith was loosing strength.
"B? Can you move?" She screamed over her shoulder as she cornered two vamps against a wall.
"Mmm Hmmm." I groaned. The pain had been subsiding slowly.
"Then it's time to go!" Faith concluded. "Xander grab Buffy and let's dip."
Xander ran towards me. He was tired and sweaty. His left hand was bleeding from a vamp bite but he didn't stop. With one swift move he flung me over his shoulder while Faith held off the other vamps. Once outside Xander laid my body on the floor and dropped the weapons bag next to me. He searched through it for a few seconds until he pulled out what looked like a water gun.
"What's that?" I asked as I stood slowly. The pain had significantly minimized now.
"My secret weapon...the Super Soaker!" Xander responded in awe. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He had lost his mind. He squeezed the trigger slowly and drenched the first vamp. I watched in amazement as the vamp started emanating smoke. Suddenly it started making sense.
Xander continued soaking the vamps, forcing them back into the building. They were crouched on the floor covering their faces in agony. He turned to me with a proud grin. "What do you think?" He screamed.
"I'm guessing Holy Water." I responded.
Faith stopped, fished a lighter out of her pocket, and lit it. Holding the lighter out for me to see she finished my sentence "and gasoline!" She said with a proud smile as she threw the lighter into the building. The building burst into flames. Xander and Faith gave each other a high five and I wondered if I had stepped into another dimension by mistake.
"Wuuuuu Huuuuuuu!!! I told you it would work." Xander cheered.
"Who's idea was that?" I asked astounded at the mere simplicity of it.
"The Holy Water Gun was mine and the gasoline was Faith." Xander explained.
"Of course the little Pyro of the family." I said with a smirk.
"What happened to you in there B?" Faith asked. The battle had distracted me but when she asked the question the memory of what happened fell on me like a ton of bricks.
"Spike has Willow. I saw him through her eyes."
"What do you mean you saw him?" Xander asked confused.
"Willow and I are connected...um...it's a thing. The last thing I saw was Spike and then I lost contact with her. I can't feel her." I stammered out afraid.
"What do you mean you can't feel her?" Xander asked.
"All of a sudden I lost her and it's as if I lost myself. The pain was overwhelming."
"Is she ..." Faith began to ask and Xander interrupted "NO! She's not. Don't even say it. Don't even say it Faith!" He warned emphatically.
"I don't know... I don't know... I can't feel her... I can't ...." I repeated to myself out loud.
"What about Dawn?" Xander asked.
"This was obviously a trap. Spike had no intention of returning Dawn and from the number of vamps that stormed in here I'd say his intention was to kill you." Faith concluded.
"No......his intention is to make me suffer." I corrected sourly. "If he wanted me dead he would do it himself." Just as the words were exiting my mouth a pack of six vampires turned the left corner of the alley and were walking towards us. I looked towards the right and another six appeared. They were walking slowly as if teasing us with their presence. I didn't know what to do. I just didn't know. Dawn was gone. Willow was gone. We're surrounded. I just couldn't.... I couldn't take it anymore. I kneeled on the floor holding my head in exhaustion. The world was spinning out of control. I had lost her. She was gone. My Willow was gone.
"Oh God Willow..." I moaned as the flood of tears took over.
"Hey! Hey! She's not dead! Get up!" Xander said. "GET UP!!" He screamed with all his might. "What's wrong with you? Snap out of it! We need you NOW!" He said as he pulled my arm until I was standing again.
Grabbing my shoulders harshly he turned my body and looked deep into my eyes. His gaze was intense and piercing, concerned and angry at the same time. Like I had let him down. "What would Willow say if she saw you like this?" He asked.
His words resonated in my ears. He was right. Willow would probably kick the shit out of me if she saw me like this. Giving up. Defeated. At the very least she'd give me her 'Resolve Face'.
"Umm...guys...these dudes are getting closer. Can we save the nervous breakdown for a time when we're not in mortal danger?" Faith said shadowing my sarcastic remark from earlier in the evening. I looked at Xander helplessly. What am I supposed to do?
"Run." He whispered. I looked at him confused. "Run! Go!! Faith and I will do the rest! Go save your family." He said sternly.
I turned and climbed onto the dumpster that was a few feet away. From there I used a nearby fire escape to climb up the side of the building. I didn't look down until I had reached the top of the building. When I turned to give my friends one last look I noticed a vampire following me up the side of the building. He looked up at me just as I was looking at him and growled. At that moment, right before my eyes, he suddenly turned to dust. When the cloud of dust dissipated I saw Xander standing on the ground below holding the crossbow still aiming in my direction. I nodded at him in gratitude and he smiled. There stood a good man.
I moved as fast as I could catapulting from rooftop to rooftop. As soon as I had cleared a few and was sure I wasn't being followed I climbed down and looked for the main road, the one that ran through the center of Sunnydale. It was the fastest way home.
