Part One: Things Born of Fire - Chapter 3
Title: We Can Run Away Now They’re All Dead and Gone.
Author: Aurey09
Fandom: Buffy
Part One: Things Born of Fire.
Chapter: 3/10
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Buffy belongs to Joss Whedon, not me.
Summery: Set after 'Chosen'. The Scoobies leave town and sure enough trouble follows them.
A/N: Thank you to my beta
noandwhere for all her help.
Car... tree... bigger tree... plant, of the shrub variety... signpost... telephone pole... freshly-dead, highway-splattered cat. Dead!
Obviously, looking out the window at the majesty of the open road wasn’t the best way to preoccupy himself, Xander decided. Instead he would wallow openly. At least that way the despair wouldn’t suddenly be thrust upon him, by loosely related stimulus.
Anya was gone, just like that; ripped from the earth she’d graced for over a millennia. The life he presumed he and Anya would eventually get back to was now over. He couldn’t even remember their last words to one another. The last time he’d seen her, she’d pulled Andrew away sparing them from his Oscar equivalent good-bye speech. He’d only gotten to page one of twelve, of which Xander hoped went down with the school and the rest of his hometown.
Anya would never make a hilariously sarcastic or inappropriate comment again. She would never try to hide her slight hyperventilation whenever Bugs Bunny appeared on screen or hope beyond hope that Elmer Fudd would catch that pesky rabbit. She was dead and no amount of denial would change that.
It occurred to him that he sucked at the brooding, Angel could probably have given him some pointers on the whole thing. He guessed making fun of Angel helped ease the pain, until he realised he’d regained his title as the biggest Angel hater - because Spike was also dead, something else to feel not generally good about too.
So maybe looking out the window would be the better activity, after all.
++++
Willow wanted to say something to Buffy, anything to help the situation; she tried ineffectually to script out a good conversation but even then when she imagined it, it seemed to spin out of her control. Instead she sat waiting for the perfect inspiration to hit her but it didn’t.
“What is it Willow?” Buffy asked.
Willow realised that she was that transparent - or had Buffy achieved that insightful best friend thing, over the years?
“Nothing.” Buffy narrowed her eyes at Willow. “I’m just working towards the best friend speech. You know where I say something to make you evaluate everything and feel better.” Willow carried on with her babbling. “I’m big with the knowing what you’re going through. I know about the grief. My number one tip, don’t try to destroy the world, it loses you the major sympathy votes. And you already ran away that one time, so it would be a cliché.”
“I’m not even thinking it, it’s different this time, and I haven't exactly got a place left to run from.” Willow didn’t know if Buffy was putting on a brave face, saving up the water works for later. “I’m okay, Will.”
“You’re sure?”
Buffy nodded. “I can’t feel bad, he did an amazing thing. He’s at rest now and maybe he’s where I was.”
“Heaven?” Willow nodded enthusiastically, at least she hoped that was where he was headed. “You don’t sound sure.”
“Well...” Buffy shook her head. “Their standards are obviously low, I got in.” Buffy remembered how certain he’d seemed about his fate. “It was so like him. He completely laughed in the scary face of death, I wouldn‘t have expected anything else.” It was true that it hadn’t surprised her; she’d been there herself, swan diving off the tower to save Dawn and the world. That had been why she had let him go so easily, why it seemed right in telling Willow about it. “All those years ago, who’d have thought Spike saving us all.”
“Spike kind of came through, makes me feel good and teary too.”
Willow tilted her head in the direction of a few of the Slayers. “Isn’t it great though that they won’t have to face the big scary alone,” Buffy nodded. “And Buffy, neither will you.”
“You are alone.” A voice that shouldn’t have struck a cord of fear in anyone did in Buffy. She didn’t want to look over at the seat next to her but she did anyway.
Jonathan Levenson smiled at her, there had been no malice in his seemly cruel assessment of her. His smile crumbled with sympathy. “But you weren’t, Spike was there with you.” Buffy turned away, she didn’t want to hear.
She knew it wasn’t the First talking, because the chill she got down her spine whenever it was nearby was missing. That meant only one of two things: she was being haunted by a geek or she had gone crazy. “He understood and loved you like nobody else ever will do, it feels that way but it’s not true.”
“Buffy is everything alright?” Buffy looked over at Willow, for the first time in years she actually saw the love of Willow’s friendship reflecting back at her. But she couldn’t answer her, not because the presence of Jonathan, now there was only an empty seat where he’d been, but because she didn’t know if she was alright or not.
