Chapter 15
Her vision had been wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! As she kneeled next to her broken Childe, Drusilla was at a loss.
Noticing her mother’s discomfort, the broken Ellie struggled to raise her good arm and brushed broken fingers across Dru’s cheek. Sputtering Angelus’ dust out of her cracked and bloodied lips, she forced out, “Mummy, it’s all right.” Swallowing painfully, she pressed on, “He can’t hurt us now.”
Soothingly stroking Ellie’s matted hair, she whispered, “He deserved to suffer, STILL deserves to suffer. Why don’t I feel anything but remorse at his passing?”
Ellie’s eyes fluttered rapidly several times and her weakened hand dropped. Finally she uttered, “Because you’re good, Mummy. You’re good.”
Beginning to cry softly, Drusilla mourned the loss of her Sire; she cursed her lack of speed to protect Ellie, and did something she hadn’t done in many long years. She prayed.
xxx
Spike and Buffy had been too late to be of much use. Shocked and enraged at the sight of Ellie’s mangled body, Spike let an anguished roar. Still latched on to Spike’s arm, Buffy covered her mouth with her other hand, eyes wide with horror.
By this time, Willow and Jenny had filtered down to the scene, having watched the dusting from the windows. As they took in the extent of Ellie’s injuries, twin “Oh my Gods!” were spoken in hushed tones. Willow slowly moved to Buffy’s side, whispering, “I think I have a tarp in the basement. We can get a couple brooms or mops and we’ll have a make-shift stretcher to carry her in.”
Nodding, still engrossed in the scene, Buffy eventually shook herself from stupor. “That will work Willow. We’ll take her to my house. Mom will just have to deal.”
As Willow and Jenny rushed to make the stretcher, Spike took to action. He worked tirelessly, quickly setting bones. After removing Ellie’s black leather riding boots and socks, he started as Angelus had, with her toes. By the second toe, Ellie had fallen to unconsciousness due to severe pain. Thankful she wouldn’t have to feel the rest of the sets, he pressed on.
“We can splint ‘em at the house. Need to call the Watcher. Desoto’s too far to be of use, but we can get her there in his car.”
Nodding, Buffy left Spike to his task and entered the strangely quiet Rosenberg residence, moving quickly to the phone in the kitchen. Dialing Giles’ number easily from memory, she waited for his voice.
Having gone to bed shortly before, Giles’ speech was scratchy with sleep.
“Rupert Giles.”
“Hey Giles, it’s Buffy. We have a problem. Angelus and Ellie got into it and she’s hurt really badly. Can you come get us and drive them to my house?”
The requisite “Oh dear Lord,” was heard, then “Of course, where are you?”
“She’s outside Willow’s. Spike is setting her bones and Dru’s there comforting her. She’s in and out, but mostly out, thank God.”
“I’ll be right there. Shall I stop by the hospital for some blood?”
Making a snap and possibly rash decision, she said, “No. I’ll take care of it. Thanks so much Giles.”
“It’s going to be alright Buffy. I’ll leave now.”
Both parties hung up, and Buffy returned to the street where Ellie lay. Kneeling next to Dru, she lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Giles is on his way with the car. We’re going to take care of her, I promise.”
Nodding, Dru responded, “Thank you Buffy. You don’t know us well - yet you help as if we were family.” Rhetorically, she continued, “Is this what Ellie meant by good? Could I actually...be good as well?”
“I think you are Dru, you saved her from even more pain. You saved us all.” Buffy replied.
With that, Buffy looked to Spike. “Willow and Miss Calendar should be out with the stretcher here in a minute. I’m going to head back to my house and wait for you there, will you be ok?”
“Yea love, almost done here. Jus glad the bit’s out for it, must hurt like hell. Dru and I will ride with her. We’ll meet you there to suss out some splints.”
“I’ll have everything ready.” To no one in particular she finished, “Let’s just hope Mom believes me this time.”
xxx
Jenny and Willow had the stretcher prepared in record time, and Dru and Spike, with their superior strength gently loaded Ellie onto it. About that time, Giles screamed in, having sped the whole way to Willow’s. The car was loaded, and awkwardly, all persons there were crammed into the small car. With three in the backseat, Ellie stretched across their laps, Miss Calendar took the front seat. Giles pressed the gas down hard, and they all fled off to the Summers’ home.
xxx
As everyone filed into the living room, Buffy was busy in the kitchen. Having laid out several popsicle sticks left over from a long-finished school project as well as a couple old broomsticks from the basement, Buffy was in the process of fulfilling her rash promise to ‘take care’ of the blood situation. Taking a sharp knife from the drawer, she calmly sliced her palm and let the healing liquid pool in a mug. After she was satisfied, she rinsed her hand and watched as her Slayer healing took care of the gash. While Spike and Dru placed Ellie carefully on the couch, Buffy emerged from the kitchen, mug in hand.
Ellie had woken, and was talking softly with Spike and Drusilla. Buffy handed Ellie the mug of blood and waited.
xxx
Shifting into game face, Ellie slurped a long gulp of the nourishing substance. As the sweetest blood she’d ever known passed her lips, she was shocked. This wasn’t pig...nor was it human. Turning as best she could toward Buffy, she rasped, “What is this?”
Realization dawned on Spike as Buffy answered gently, “It’s my blood. It’s like the best medicine for vamps. Drink up, and there’s more where that came from.”
Awed at Buffy’s sacrifice for his sister, he swiftly returned her chaste kiss to the cheek. “Thank you, love.”
After a few long needy pulls, she sipped to empty the mug. Ellie began to feel the immediate effect of luscious Slayer blood. As bones knitted and bruises faded, she sighed happily. She was starting to itch a bit, always a good sign during recovery. “If this rate of healin’ keeps up, I’ll be right as rain in a day or two. Thank ya so much Buffy, means a lot to us to have your trust.”
With a quick ‘you’re welcome,’ all hell broke loose. Joyce came stumbling down the stairs, woken from a deep sleep by the activity downstairs. She was puzzled by all the people in her living room so late at night. Some she knew, and many were strangers. One was grievously injured, and then Whistler appeared out of thin air.
Joyce’s eyes rolled up, and she promptly fainted.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Ok, this chapter is sort of filler. We have very quick Spuffy moment, but this is mostly about getting Ellie set up to heal. I foreshadow two confrontations for the next chapter.
Super wiped tonight, so if there are glaring flaws, lemme know and I'll fix em. Thanks again for reading.
Super wiped tonight, so if there are glaring flaws, lemme know and I'll fix em. Thanks again for reading.
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for stayin' with me!