I ran with the speed and agility of a panther, as if I was running for my life...for Dawn's... for Willow's. My heart was pounding and sweat was pouring down my face in huge droplets. Visions of Spike plagued my mind. I wondered if he was enjoying this. If he was enjoying causing me pain. Images of our night together haunted me. The way he looked at me. The way he touched me. The harshness of the act. The sense of worthlessness afterward. I felt sick all over again.
Slowly what was once fear turned to anger and anger quickly turned to rage. I hated him... I hated him with all my might... and tonight he will pay for all the pain he's caused me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The sound of tires screeching made my whole body goose bump. Ugghh...I really really really hated that sound. My eyes were sealed tightly in fear as I felt the gusts of wind coming through the windows blowing my long blonde hair around the car. My fingernails were gripping the seat as I opened my left eye slowly and cautiously...afraid of what I would see. What in the world possessed Willow to send me somewhere in a CAR with ANYA driving?
"I thought you said you've driven before." I asked frightened.
"Yes. I have..." Anya said with a nervous smile "once!" She finished.
My eyes bugged out of my head!
"Don't look so afraid Tara... I already know that the left pedal makes it stop abruptly." She said as she slammed her foot on the floor of the car to demonstrate. The engine revved thunderously and we accelerated with a jump.
"Your left!! YOUR left Anya!! Not the pedal's left!!" I added with a scream.
"Oh. Right. Of course." She said as she smiled broadly. She had a sort of maniacal suicidal look on her face.
"Anya, close the windows I can't read the book with the pages all blowy." I instructed trying my best to hide the fear in my voice. Anya nodded at my request and flipped a switch on the driver's side door ... all the car doors unlocked at once!
"Ok. Forget the reading. I can read when we get home." If we get home! 'IF we get home' would be a more accurate statement.
I found the books that Willow wanted from the Magic Box. We would have been home sooner except that Anya made me fill out an IOU card seeing as how I didn't have any money on me. She actually keeps a shoebox full of IOUs from all of us...sometimes I just wonder about her.
"Would you like to hear ...?" Anya began to ask but I couldn't make out the ending of the question over the sound of the wind roaring.
"WHAT?" I screamed.
"Music! As in a melody, rhythm, tune, song...you know, for your auditory pleasure." She finished with a crazy smile and head bob.
"What are you a book of synonyms often including related, contrasting words, and antonyms?" I asked with a pinch of sarcasm. Hey...I can too be sarcastic. I was making fun of her literal matter of speech. You get it? Sheesh ... that was a bigger bomb than my insect refection joke.
Anya blinked at me blankly for a few minutes. I shook my head and turned to face the road again. Suddenly I got a glimpse of someone. A woman...running towards us on the road and Anya was swerving the car in that direction.
"ANYA WATCH IT!!!" I screamed pointing in the direction of the pedestrian.
Anya hit the break pedal, the correct one this time, and gripped the steering wheel with both hands as if preparing for the impact. I flinched again at the sound of the tires screeching against the pavement. We were too close. There was no way we wouldn't hit her. Just as I had mentally concluded this... the woman jumped, ran over the hood of the car, onto the roof, and down the back. I turned to watch her land safely on the ground. Once the car had stopped completely, Anya and I hurried out to check on her. She was kneeling behind the car on the exact same spot where she had landed. It looked like...
"Buffy?" I asked softly. Buffy stood and turned around. Her eyes were filled with rage and she was panting fiercely with her chest expanding and contracting at an exaggerated rate.
"You nearly ran me over you idiot!" She screamed at Anya.
"And you nearly put a Slayer size dent in my boyfriend's car!" Anya said defending herself.
"Buffy..." I began to say.
"Where's Willow?" She barked harshly cutting me off.
"We left her at the house." Anya responded.
"You left her alone? What were you thinking?" Buffy barked at her.
"After you left, Hope disappeared, and Willow became suspicious of her. She sent us to the Magic Box to get some books about Methos she had seen there." I explained.
"Where's Xander?" Anya asked afraid.
"He's with Faith." Buffy responded.
"FAITH! Ah! You were supposed to be with them. You're the lesbian chaperone! I can't believe you left my Xander with that hussy! I..." Anya was about to keep going but the look on Buffy's eyes stopped her. Something wasn't right.
"What's wrong Buffy? What happened? Where's Dawn?" I asked cautiously.
"I don't know. Spike never showed up and I've lost contact with Willow." She responded.
"Then there's no time to waste. We should get to the house as soon as possible." I concluded.
"I'm driving." Anya chimed.
"Not a chance!" Buffy said as she took the keys from Anya. Anya stood still blinking blindly again. She was about to protest when I shook my head pointing at Buffy with my lips.
"Ok then. I got shotgun!" Anya announced instead.