++++
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the hospital. There was only a few who needed serious medical attention. Faith and Xander had both taken Wood in first, then Buffy and Dawn had helped Rona in. The few others were the walking wounded, a few fractures and wounds between them.
All the healthy Slayers had opted to stay on the bus while the others were seen to. Giles and Willow had taken them to find a motel, and to get provisions: clothes, food and water. They’d return in a few hours to collect those at the hospital. Andrew had followed Xander into the hospital like a lost lamb, almost bleating at his heels.
Andrew was alone. He wanted Anya's company, she’d have made a great joke right about now with all the possible imminent death about. It wasn’t as bearable as it would have been with her around. When he and Anya had gone for supplies at the abandoned Sunnydale hospital, it was echoey quiet, the wards here were over crowded, dizzy inducing. With Anya gone, he wasn’t sure that he could ever be in a hospital again without feeling nostalgic and nauseous all at the same time. Now he was leaning more towards a barfy feeling.
He dodge out of the way of a gurney being pushed by orderlies and doctors, a bloodied teenage girl lay on it. He’d thought he’d seen all injured girls he was going to today.
He felt a bit like he was an episode of ER, but one of the earlier seasons. It wasn’t the same without George Clooney…
“Imala, honey everything’s going to be okay.” A nurse told the girl. They moved down the hallway, Andrew watching them until they went through some double doors.
++++
Buffy had been given Xander’s sacred duty of going to the vending-machine for snacks, he’d given her a chunk of his change - he was more prepared for food gathering than she was.
Dawn had gotten up a little after, to go check on Buffy’s progress. When she found Buffy, she was staring at the buttons on the machine, as if she where trying to clarify weither they were a potential enemy or not.
Dawn tapped her on the shoulder and Buffy whirled round in a defensive posture.
“I thought I saw--” Buffy’s words trailed off, she scowled at Dawn but then smiled. “Want anything? I know you have a soft spot for the sugar and the E numbers.” She said looking into the belly of a vending machine filled with sugary delights.
“No food should ever be florescent purple.” Dawn pointed to some candy, humouring Buffy.
“Be glad I heard that sacrilege and not Xander.”
Dawn put a soothing hand on Buffy’s shoulder.
“Everything is going to be okay Dawny.” Buffy put a hand to Dawn’s hair smoothed it back, and turned back to the snacks. Dawn noticed Buffy wince before putting a hand against her stomach. Dawn had seen blood there earlier, she was going to have to make Buffy go see a doctor.
++++
Faith was getting pissed with the endless questions from a snotty doctor. He handed her a pen and stack of forms. Xander looked over at Faith, the beginnings of an insult slowly prising her clenched jaw open, words that on completion could have her thrown out of the hospital.
“Ahoy there shipmates, how is the starboard crew fending?” Xander greeted Faith as the doctor left. He added an ‘arrrh’ for good measures. He was almost enjoying his alternating eye patch jokes, this hour he was going for a pirate theme, next one would be on divine retribution, who didn’t love their ‘an eye for an eye’ part of the bible.
Faith looked over the papers, and had a go at them. “I wouldn’t tick that one - means you won’t sue if they take a kidney or accidentally hack off an arm.”
Xander took the medical papers from Faith, she was happy to part with them. “I have no super-human powers, except with the form filling, I’m a dab hand at that. I was going to say I had an eye for it but that would be slightly inappropriate.” He ticked a few boxes and scored things out. “I’ve had my fair share of forms in my time, many job applications, ordering of building material and hospital admittance papers.”
“Anya was alright you know.” Faith didn’t know that for sure, in fact she had little contact with the ex-demon, all Faith’s words on Anya in the past had been a dig.
“Wood is going to be okay, you got a tough guy there or so I’m told.” Xander informed her as he turned to leave.
“Xander?” She asked softly, stopping him dead in his tracks.
“Yeah.”
“You’re one of the good ones.” She meant it, why she had said it was beyond her.
“Well so I’m told.” He let her off the hook. “Today you were one too. It’s not a come on but Wood is a very lucky guy.”
“By Sunnydale Principle standards.” She joked because nobody had seen her as one of the good guys before. She’d never admit it but it actually made her feel good. She still had the bad girl rep to uphold though, so she couldn’t let it show.
“I better go,” He said. “Got to make sure Andrew hasn’t got himself tangled up in a Slayer’s IV tubes or something.”
She went over to Robin’s bed, took his hand in hers, she wasn‘t sure what she was supposed to do. She guessed the world was just getting tougher on her, but at least it was still here.
