Buffy frowned and looked at Xander when Wesley said things were going to get harder. She remembered a time when Xander had been upset because he didn't have a 'superpower' like the rest of them. He had always hated being ordinary, even though he was nothing but. Yet, he never believed them when they told him he was an asset to the group.
"I'm sure Wes will find a way to make things better for you, Xander," Buffy said, trying her best to be reassuring. She couldn't even make herself believe it.
Xander sighed and Buffy looked over at him. He looked tired and sick, and she wanted to fix him. She couldn't save her mother or sister, but she wanted to save her best friend. "I need to get back to work," Xander said as he rose from his chair. He went over to the counter and picked up a small bag before throwing it on the table. "Some of Dawnie's things since you were too busy hiding and running away to even attend her funeral."
Before Buffy could say anything, Xander was already out the front door. An awkward silence fell over the rest of them.
"Don't worry about it, Buffy," Tara quietly said. "H-He's been on edge since he got the visions."
Buffy gave Tara a small smile. "Yeah. I think I need some fresh air," she said. She glanced at Wesley before walking out of the Magic Box. She crossed her arms and walked down the small alleyway, and turned the corner.
And that was when she saw.
The tower Dawn had died by was still there. She couldn't believe they hadn't taken it down yet. Was it going to be a constant reminder of what happened there?
When Buffy tried to soothe Xander, Wesley found himself wishing there was more he could do for him, knowing how much he meant to her. But at the moment, he couldn't do anything for him, not until he had a chance to actually start going through these books.
When Xander got pissy with Buffy, however, throwing a bag at her before walking out of the shop, he wanted to go after him and go him a good tongue-lashing. How dare he? Buffy had lost her sister! He knew that Xander was in pain, but that didn't give him the right to judge her for way she had handled her losses. He stayed where he was, though, not wanting to do anything that might cause a problem for Buffy and her friends. As much as he loved her, it wasn't his place. Not yet. As much as he wished it could be.
When Buffy left the shop, though, Wesley knew he couldn't leave her on his own. Getting up, he looked at the others, "Erm...perhaps I should check on her. I know all this has been hard on her. Willow, could you put aside the books you found the information on visions in? I'd like to take a look at them later."
"Sure," she said.
Giving her a nod, he hurried out of the shop and turned, not sure which way she might have gone. He walked down a little ways, looking around until finally, he found her. Standing by herself and looking at something in the distance. Something that looked like some kind of...tower?
"Buffy?" he asked softly, joining her and drawing her gently into his arms. "I'm here if you need to talk, you know that?"
Xander was right - Buffy had let all of them down. She had been such a coward that she didn't even leave her room to properly say goodbye to her sister. Instead, she hid and then ran away when they needed her the most. Giles had always said she needed to take care of herself first, but this was different. She had let all of them down.
When Wesley came out, Buffy allowed him to wrap his arms around her, not caring if someone saw them together. Her friends hated her anyway so what was one more thing. "See that tower? It was built by Glory's minions. Dawn was tied up on the top of it and I climbed up there to get her down. And right next to it, was where she died," she said in a monotone voice. "I...Xander's right."
Buffy buried her head against Wesley's chest and let out a sob. Maybe this had been a bad idea. There was nothing but bad memories in Sunnydale. "I'm a coward," she said. "I made Dawn got to our mother's funeral but I didn't go to hers. God, she must hate me so much." Her fingers wrapped around the material of Wesley' shirt and she continued to cry. She didn't want to be there anymore.
"I want to go to Giles' flat. I don't want to be here anymore. Please, Wes," she cried as she looked up into his eyes, hoping he would understand.
Wesley's eyes drifted back over to the tower while he held the woman he loved in his arms. That was where Dawn had died. No wonder Buffy looked so lost and alone, standing out in the middle of the road. But despite what she said, he shook his head, pulling her more tightly against him, not caring if any of the others came out. Buffy needed someone - that was why they had found each other in Los Angeles.
"You're not a coward, love," he whispered, running his fingers soothingly through her hair. "You lost you mother and your sister, and you didn't know what to do. I'm sure Dawn understands - she loved you. And Xander...he's in much the same place you've been; he's just dealing with it differently. We all deal with it differently. Don't beat yourself up over it. Dawn and your mother wouldn't want you to."