The three of us got into the car again. I sat in the back seat and reached for the seat belt. This was going to be a bumpy ride.
"Anya?" Buffy asked with a scary look on her face and Anya looked at her attentively. "Maybe not today...maybe not tomorrow...but when this is all over, I'm gonna hide a bunny somewhere where you least expect it...I promise!"
Anya's eyes bugged out of her head. Deciding that perhaps silence was the best way to go she turned slowly. Who says that threats don't work?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We watched the Summer's residence closely from across the street. Sometimes the accuracy of Methos' predictions astounded me. He foresaw that Willow would be alone and she was. He foresaw that Spike had turned evil again and he had. He foresaw that Spike would try to abduct Willow and he did. Finally, he foresaw that Willow will bring forth Armageddon and... well...that's why we're here ... to stop that from happening.
When we arrived a few minutes ago he was already inside the house. I could see him through the windows.
"Mr. Giles?" Witherspoon asked with a slight jitter. I looked over at him annoyed. I've asked him to be quiet repeatedly. The last thing we need is to announce our presence.
"What?" I whispered back.
"There are two vampires. Two! And that is not including the vicious one inside...umm...Spear or Lance or whatever his name is." He said nervously.
"Spike! His name is Spike." I said correcting him. Spike's name was not to be forgotten.
"Yes. Of course. Spike. Lovely. I should have known you'd be on a first name basis with all the killers of this wretched town." Witherspoon said distastefully. I caught his inference of my personal relationship with Willow and shot him an angry glare.
"You're skating on thin ice Witherspoon." I warned.
"Yes well ... regardless ... Three! There are three vampires! We must abort the extraction mission. Methos will understand." He concluded.
"If you think I'm leaving without her your mad. Lord knows what he intends to do with her." I muttered without taking my eyes off the house.
"Perhaps it's for the best. If he takes care of her then we won't have too." He said.
I turned suddenly and gripped his neck. "Let's get one thing straight Witherspoon. I don't like you. Never have, actually. The only reason I agreed to this was to stop Willow before she did something she would regret. She hasn't done anything wrong yet and if I hear you repeat what you just implied again I'll deliver you to Spike myself."
I released my grip around his neck and Witherspoon began coughing vigorously. "Be quiet!" I scolded again.
"No... by all means... make a lot of noise. I like it when they scream!" I heard the rough voice say from behind. I turned slowly to see one of Spike's vampires standing behind us. The vampire snarled as he appreciated the expression of surprise on our faces.
"Oh. Oh... please don't... don't hurt us... we were just..." Witherspoon began to whine.
"Oh for God's sake would you bloody shut up you blithering idiot!" I said cutting him off. Reaching into my jacket I pulled out a hand held crossbow. Aiming the weapon at the vampire's heart I shot out a stake the size of a pencil. In a matter of seconds he was gone. Dust!
"Look Witherspoon now that there are only two you can stop soiling your knickers." I whispered under my breath sarcastically while returning my attention to the home. A few seconds later Spike walked out carrying Willow over his shoulder. The other vampire was at his side. Willow seemed to lay lifeless over his shoulder. Like a rag doll with arms and legs fluttering all over... I feared the worse.
"Are you ready?" I asked Witherspoon. He nodded nervously in agreement. I handed him the crossbow and we proceeded with our plan.
Staggering out onto Spike's path I began mumbling, "Oh Spike!! Thank heavens. We've been looking for you. It's Buffy. She needs your help. What? What happened to Willow?"
Spike smiled broadly. He looked like a child who just found another gift under the Christmas Tree. "Well well well. Been looking for me, have you? You're going to wish you never found me."
Before Spike knew what had hit him I pulled the stun riffle I'd been shielding from under my overcoat. I shocked Spike and he quickly dropped Willow. Simultaneously, Witherspoon shot the other vampire with the hand held crossbow. Once Willow was on the floor I continued shocking Spike until he lost consciousness. The vampire that Witherspoon was supposed to have killed was choking him. I pulled a spare stake from my coat and dusted him myself. Witherspoon lay on the floor holding his throat.
"Are you alright?" I asked moderately concerned. He started grunting as I walked away from him......he was fine. Willow was lying lifeless on the floor. I knelt over her body and felt her pulse. She was still alive but unconscious.
"Come on. We have to get her back to Methos before it's too late." I advised Witherspoon as I put Willow over my shoulder. I sigh relieved. We found her just in time to make everything right. Just in time to stop her.
"What do we do with the vampire?" Witherspoon asked. I thought about it for a moment. What did Spike deserve?
We dragged his body to a nearby tree... out of sight. I reached into my bag and found the metal shackles we brought along in case Willow resisted. I used the shackles to tie him securely to the tree.