Next Chapter
Previous Chapter
Author: Aurey09
Fandom: Buffy
Part One: Things Born of Fire.
Chapter: 3/10
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Buffy belongs to Joss Whedon, not me.
Summery: Set after 'Chosen'. The Scoobies leave town and sure enough trouble follows them.
A/N: Thank you to my beta
noandwhere for all her help.
Car... tree... bigger tree... plant, of the shrub variety... signpost... telephone pole... freshly-dead, highway-splattered cat. Dead!
Obviously, looking out the window at the majesty of the open road wasn’t the best way to preoccupy himself, Xander decided. Instead he would wallow openly. At least that way the despair wouldn’t suddenly be thrust upon him, by loosely related stimulus.
Anya was gone, just like that; ripped from the earth she’d graced for over a millennia. The life he presumed he and Anya would eventually get back to was now over. He couldn’t even remember their last words to one another. The last time he’d seen her, she’d pulled Andrew away sparing them from his Oscar equivalent good-bye speech. He’d only gotten to page one of twelve, of which Xander hoped went down with the school and the rest of his hometown.
Anya would never make a hilariously sarcastic or inappropriate comment again. She would never try to hide her slight hyperventilation whenever Bugs Bunny appeared on screen or hope beyond hope that Elmer Fudd would catch that pesky rabbit. She was dead and no amount of denial would change that.
It occurred to him that he sucked at the brooding, Angel could probably have given him some pointers on the whole thing. He guessed making fun of Angel helped ease the pain, until he realised he’d regained his title as the biggest Angel hater - because Spike was also dead, something else to feel not generally good about too.
So maybe looking out the window would be the better activity, after all.
++++
Willow wanted to say something to Buffy, anything to help the situation; she tried ineffectually to script out a good conversation but even then when she imagined it, it seemed to spin out of her control. Instead she sat waiting for the perfect inspiration to hit her but it didn’t.
“What is it Willow?” Buffy asked.
Willow realised that she was that transparent - or had Buffy achieved that insightful best friend thing, over the years?
“Nothing.” Buffy narrowed her eyes at Willow. “I’m just working towards the best friend speech. You know where I say something to make you evaluate everything and feel better.” Willow carried on with her babbling. “I’m big with the knowing what you’re going through. I know about the grief. My number one tip, don’t try to destroy the world, it loses you the major sympathy votes. And you already ran away that one time, so it would be a cliché.”
“I’m not even thinking it, it’s different this time, and I haven't exactly got a place left to run from.” Willow didn’t know if Buffy was putting on a brave face, saving up the water works for later. “I’m okay, Will.”
“You’re sure?”
Buffy nodded. “I can’t feel bad, he did an amazing thing. He’s at rest now and maybe he’s where I was.”
“Heaven?” Willow nodded enthusiastically, at least she hoped that was where he was headed. “You don’t sound sure.”
“Well...” Buffy shook her head. “Their standards are obviously low, I got in.” Buffy remembered how certain he’d seemed about his fate. “It was so like him. He completely laughed in the scary face of death, I wouldn‘t have expected anything else.” It was true that it hadn’t surprised her; she’d been there herself, swan diving off the tower to save Dawn and the world. That had been why she had let him go so easily, why it seemed right in telling Willow about it. “All those years ago, who’d have thought Spike saving us all.”
“Spike kind of came through, makes me feel good and teary too.”
Willow tilted her head in the direction of a few of the Slayers. “Isn’t it great though that they won’t have to face the big scary alone,” Buffy nodded. “And Buffy, neither will you.”
“You are alone.” A voice that shouldn’t have struck a cord of fear in anyone did in Buffy. She didn’t want to look over at the seat next to her but she did anyway.
Jonathan Levenson smiled at her, there had been no malice in his seemly cruel assessment of her. His smile crumbled with sympathy. “But you weren’t, Spike was there with you.” Buffy turned away, she didn’t want to hear.
She knew it wasn’t the First talking, because the chill she got down her spine whenever it was nearby was missing. That meant only one of two things: she was being haunted by a geek or she had gone crazy. “He understood and loved you like nobody else ever will do, it feels that way but it’s not true.”
“Buffy is everything alright?” Buffy looked over at Willow, for the first time in years she actually saw the love of Willow’s friendship reflecting back at her. But she couldn’t answer her, not because the presence of Jonathan, now there was only an empty seat where he’d been, but because she didn’t know if she was alright or not.
