[Reviews - 55]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2562 times

- Text Size +




When her body first tumbled out of the hole, she knew.

She knew that once again, someone had brought her back.

Either that, or she was sent to hell.

Buffy wasn’t in as much of a state of shock that she was the first time she’d crawled out of her grave, but she was hurting.

As she let her body roll onto its side, she lay limp on the ground, her mid-back length hair dirty from digging up from her coffin. As her vision slowly got better, Buffy brought her bloody hands up to her head and let out the gut-wrenching sobs she couldn’t hold in any longer.

----

“Boss…” It was the same blond man that had authorized the secret resurrection of Buffy. He stood before Angel as Angel tended to a few of the runaways that had made it to his hideaway.

“Not now, Curtis.”

Angel knew that soon enough Spike would come here, looking for his runaways.

But the weird thing?

If the runaways were at Angel’s, then Spike would never take them back.

He would only drag a prisoner back to the jails if they were out on the streets, underground, or hiding out somewhere else.

Angel didn’t know why Spike never took the people back from him, or told the other evildoers about his hideout.

Angel guessed it was just because Spike felt guilty for turning his back on the side of good.

“These people need help.” Angel looked around and spotted Xander. “Xander, the sun’s coming up in about 4 hours…that gives you enough time to go out and see if there’s any more out there.”

Xander nodded and walked out the door. He was the one to do this every morning about five hours before the sun came up. He’d go out and find any other humans, or redeemed demons that needed refuge.

----

It was at least fifteen minutes before Buffy’s sobs had died out and she lay limp on the dead ground. Finally dragging herself to her feet, she stood on two wobbly legs and gazed with squinted eyes.

The cemetery had stopped being take care of decades ago, she could tell.

There was hardly any grass on the ground. The grass that was there was uncut and brown. Tombstones were thrown in pieces all over the place.

Where am I?

She knew it wasn’t Rome. She could tell. Deciding she was strong enough for a closer look, Buffy trembled as she walked out of the graveyard.

----

Spike continued walking down the streets. If he didn’t find his runaways soon, he’d go check Angel’s…just like always.

----

Buffy walked the empty streets slowly, carefully. She only saw about eight people, and they were huddled in corners or dying on the streets.

Oh, God…it’s Hell…

There were even a few demons cowering in fear, hiding themselves as best as possible. Squinting her eyes, she took a good look at the buildings.

None of them looked like they had been rebuilt for about fifty years. All of them were deserted and broken down.

She didn’t know why her feet were hurting so bad until she looked down and found them bleeding beneath the straps of the shoes. Leaning against the wall, she carefully took each shoe off and threw it aside.

All these people around her looked so broken…

Suddenly, a movement caught her eye and she looked up. Someone was walking, and they must have noticed her, because they were walking towards her.

She tried to make a sound, ask them for help…but her voice didn’t seem to be working yet.

As the man got closer, Buffy pushed herself off the wall and began walking toward him.

Her hearing wasn’t the best yet, but when the man was less than five feet away from her, he stood frozen and whispered something beneath his breath.

As he continued to stare at her in disbelief, Buffy opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a strangled sound.

“Buffy?” She heard him say.

Buffy. He knows me…

Rubbing her eyes slightly, she managed to get her eyesight working a little better.

What she saw made her freeze also.

“Xander?” She croaked out, surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded.

“Oh, God…Buffy,” he cried in disbelief and before she knew what was happening, Xander had flung his arms around her and was holding her close.

And he was crying?

Buffy held on to her friend as if her life depended on it.

Then she realized that she was sobbing along with him.

After a few minutes, both their tears had ceased but Xander held her close still. She felt him stiffen as he held her and froze, not wanting to turn around to see whatever it was he saw.

----

Spike had been walking down the streets when he spotted Xander comforting some broken gal with long blond hair.

With a small smirk, he strolled over and stood in front of the two, about five feet away. The blond girl’s back was to him and she didn’t turn around. Xander stood there shocked, looking at Spike over Buffy’s head that was still against his chest.

“Well,” Spike started. “What do we have here?”

Buffy hearing still wasn’t good, but she knew she recognized the voice behind her.

“Spike…”

“She’s ours, Xander.”

“You don’t understand; we-”

Sighing, Spike through his cigarette to the ground.

“No. You and your bloody white hats don’t understand. The people belong to us. Your lucky I haven’t told my leaders about your little hideout. Because-”

“Spike!” Xander’s voice stopped the other vampire mid speech. “Please…just…let me get her back. She’s…she won’t be any trouble to you.”

“No…now, see I’ve been giving you all a break. If they make it to your place, I leave. It’s my way of saying ‘Hey, sorry I’m on the winning side and you’re dying.’”

Buffy couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Spike…

He was standing right behind her…but she had no idea what these two were talking about.

Not knowing what else to do, she let go of Xander and slid down to her knees, crying again, her back still facing Spike.

Spike looked at the sobbing girl and for some reason, couldn’t get rid of a feeling in his stomach that he hadn’t had for many, many, many years.

Sighing, Spike looked around, then back to Xander. “She’d be useless to us anyway, and they’d only kill her. Take her with you. But don’t expect this anymore.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Please.”

With that, Spike walked off, not bothering to look back.

----

When Spike was a safe distance away, Xander picked the crying woman up in his arms and tried to calm her down. She kept mumbling something inaudible, so Xander decided to just hurry and get her to Angel’s.

----

“I’m telling you, Curtis, I need-” a yelling and frantic Xander cut off Angel’s annoyed voice.

“Angel!”

Angel walked forward a little to see what would be causing him so much distress. When he saw a crying, blond girl in Xander’s arms, Angel rushed forward. “What’s wrong with her?” Angel asked, not seeing her face yet.

Xander sent the deadliest glare toward Curtis, knowing he must have been the one to bring her back.

Tilting her a little so Angel could see her face, Xander ignored Angel’s shocked gasp and continued staring daggers at Curtis.

“I’m pretty sure she just dug six feet up,” Xander replied in a seething tone.





You must login (register) to review.