"Tomorrow ... when the sun rises ... he will get what he deserves." I concluded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The drive home seemed to last forever. Every street corner, every house, every car was a reminder of how far away from her I was when she needed me. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have listened to Hope? Willow should have been with me. By my side... where I could have defended her ... protected her ... taken care of her.
When we finally arrived the front door of the house was wide open and all the lights were on. I don't remember parking the car or getting out. The only thing I remember is standing at the door of the house. I heard a slight rustling coming from the kitchen and quickly made my way there. Once I got there my heart stopped. Literally stopped.
"You!" I said in disgust. Hope was kneeling over Dawn's body on the floor ... her eyes black with magic. Her hands were bloody and I could hear Dawn's painful whimpers.
"Buffy...I...she..." Hope began to explain as I charged towards her. With one swift swing of my fist Hope's body flung in the air and landed hard on the kitchen counter. Before she could recuperate I ran up to her and gripped her neck...lifting her body high over my head.
"This was all you! You've been planning this all along! Orchestrating it! Looking for a way to separate Willow from me!" I screamed at her with all my might. Suddenly gusts of wind began blowing through the kitchen doors and windows. Plates, glasses, and utensils began flying around the room in a circular motion around us.
"Let me go!" Hope muttered angrily through her teeth with her eyes consumed in darkness. I responded by tightening my grip around her neck. She reached down and placed her hand on my chest...in an instant I felt as if I'd been kicked in the heart by a force stronger than a hundred vampires. I flew weightlessly through the air like until I felt my body smash against the wall of the kitchen. Seconds later I landed on my knees a few feet away from Dawn. When I look up Hope was preparing for her second attack. A huge wind tunnel was forming in the palm of her right hand and I saw as she flung it at me. I closed my eyes and covered my head to prepare for the blow.
"ENOUGH!!!" The familiar voice screamed from the doorway that leads to the dinning room. Suddenly I was encased in a green shield and watched as the wind tunnel bounced off. I looked at the doorway and there stood Tara ... her own eyes black with magic.
"That's borrowed power!" Hope growled.
"But power nonetheless!" Tara countered.
I knelt helpless beneath the glowing green shield Tara protected me with. Tara and Hope were looking at each other angrily. Dawn was still breathing because I could see the expanding and contracting of her chest and there was someone lying on the floor just outside the kitchen door that I couldn't quite make out. It wasn't Willow though... the clothes were not familiar.
"What have you done?" Tara asked Hope in a forceful voice. The minute the question reached Hope's ears her facial expression changed. Her eyes softened and returned to their olive green shade.
"I haven't done anything. I got here a few minutes ago and found her on the floor. I was trying to heal her when Buffy walked in." Hope turned to me and showed me her bloody hands, "I was healing her little one. Healing her!! I would never hurt her or Willow."
Tara looked at me and I nodded at her. The green shield that had been protecting me disappeared and I crawled towards Dawn's body as soon as possible.
"Dawn! Dawnie, honey, are you ok? Dawn please open your eyes." I pleaded with her. A few seconds later her eyes opened. She smiled softly glad to see me, but her smile quickly disappeared as her eyes swelled with tears.
"He took her." She whispered.
"I know." I responded.
"Is the 'Wicked Wicca Fest' over?" Anya screamed from behind Tara. Tara was still in battle stance and her eyes were black, fixed on Hope.
"Buffy... it's Janice." Dawn whispered as she turned over slowly pointing towards the back porch. Hope quickly moved outside and placed her hands on Janice. A yellow light began to shine brightly. I leaned over Dawn to cover her eyes from the glow and felt as her heart weakly beat against mine. My eyes swelled with tears.
"I was so worried about you Dawnie. I was so worried." I whispered softly and she moaned lightly in response.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(((We did it. We beat Glory. Buffy stomped her to near death a few minutes ago and now she is with Dawn on the tower. Tara was with me. Everything was ok. Everyone was safe.
Suddenly the sky exploded with a bright light. Tara and I crouched on the ground holding each other ... covering our eyes. The earth started shacking and cracking all around us. A few seconds later a huge electric current charged out of the center of the light in the sky and a demon appeared...then another...then another...something had gone desperately wrong. The gates of hell were opening.
The gates of hell were opening!
Looking up at the platform I covered my face and squinted my eyes trying my best to make out what was going on. Buffy and Dawn were together. I couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. Then right before my eyes it happened. My life changed forever. My heart broke.
I saw Buffy run down the span of the platform and...... jump. Such a graceful jump. Such beauty. Her body sliced through the air as bright lights began appearing all around her. In a matter of seconds everything stopped. The world was silent. The gates of hell were closed....and Buffy's body lay lifeless on a pile of rubble.
She was dead...and I never got to tell her how much I loved her. How much I really loved her.)))
"BUFFY!!!!!!"
