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Author's Chapter Notes:
We'll be stuck on Buffy for a while, but no worries...we're about 3 chapters away from the beginning of the Big Rescue.
Caleb preached to the congregation for close to two hours. Though two hours of hearing about God and sin had the blessed effect of boring Buffy out of her mind, which meant she wasn’t thinking about all of the noise and light and chaos surrounding her. She’d practically disengaged from her surroundings, taking a much-needed break from the noisy, bright world she’d been so forcefully reintroduced to.

“We have a sacred calling,” Caleb said to the diminished crowd. “A sacred calling to bring those who have strayed back to the light. To be God’s sword against the unrighteous, to bring low the devil! And tonight, brothers and sisters, we will begin helping Elizabeth Anne Summers.”

Buffy felt her eyes widened as she was picked out of her chair and hustled onto stage. She was forced into a hard wooden chair. She licked dry lips with an even dryer tongue.

“Hello, Elizabeth.” Buffy quelled under Caleb’s deceptively open gaze; if she thought he looked insane from the pews, up close he looked absolutely psychotic. “Sister, if you could bring Elizabeth something to drink…” The matronly woman who’d been escorting Buffy around practically stumbled over herself to do as Caleb asked, her pudgy cheeks rosy. Buffy just wanted to get out of there—for many reasons.

A glass of water was thrust in front of her face, and Buffy greedily gulped it down. The aftertaste hit her as soon as she stopped drinking. They really needed to get some purified water in this place, because that stuff was disgusting.

“Welcome to our congregation, Elizabeth. I do—“

“Buffy,” she croaked. Her voice was hoarse; she hadn’t used it in what felt like forever, and that bit of stagnant water wasn’t enough.

“Excuse me?” Caleb said pleasantly.

“My name. It’s Buffy.” Caleb smiled, but there was something dark and sinister behind it. His eyes had hardened, his religious fervor making him seem deranged and almost demonic.

“You were baptized as Elizabeth; that is your Christian name. We wouldn’t want anything more to stand between you and God. You are Elizabeth, child of God, even if you’ve forgotten. He will never forget you, Elizabeth.” Buffy thought she hadn’t ever heard anyone’s name carry such connotation.

“Buffy,” she whispered defiantly. Caleb’s grin froze, and a chill ran down her back. Caleb gave her a measuring look before turning back to the group of people gathered in front of the stage.

“We are here to bear witness. Today, this girl, this lost lamb of God, will see what she has done. She will be shown the errors of her way.” Caleb placed his hands on Buffy’s head, and she tried to shrink back. The room seemed to swim, and everything was fuzzy. What was wrong with her? “The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight, and be filled with the
Holy Spirit. And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Let the scales fall from your eyes, Elizabeth! Let them fall and know the glory of God!”

The words surrounded her, she could see them. They floated in front of her like doves, shimmering in the air. A part of Buffy’s brain screamed that she was hallucinating, that none of this was real, but she couldn’t break free. He deep, hypnotic voice was speaking to her, telling her things and whispering words to her.

Fire sprang up around her, hot and burning. She thrashed in her seat, trying to get away, but it crawled up her body. She realized she was tied down, and started thrashing more. She saw a lamb before her, looking curiously from where it stood. It had seven eyes, and seven horns. From no where, a sword beheaded the beast, and Buffy screamed. She heard her name, and looked up.

And angel stood, backlit by a bright light. He held the sword in his hand, blood dripping from its blade. His wings stretched behind him, shimmering in the light. He stepped forwards, and Buffy gasped. It was Spike! His blue eyes shone with a familiar light. She lunged for him, but her bindings prevented her from getting to him.

“Spike!” she cried desperately, pleadingly. He had come, finally, he’d come!

“He’s above such things, now,” a familiar voice said in her ear. She turned and saw Will. His eyes were slits, and his skin was a faint green. But it was Will.

“Will…please,” she asked, struggling to turn to him. He tisked at her, shaking his head.

“Now luv. None of that. Just watch.” He pointed to his angelic twin. Buffy looked at Spike. His wings had changed. The feathers were falling off. He pointed down, and Buffy followed his unspoken command.

Three horses galloped past her, riderless and powerful. Darkness flew at her, and she screamed. A black horse hurdled past her, snorting and bucking…and Hell followed after it. Black, devouring flames consumed everything. They sprung up around Spike, who smiled chillingly at her. Demons, skeletal humans, grotesque creatures sprang up. They circled Spike, dancing around him, worshiping him.

“As it should be,” Will said. He walked through the ring of dancing beings, joining his brother. Buffy realized that he was an angel too…a fallen angel. His wings were leathery, and his countenance snake-like. And Spike was rapidly changing to match. The beings dancing their hearts out were in a frenzy, moving faster and faster. Buffy tried to close her eyes against the mages, but they wouldn’t go away. She couldn’t run away. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach, and fought back the nausea.

“Stop,” she whispered. She watched in horror as Spike and Will’s human faces became less human, more demonic. Their browns grew forward, and they had fangs. Spike took his sword and cut a swath through the revelers. Those that did not die instantly screamed in pain.

“No. No. NO!” Buffy cried in denial. This was not right. Spike and Will, HER Spike and Will, were NOT like this! They were good, and pure and they LOVED HER.

“God’s love is the only love,” a sinister voice whispered in her ear. But Buffy denied it; she’d been loved, well and truly loved. Wrenching her eyes shut, Buffy summoned the last tendrils of energy and screamed her denial.

The images shattered, scattered on the floor, bouncing off the people who were staring at her. Will and Spike materialized before her, holding hands and smiling…and human. Their blue eyes caressed her, and held a promise. We’re coming.

A/N: Thanks for all the positive feedback; and have no fear, our favorite Trio is working towards beig reunited. Just need to introduce you to a couple of people first. You're welcome to guess, and I'll give you hints: They were in the show and they haven't been mentioned yet! Ha. Good luck with that ;)





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