Looking back up at the tower, he furrowed his brow at it, shaking his head sadly before looking down into her eyes as she begged him to take her to Giles' flat. He reached up and gently wiped the tears away with the pads of his thumbs, then noded.
"We'll go," he told her softly, leading her to the Jeep. Once she was inside, he jogged around the the drivers side and slid in. Luckily, he recalled where the flat was from his previous time in Sunnydale, so he was able to get there with little problem.
"Do you have the key?" he asked as he helped her out once they arrived, keeping his arm securely around her. He refused to let her go and held her securely as they walked through the courtyard toward the flat.
Buffy was relieved when Wesley said they could go back to Giles’ apartment. She couldn’t stand being there anymore. Between the tower, and Xander’s harsh words, she wanted to get as far away from the Magic Box and the tower. Buffy knew she’d have to see all of them later, but at the moment, all she wanted was to rest - preferably in Wesley’s arms. It was the only place she felt safe anymore.
She remained silent on the drive to the apartment complex. When they arrived, she grabbed her bags and was grateful that Wesley was there to led her into the courtyard. Buffy nodded at his question and walked over to the door. Muttering a few words, the key appeared on the light outside the door. “Magic. Only magic I know and usually I mess it up,” she quietly murmured before she slipped the key into the lock.
Opening the door, Buffy led Wes inside and closed the door behind them. The apartment looked the same as it did the last time she’d been there. She dropped her bags and glanced at the fridge. Stepping into the kitchen, she went over to it and pulled a picture off it before walking back out.
“It was taken a few weeks before we figured out Dawn wasn’t…that she was the key.” In the picture, Buffy, Giles, Dawn, Xander, Willow, and Tara were all standing outside of the Magic Box, all of them smiling and happy. “It was right before Giles opened it. We look so happy. I-I think this is one of the few times Dawn and I weren’t fighting over her taking my clothes or snooping in my room."
Shouldering his duffelbag and readjusting his grip on the other one in his hand, Wesley watched as Buffy cast a spell to reveal the key. He wasn't actually too surprised that Giles had used such a spell - he knew his past, of course, having been given his dossier before he was sent to Sunnydale, he supposed to prejudice him against anything he might had done - but Watchers were also taught magic as a defensive and offensive weapon. Some were better than others, of course, and its use was hotly debated among Council members. His own father was against the use of magic, so Wesley had always hid his talent. The one thing his father hadn't wanted him to excel at.
Once Buffy unlocked the door, Wesley followed her inside, looking around the flat. He had only been there once or twice, and only in the main room, so he wasn't sure where everything was.
Buffy, however, disappeared into what had to be the kitchen for a moment and came back out with a picture, which he looked at. All of them looked so happy, she was right. "I'm so sorry, love," he whispered, wrapping his hand around her back and rubbing gently. He leaned down slightly to kiss her temple. "You know...I have this memory...when I was in Sunnydale before. Dawn found me in the library one day - I think she had come to find you - and told me that I was a jerk for not realizing how great you really were." He shook his head and held her closer.
"I'm sure Wes will find a way to make things better for you, Xander," Buffy said, trying her best to be reassuring. She couldn't even make herself believe it.
Xander sighed and Buffy looked over at him. He looked tired and sick, and she wanted to fix him. She couldn't save her mother or sister, but she wanted to save her best friend. "I need to get back to work," Xander said as he rose from his chair. He went over to the counter and picked up a small bag before throwing it on the table. "Some of Dawnie's things since you were too busy hiding and running away to even attend her funeral."
Before Buffy could say anything, Xander was already out the front door. An awkward silence fell over the rest of them.
"Don't worry about it, Buffy," Tara quietly said. "H-He's been on edge since he got the visions."
Buffy gave Tara a small smile. "Yeah. I think I need some fresh air," she said. She glanced at Wesley before walking out of the Magic Box. She crossed her arms and walked down the small alleyway, and turned the corner.
And that was when she saw.
The tower Dawn had died by was still there. She couldn't believe they hadn't taken it down yet. Was it going to be a constant reminder of what happened there?