"Sheesh....talk about homoerotic obsession. You scream her name even while unconscious." The sound of that voice made my blood boil. I opened my eyes and, at first, was unable to focus. My hands and feet were bound to the chair I was sitting on and my neck and head were sore. I blinked repeatedly but the light was making it hard for me to see. Once my eyes had adjusted to the brightness, I saw her ... Amy ... standing before me with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face.
"I should have given you rat poison when I had a chance." I muttered. The smugness in Amy's expression quickly morphed into rage as she raised her hand up in the air to slap me.
"Amy." A deep voice warned from behind her. Her hand stopped mid air and she glared at me intensely. The feeling of hatred was overwhelming...unnatural hatred. Unhappy that she could not strike me, she leaned in closer and spat on my face.
"That's quite enough Amy." The deep voice warned again. "Step away so I can see her."
Amy stepped aside reluctantly and I got my first look of the room I was in. It was an office or study or something. There were shelves filled with books on the wall and a grandiose mahogany desk. Sitting at the desk was a dark man.
"Methos." I concluded.
"Very good Ms. Rosenberg." He replied.
"How did you...?" I began to ask but Amy interrupted harshly.
"Thanks to our friendly neighborhood librarian." She said.
"Giles?" I asked confused.
"Yep! The best part was that it didn't even take a lot of coaxing to get him to stab you in the back.... and of course...the look on his face when he realized what he had done." She chimed pleased at herself.
"Amy...leave us...I need to speak to Ms. Rosenberg alone." Methos instructed. Amy hesitantly obeyed his instructions and left the room. As soon as the door closed behind her Methos began to speak.
"Willow Rosenberg. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance. I've been waiting for you for centuries...."
"What did you do to Buffy?" I interrupted harshly.
"Nothing." He responded nonchalantly.
"Why can't I feel her? Why can't I feel her?" I asked angrily.
"Ahhh...yes...well...your getting ahead of me."
"Is she dead? Did you kill her?" I demanded to know. He smiled and chuckled a bit at my question.
"You have no idea, have you?" He asked amused at my apparent ignorance.
"What?"
"Nevermind. The reason you can't sense the Slayer is sitting at the end of this desk." He explained as he motioned towards a glowing red paperweight.
"It's not a paperweight. Really, Ms. Rosenberg, you're disappointing me." He said reading my thoughts. "It's the Orb of Gehasi and the reason why you have yet to strike me down." Suddenly it made sense. The Orb of Gehasi...of course. The candidness of his comment, however, surprised me a bit. Did I really have the power to strike him down?
"Twice over." He responded. "Now if you only knew how to use it...then I'd really be in a pickle."
"What do you want?" I asked sourly. I was growing impatient.
"What everyone wants....POWER!!! We are sitting on the mouth of Hell. Do you have any idea what kind of power we can harness from here? We could control planets....dimensions...time and space....good and evil....we could control it all. Re-write history to our own liking." He finished with an evil gleam in his eyes and I looked at him with such disgust.
"Hope was right... you are corrupt and evil," I paused for a moment and then finished my statement "I'd rather die than help you!"
Methos sat quietly at his desk. His stare was piercing and I could see his jaws moving as he grinded his teeth. The longer he looked at me the harder my resolve face became. After a few minutes he nodded slowly in agreement "Yes. You would. I can see it. However, you will help me accomplish my goal...whether you're a willing participant or not." He finished in disdain. Just as the words had excited his mouth, the door opened and in walked Amy, Rack, Giles, and a man I didn't recognize.
"Mr. Giles ... Mr. Witherspoon .... please escort Ms. Rosenberg to the gateway." Methos instructed coldly.
"Giles! Giles it's me! Willow! It's me!" I pleaded with him.
"The Council fights evil...the Slayer is merely the instrument. The Council fights evil...the Slayer is merely the instrument. The Council fights evil...the Slayer is merely the instrument." Giles chanted over and over again with a spaced out look on his face. I felt my face go pale. Giles? I heard Amy chuckle from behind me.
"Neat trick, huh?" Amy asked proud of herself. "Oh come on... it's not the first time you see me do it."
I couldn't believe what was happening. Where is Buffy? Where is Buffy?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Life is filled with defining moments ... instances that change the course of your existence forever. Time and circumstance can be very perplexing. Have you ever looked back at a point in your life and wondered what would have happened if you hadn't been in that same exact spot at that same exact moment? What would have been of your life? I've done that a thousand times... wondered what would have happened had I not been called. What would have happened had we stayed in Los Angeles. What would have happened if Mom had chosen any other town in California other than Sunnydale.
The answer is always the same...I would have never met Willow. Or would I? She's my soul mate...would I have met her eventually? Would we have crossed paths at one point or another?
"Where will they be taking her?" I asked Hope. It had been a while since the chaos that ensued earlier. Xander and Faith were already home, Dawn and Janice were resting, and it was time to concentrate on Willow.