++++
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the hospital. There was only a few who needed serious medical attention. Faith and Xander had both taken Wood in first, then Buffy and Dawn had helped Rona in. The few others were the walking wounded, a few fractures and wounds between them.
All the healthy Slayers had opted to stay on the bus while the others were seen to. Giles and Willow had taken them to find a motel, and to get provisions: clothes, food and water. They’d return in a few hours to collect those at the hospital. Andrew had followed Xander into the hospital like a lost lamb, almost bleating at his heels.
Andrew was alone. He wanted Anya's company, she’d have made a great joke right about now with all the possible imminent death about. It wasn’t as bearable as it would have been with her around. When he and Anya had gone for supplies at the abandoned Sunnydale hospital, it was echoey quiet, the wards here were over crowded, dizzy inducing. With Anya gone, he wasn’t sure that he could ever be in a hospital again without feeling nostalgic and nauseous all at the same time. Now he was leaning more towards a barfy feeling.
He dodge out of the way of a gurney being pushed by orderlies and doctors, a bloodied teenage girl lay on it. He’d thought he’d seen all injured girls he was going to today.
He felt a bit like he was an episode of ER, but one of the earlier seasons. It wasn’t the same without George Clooney…
“Imala, honey everything’s going to be okay.” A nurse told the girl. They moved down the hallway, Andrew watching them until they went through some double doors.
++++
Buffy had been given Xander’s sacred duty of going to the vending-machine for snacks, he’d given her a chunk of his change - he was more prepared for food gathering than she was.
Dawn had gotten up a little after, to go check on Buffy’s progress. When she found Buffy, she was staring at the buttons on the machine, as if she where trying to clarify weither they were a potential enemy or not.
Dawn tapped her on the shoulder and Buffy whirled round in a defensive posture.
“I thought I saw--” Buffy’s words trailed off, she scowled at Dawn but then smiled. “Want anything? I know you have a soft spot for the sugar and the E numbers.” She said looking into the belly of a vending machine filled with sugary delights.
“No food should ever be florescent purple.” Dawn pointed to some candy, humouring Buffy.
“Be glad I heard that sacrilege and not Xander.”
Dawn put a soothing hand on Buffy’s shoulder.
“Everything is going to be okay Dawny.” Buffy put a hand to Dawn’s hair smoothed it back, and turned back to the snacks. Dawn noticed Buffy wince before putting a hand against her stomach. Dawn had seen blood there earlier, she was going to have to make Buffy go see a doctor.
++++
Faith was getting pissed with the endless questions from a snotty doctor. He handed her a pen and stack of forms. Xander looked over at Faith, the beginnings of an insult slowly prising her clenched jaw open, words that on completion could have her thrown out of the hospital.
“Ahoy there shipmates, how is the starboard crew fending?” Xander greeted Faith as the doctor left. He added an ‘arrrh’ for good measures. He was almost enjoying his alternating eye patch jokes, this hour he was going for a pirate theme, next one would be on divine retribution, who didn’t love their ‘an eye for an eye’ part of the bible.
Faith looked over the papers, and had a go at them. “I wouldn’t tick that one - means you won’t sue if they take a kidney or accidentally hack off an arm.”
Xander took the medical papers from Faith, she was happy to part with them. “I have no super-human powers, except with the form filling, I’m a dab hand at that. I was going to say I had an eye for it but that would be slightly inappropriate.” He ticked a few boxes and scored things out. “I’ve had my fair share of forms in my time, many job applications, ordering of building material and hospital admittance papers.”
“Anya was alright you know.” Faith didn’t know that for sure, in fact she had little contact with the ex-demon, all Faith’s words on Anya in the past had been a dig.
“Wood is going to be okay, you got a tough guy there or so I’m told.” Xander informed her as he turned to leave.
“Xander?” She asked softly, stopping him dead in his tracks.
“Yeah.”
“You’re one of the good ones.” She meant it, why she had said it was beyond her.
“Well so I’m told.” He let her off the hook. “Today you were one too. It’s not a come on but Wood is a very lucky guy.”
“By Sunnydale Principle standards.” She joked because nobody had seen her as one of the good guys before. She’d never admit it but it actually made her feel good. She still had the bad girl rep to uphold though, so she couldn’t let it show.
“I better go,” He said. “Got to make sure Andrew hasn’t got himself tangled up in a Slayer’s IV tubes or something.”
She went over to Robin’s bed, took his hand in hers, she wasn‘t sure what she was supposed to do. She guessed the world was just getting tougher on her, but at least it was still here.
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