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When Xander got pissy with Buffy, however, throwing a bag at her before walking out of the shop, he wanted to go after him and go him a good tongue-lashing. How dare he? Buffy had lost her sister! He knew that Xander was in pain, but that didn't give him the right to judge her for way she had handled her losses. He stayed where he was, though, not wanting to do anything that might cause a problem for Buffy and her friends. As much as he loved her, it wasn't his place. Not yet. As much as he wished it could be.
When Buffy left the shop, though, Wesley knew he couldn't leave her on his own. Getting up, he looked at the others, "Erm...perhaps I should check on her. I know all this has been hard on her. Willow, could you put aside the books you found the information on visions in? I'd like to take a look at them later."
"Sure," she said.
Giving her a nod, he hurried out of the shop and turned, not sure which way she might have gone. He walked down a little ways, looking around until finally, he found her. Standing by herself and looking at something in the distance. Something that looked like some kind of...tower?
"Buffy?" he asked softly, joining her and drawing her gently into his arms. "I'm here if you need to talk, you know that?"
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When Wesley came out, Buffy allowed him to wrap his arms around her, not caring if someone saw them together. Her friends hated her anyway so what was one more thing. "See that tower? It was built by Glory's minions. Dawn was tied up on the top of it and I climbed up there to get her down. And right next to it, was where she died," she said in a monotone voice. "I...Xander's right."
Buffy buried her head against Wesley's chest and let out a sob. Maybe this had been a bad idea. There was nothing but bad memories in Sunnydale. "I'm a coward," she said. "I made Dawn got to our mother's funeral but I didn't go to hers. God, she must hate me so much." Her fingers wrapped around the material of Wesley' shirt and she continued to cry. She didn't want to be there anymore.
"I want to go to Giles' flat. I don't want to be here anymore. Please, Wes," she cried as she looked up into his eyes, hoping he would understand.
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"You're not a coward, love," he whispered, running his fingers soothingly through her hair. "You lost you mother and your sister, and you didn't know what to do. I'm sure Dawn understands - she loved you. And Xander...he's in much the same place you've been; he's just dealing with it differently. We all deal with it differently. Don't beat yourself up over it. Dawn and your mother wouldn't want you to."
Looking back up at the tower, he furrowed his brow at it, shaking his head sadly before looking down into her eyes as she begged him to take her to Giles' flat. He reached up and gently wiped the tears away with the pads of his thumbs, then noded.
"We'll go," he told her softly, leading her to the Jeep. Once she was inside, he jogged around the the drivers side and slid in. Luckily, he recalled where the flat was from his previous time in Sunnydale, so he was able to get there with little problem.
"Do you have the key?" he asked as he helped her out once they arrived, keeping his arm securely around her. He refused to let her go and held her securely as they walked through the courtyard toward the flat.
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She remained silent on the drive to the apartment complex. When they arrived, she grabbed her bags and was grateful that Wesley was there to led her into the courtyard. Buffy nodded at his question and walked over to the door. Muttering a few words, the key appeared on the light outside the door. “Magic. Only magic I know and usually I mess it up,” she quietly murmured before she slipped the key into the lock.
Opening the door, Buffy led Wes inside and closed the door behind them. The apartment looked the same as it did the last time she’d been there. She dropped her bags and glanced at the fridge. Stepping into the kitchen, she went over to it and pulled a picture off it before walking back out.
“It was taken a few weeks before we figured out Dawn wasn’t…that she was the key.” In the picture, Buffy, Giles, Dawn, Xander, Willow, and Tara were all standing outside of the Magic Box, all of them smiling and happy. “It was right before Giles opened it. We look so happy. I-I think this is one of the few times Dawn and I weren’t fighting over her taking my clothes or snooping in my room."
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Once Buffy unlocked the door, Wesley followed her inside, looking around the flat. He had only been there once or twice, and only in the main room, so he wasn't sure where everything was.
Buffy, however, disappeared into what had to be the kitchen for a moment and came back out with a picture, which he looked at. All of them looked so happy, she was right. "I'm so sorry, love," he whispered, wrapping his hand around her back and rubbing gently. He leaned down slightly to kiss her temple. "You know...I have this memory...when I was in Sunnydale before. Dawn found me in the library one day - I think she had come to find you - and told me that I was a jerk for not realizing how great you really were." He shook his head and held her closer.
"She was right, you know."
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