"The Hellmouth. The ritual must be performed at the very entrance." Hope explained and Xander shot me an awkward look.
"How do you know?" Tara interrupted. Hope looked at her silently for a few minutes. After a while she smiled broadly and nodded her head.
"I'm very proud of you. Willow gave you extraordinary power...but instead of using it against me...you used it to protect your friend. I was right about you all along." Hope finished.
"Ummmm...is it just me or did she just not answer your question?" Faith asked Tara annoyed. Returning her attention to Hope she began to speak again. "Look lady I'm getting sick of your crypto 'I'm helping you but I'm not' talk. I'm not big on chasing my own tail here. Now...answer the fucking question. HOW DO YOU KNOW?"
"How I know is not your concern. You may choose to use the knowledge or not. It's up to you." Hope explained emotionless. "I note, however, we do not have much time left. It has been foreseen. At 7:30 A.M. a great sorceress will die and the world as you know it will change forever." Should I trust her? Should I trust her with my life....with all our lives? Hmmmm...the funny thing about defining moments is that the decisions are never easy.
"So tell me more about this red ball you were talking about earlier." I responded. Faith and Tara were not satisfied but followed my lead. Is this a trap? Have I changed our lives forever? Am I positioning myself in right spot at the right time?
There is only one way to find out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale High. Well...the ruins at least. It seems only fitting that I die here. Right where it all started. Right where we first met.
"Tie her securely to the altar." Methos instructed Amy and Rack. Amy tightened the ropes that were holding my hands and Rack had a stiff expression on his face.
"What time is it Witherspoon?" Methos asked.
"It is 7:12 A.M." He responded.
"We haven't got much time left. Begin lighting the torches and bring forth the Orb." Methos demanded. The torches that had been positioned in a circle around the altar were lighted all at once by Amy. She was more than pleased at the task. Giles stood quietly in the shadows. His expression was emotionless.
Sunrise was a few moments away and the darkness of the sky was being replaced by a bright red glow. I lay still on the alter facing the clouds. This was it. My time had come. My eyes glazed over as Methos began chanting softly around me. One by one each of them joined in the chant...even Giles. After a few minutes the sound of the chanting was like a river roaring through my ears. It was unbearable. I felt as my insides began to tear. Something terribly wrong was happening. I opened my eyes and the sky was blood red. It was crackling and thundering but there were no rain clouds. The Earth began to shake beneath me and I heard the familiar growls of the untold horrors that inhabited the Hellmouth.
Suddenly the sky darkened to a deeper shade of red ... the color of blood. Rain began falling on my face in violent droplets ... blinding me ... choking me. The louder the chanting became the harder the wind blew. I opened my eyes slowly and saw Methos standing over me holding the Orb high in the sky. Bolts of lightning were shooting out of the Orb and I felt has my heart twisted inside of me. Suddenly a ray of green light hit Methos in the chest and the Orb dropped to the floor chattering in a thousand pieces. Almost instantly I felt a wave of power overcome my body
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We arrived at the ruins of our old highschool just in time. They had Willow tied down to some sort of altar looking thing. She was moving around and the sight of that alone made me breathe a huge sigh of relief. Part of me was afraid she was dead...but I never allowed the thought to completely invade me. Suddenly the sky darkened and violent winds began blowing all around us. The Earth began to shake and several huge cracks appeared spreading out from beneath the altar. The cracks formed like a sort of spider web formation with Willow tied helplessly at the center. The first demon to crawl up from beneath the ground was a slimy green looking one. He had teeth all around the outside of his skull and once out, let out a loud terrifying growl. I turned and looked at Xander and Faith whom were crouched behind me in the bushes. We were in position. Across the stretch of the ruins Tara, Hope, and Anya prepared for their own attack.
"Buffy...am I seeing things or does that look like...?" Xander began to ask.
"Giles! Yes. I saw him too." I responded. "Look Xander. When all this goes down I want you to go straight for Giles. I don't know what he's doing there so be careful. Don't hurt him...just keep him away from us and out of harms way. Faith and I will do the rest." I finished.
"Who's the other guy?" Xander asked.
"Hey you." Faith responded sourly.
"Huh?" Xander and I asked in unison.
"My watcher... real dickhead." She explained. I turned to her and asked, "Are you ready?"
"As ever." Faith confirmed. Turning again to watch the scene unfolding before us I saw Hope, Tara, and Anya mustering strength to strike down Methos. Although Tara and Anya had limited powers, what little strength they had would give Hope the edge she needed over her other half...her equal. Willow was screaming and twisting and turning under the shackles that held her down. Without warning it began to rain ... hard rain ... the type that felt like thousands of needles pricking your skin. The harder it rained the harder it was getting to see Willow. Methos was standing proud over her, holding the glowing red ball over his head.
