It was the summer break, and the heat waves were rolling over California. The streets of Sunnydale were practically abandoned, people clotting together inside the air-conditioned mall and various public pools in stead.
This went over well with Buffy Summers. Dressed all in black she was a sharp contrast to the too-bright streets bathed in the too-bright sunshine. Walking along the street she felt like she was alone in the world, which was a feeling she welcomed in these times. It didn’t happen quite often enough.
She pushed open the gates of Restfield Cemetery. She walked along the path she had come to know well over the past two months and came to rest before two large tombstones.
Liam Angelus O’Connor
1979-2001
Beloved father and friend
And right beside it:
Sean Colin O’Connor
1997-2001
Spread sunshine in our lives
No tears escaped her eyes this time. Buffy didn’t think she had more tears left to shed, she felt dried up and hollow inside as she thought of her boyfriend of two years and his son, who had felt like her own. She thought of how they had been taken from her so abruptly, and so early, and was filled with rage and a blind hatred toward the world and the people inhabiting it.
She cleared up the plots as best as she could and changed the flowers in front of the tombstones. She had been coming to the spot every day though, so there wasn’t much to be done.
Feeling frustrated with the entire situation, Buffy kicked the ground and began to scream. She couldn’t bring Sean and Angel back, she knew that, but she couldn’t live with the fact that the tomb seemed to be mocking her by being so perfect. She didn’t have anything to work with to make her feel even the slightest bit better or something to make her forget – if only for a little while – her loss.
But then another sound pierced through her scream. The otherwise oppressed silence out on the street was cut through by a large crashing noise, effectively shutting up. Fear and excitement ran down her back and into her veins, and she went with the emotions, the first real feeling that had cut through the numbness since the death of her boyfriend and ‘step-son’.
She ran out of the cemetery, quicker than she ought to be able to, what with the high heels she had on, but she was running on adrenaline. Desperate to make the feeling of something real continue.
She spotted the source of the noise quickly, and immediately felt sick to her stomach. A big, black car had driven head-on into a large tree, and sprawled in front of it was a twisted woman’s figure. The entire front windscreen was shattered, and it was easy to see where the woman had been cast out of the car. Buffy fumbled after her cell phone as she hurried over to the woman. If it wasn’t for her twisted neck and the blood pouring down over her face she would’ve been beautiful. She had long dark hair and full red lips, a slender body and womanly curves. It didn’t take Buffy long to find out there was no hope for the woman, she was already dead.
She turned her eyes to the car, and saw a man still in there. He sat hunched over the steering wheel, an air bag stubbornly supporting his weight.
Buffy laid the woman’s head carefully down on the grass, and ran for the man’s door. She opened it, and felt a jolt go through her. This wasn’t just any man, this was William ‘Spike’ Colt. He was all over the news, a notorious criminal. Buffy put her cell back in her purse. She felt for his pulse, and found it. She slapped him across the face.
“What?” he rasped, his voice dazed and confused. “Oh, bloody hell, what happened to my skull?” he swore the next second. Buffy leant in over him to open his seat belt, and he groaned as her body pressed on his ribcage.
“I’m sorry, but I really have to get you out. Can you walk?” Buffy said. In some small part of her brain she was panicking, telling the rest of her that this was an infamous killer, a criminal, scum, and that she put herself in a dangerous situation by helping him. But the rest of her still ran on the adrenaline, and she wanted to keep a hold of anything resembling real emotions. Exceptionally calm at the sight of the woman, Buffy’s mind shut off and let instincts run her body.
“Yeah I think I can walk.”
“Great. Get out then.”
And he did. Then his eyes fell on the woman as well.
“Dru?” his voice filled with panic. “Drusilla? Baby?” he ran to where she laid on the ground.
“She’s dead. Was when I came here, there’s nothing we can do. I’m sorry!” Buffy had no time for sympathy. She needed to get the man home, so she could find out if he was injured more than what he’d let on. The painful sobs wracking his body annoyed her, and she pulled at his arm to get him upright. “Come with me, the police will find you if you stay here. You’ll end up worse than her if they do.”
William cast himself into Buffy’s arms with such force that she almost fell. She didn’t know how to react, and felt guilty that the first embrace since Angel had to send those small tingles down her spine that she had sworn would only be for him. She released herself of the offender, and began to walk, confident he would follow.
“What about Dru?” he yelled after her. “We can’t just leave her here, she’ll... she doesn’t deserve that.”
“If you wanna carry her, go ahead. She’ll slow you down, and I’m not gonna come running to your defence if someone catches up with you. Now are you coming or what?” she kept walking.
William looked at Drusilla’s body. He tried lifting her, but winced at the intense pain in his chest. He had to have broken at least one of his ribs. Tears ran freely down his face, and he gave her a sweet lingering kiss goodbye. Her blood was still on his lips when he caught up with Buffy. She grabbed his hand in hers as they picked up their pace down the road, and sent him a look of understanding.
Neither knew what this was the beginning of, because neither had let the scene of the crash sink into their minds yet. But they walked on hand in hand.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Please review and tell me what you think. This being the first chapter is way shorter than the following will be.