Several other demons had already crawled out of the Earth and I was beginning to get nervous. Suddenly a charge of energy shot out from the combined efforts of Hope, Tara and Anya hitting Methos square in the chest. He was knocked off his feet and the Orb came crashing down. As it shattered into pieces a red mist made its way to Willow. Her body stiffened and she screamed with all her might. What came next was nothing short of chaos.
Almost instantly Amy charged in the direction of Hope and Tara. They began battling each other. Hope stepped in front of Tara to bare the front of the attack. She was protecting her just as Tara had protected me earlier.
"B... come-on, it's time to move like we got a purpose." Faith urged. We stepped out from behind the bushes, Faith and I both sporting large swords. I was carrying the one I had used so many years ago to kill Angel. We walked through the ruins slicing our swords through the air ... demon blood splattering all over us. I looked towards where Willow was. Xander had done just as I asked. He had effectively knocked out both Giles and Dickhead, as Faith had so eloquently referred to him. Then I saw something that caught my eye. The entire altar that Willow had been tied to was floating in the air, slowly moving higher and higher. A bright red glow engulfed it and Methos was covering his eyes on the floor beneath it. Out of nowhere the altar exploded in. The force of the explosion was so strong that we all fell over. I felt as my body crashed hard against the ground behind me. A few seconds later I opened my eyes to see Willow ... standing strong before Methos. Her entire body engulfed in a glow and her red hair flowing in the wind and rain.
"Get up Methos." Her voice thundered.
Methos stood slowly with a smug expression on his face. His gaze was truly evil. "Do you remember when I said you had the power to strike me down twice over?" He asked with his own voice echoing power.
"I lied!" He finished and with that let out a scream that created a vortex of wind that shot straight out at Willow. Her body flew across the air and landed in a pile of rubble.
"I tried. I tried to save you. I tried to give you the world. Power beyond your wildest imagination. Strength! Riches! Fame! Instead....you spat in my face like the low grade little bitch that you are!" Methos growled evilly. He clapped his hands over his head and lightning thundered through the skies.
"Years!!! Centuries!!! I've been mastering my power for centuries you idiot!! You will never defeat me!!!" He screamed. Willow stood from within the rubble. Her mouth was bloody and her hair was disheveled but her eyes were red with rage.
"Did you just call me a bitch?" Willow asked. She waved her hands at a pile of rubble that was near Methos and in one fail swoop he was buried. She turned to me proudly dusting off her hands but before she had a chance to speak a grumbling sound was heard from beneath the rubble. Like popcorn exploding out of an uncovered pan, rocks and stones began flying all over the place. In a matter of seconds Methos was standing again with a mighty angry look on his face.
"Perhaps the gravity of the situation has not hit you yet.....but it soon will." He growled and one by one rocks the size of basketballs began shooting towards Willow one after the other. She muttered something and was instantly protected within a glowing blow sphere... each rock effectively bouncing off. Her shield was losing force and she was kneeling weakly within it. I began to run towards Methos and with a wave of his hand he sent me flying. My body exploded in pain as I landed against a nearby tree.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We stood about twenty feet away from the altar. Willow had just been returned her strength and was battling Methos, but we were running short of time.
"So it's come to this! It's really quite poetic." Rack screamed over the sound of the wind blowing. He and Amy were standing a few feet away from Tara, Anya and I.
"It doesn't have to ... you know what we must do! You know that this is wrong." I said. Both Tara and Amy seemed confused.
"Do you know this chic?" Amy asked Rack with a hint of disgust.
"Amy?" Tara screamed as she extended her arms out with palms up ... magic crackling at her fingertips. "What was it we were discussing about underestimation?" She asked in an innocent voice.
Amy growled and a huge fireball flew out of her mouth in Tara's direction.
"Reverso!" I muttered waving my hand in the air. The fire ball that had been hurdling in Tara's direction stopped in mid-air and returned to Amy with force. Before she had a chance to move the fireball consumed her.
"Nooooo!" Rack's voice thundered at the sight of what had happened. He looked at me with his eyes filled with rage. "Nooooooo!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are we getting tired?" Methos asked Willow sarcastically. She could only grunt as she used all her strength to hold the shield. Methos increased the rate of boulders he was steering her way until finally one broke her shield and slammed against her stomach. Her body was crushed between the wall barely standing behind her and the boulder Methos threw her way.
"Now ... you will learn what pain is." He hissed triumphantly. A barrier of green light appeared all around them as Methos raised his hand high and sliced his fingers nails through the air. Willow screamed in agony as bloody gashes appeared on her left cheek. I looked around for help. Faith and Xander were fighting demons. Hope and Tara were trying to save Amy. I got up and ran towards Willow again until I hit the invisible wall Methos had erected. I fell back from the sheer force of the collision and as I was struggling to get up again Hope appeared next to me.
"It's time little one." She said.
"Amy?" I asked.
"She's dead. Rack escaped into the bushes. Tara and Anya are looking for him." She explained.
"Help me. I have to save Willow." I urged.
"There is only one way to save her now." She explained. I looked at her confused and noticed that she had tears in her eyes. "You must kill me." She finished.
"What? No! You have to help me. Help me stop him. Help me save her." I pleaded.
"I can't! I can't hurt him. I can't fight him. Why do you suppose I've been hiding for so many years?" She asked while helping me up. I looked over her shoulder and Methos was really beating Willow hard.
"Hope! Get out of the way. I don't have time. I need to save Willow!" I screamed.
"STOP!" She said grabbing my shoulders harshly. "You're not listening. The only way you'll save her now is killing me. I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this ... but it did. Methos and I are one. It's what you're supposed to do. It's your destiny." She finished breathless.
"What? I ... I don't understand." I said confused.
"Methos foresaw his death at the hands of one of the Children of the Earth. When Willow appeared he figured it would be her. He figured only another Sorceress would ever stand a chance to overpower him. But I knew the truth ... I knew it would be you all along!" She explained. My world was spinning out of control and I was emotionally exhausted. The wind was blowing hard and the rain was blinding me. The only thing I could hear was Willow's cries for help. She was in danger, I couldn't get near her, and Hope was asking me to...
"What are you asking me to do?" I finally asked.
"Death is your gift. I need you to end this." She said.
"I will. As soon as we stop Methos this will all be over." I concluded.
"You cannot stop him. He will never allow you to get close to him. Willow doesn't have much time left. You must do this. Once I die so will Methos. Why do you suppose he didn't have me killed centuries ago? Because my death would mean his own. Just as Willow's death would mean your own as well...and vice versa. It's the price you pay once you are One." I looked into her eyes and couldn't believe what she was telling me. How could she expect me to do this?
"You must! The fate of the World depends on it. In a few minutes Methos will use Willow's power to open the Hellmouth. Once he opens it Willow will be dead and so will you. There is no other way."
"I can't do it Hope. I can't ..." I began to protest and Hope interrupted.
"Please," she begged softly, "please ... I'm so tired. I'm so very tired. There is no hope for him. I can see it. I can't live another day knowing that he is a part of me. Please." She pleaded. I looked over her shoulder once again. Methos had placed his hand on Willow's head. His head was flung back and he was laughing evilly. I looked back at Hope again and she nodded softly.
"Death is your gift little one ... please?" She pleaded once more. I took a deep breath and gripped the handle of my sword with both hands. With one swift jab I ran the sword through Hope's stomach. Her eyes popped open in pain as she gasped and stumbled backwards onto some nearby rubble.
"Hope? Hope? I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I repeated softly as I ran to her side. Her eyes shined a blinding light and I felt the energy coursing through her body as I held her. I looked up to see that the barrier Methos had created disappear suddenly. He had released Willow and was stumbling back slowly just as Hope had done a few seconds ago with a confused look on his face. The rain fell harder and the wind was hollering loudly as if the sky was grieving the inevitable loss of a great Sorceress.
"Don't make the same mistakes I made little one. Don't make the same mistakes." Hope pleaded softly until her eyes finally closed. And then ... almost as if a switch had been flipped ... everything stopped. There was only quiet. The wind and rain ceased. The demons that Faith and Xander so valiantly had been fighting disappeared. The sky that had turned the color of blood quickly returned to its beautiful shade of light blue. I looked around confused...assessing everything that had changed and when I looked back down, Hope's body had disappeared as well.
I made my way towards Willow. Running and jumping over piles of rubble and garbage. When I reached her, her eyes were closed and her clothes were bloody and torn. We had been through such an ordeal these last few days. I almost lost her. I almost lost her. Then out of the blue I remembered what Hope had said ... the price we pay ... the consequences of our actions. And it occurred to me that I will never lose her. Ever.
I laid my body over Willow's and closed my eyes as fresh tears squeezed out. I held her tightly to me willing her to be well. Wishing her to wake up. To smile at me. I missed her smile so much. I missed the sound of her voice. I missed her eyes. I missed everything about her that made my heart sing... and just as I was having these thoughts a surge of energy coursed through me. I felt my body shake and become weak. When I opened my eyes again...there she was...my Willow. Her flawless face, glowing green eyes, and cascading red hair.
"You healed me." She whispered softly as she smiled.
"You scared the shit out of me!" I said back.
"Sheesh... ok...I'm gonna close my eyes we can try this all over again." She countered as she rolled her eyes in the cutest way. My heart skipped a beat as I laid my body back on top of her. I could feel her heart beating strong and I was never letting her go again.
"I love you so much." I whispered sadly remembering Hope's last words to me.
"I know." She whispered back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Continued in Part 2 of Chapter 10