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skylar0graceTitle: Crossing A Line.
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Buffy had done everything she could except one thing…
Spoilers: All of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Supernatural’.
Disclaimer: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended. ‘Supernatural’ and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended.
Notes: A challenge set by Phoenix called 'Crossing A Line'. I hope this is what you had in mind.
Blood is seeping out of his mouth as he calls fruitlessly out. “Sam?! Buffy?! Somebody? ANYBODY?!”
Buffy jerked awake and rubbed her tired eyes. Every night had been the same and the lack of sleep was taking its toll on her. She looked across to see Dawn sleeping peacefully beside her. Every night since Dean had died, Dawn had snuck into her sister’s bed, usually waking up as soon as Buffy did, and holding her while she wept. Tonight, however, Dawn slept on and Buffy took a deep breath as she tried to stop the tears.
“I’m getting him out Buffy!”
“Sam, wait!”
“No! How can you just stand there while he is suffering?”
Buffy grabbed his arm angrily. “I’m not just standing here. I’ve tried everything and there is no way around this!”
Sam glared angrily back. “Then try again! We cannot leave him there.”
“I’m not going to. If I could walk into Hell myself and pull him out I would, but I can’t find it! I’m doing everything I can, this is eating me up too.”
“Well, I’m gonna try on my own. You’ve been having no luck so maybe it’s just you!”
Sam angrily turned and walked away. Buffy let the tears fall as the only connection to the man she loved walked out of her life.
Buffy felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Dawn sitting up. The tears fell anyway and Buffy let herself be comforted by her sister as she mourned her loss.
“I finally heard back from Sam.” Buffy sat up quickly and wiped the tears. “He’s had no luck but he wanted me to let you know that he was sorry for the way things ended. He’s got another lead so he was headed out to check on it. It sounded like the last one he’s got so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Buffy climbed out of bed quietly and padded downstairs. She turned on the coffee machine, lost in her own thoughts. She could see Dean’s face every time she closed her eyes and when she opened them, the image was still there, burned into her memory. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see Dawn pulling the bread out of the cupboard. Xander and Willow were seated at the counter watching her and when they saw her red-rimmed eyes, Willow gave her a small smile.
“Didn’t sleep again Buff?”
Buffy turned away as she made a coffee and heard Xander softly sigh.
“Buffy, I know what it’s like, believe me.” Buffy turned back to face him. “I thought I’d die myself when she died but you knew this was coming Buff, you knew where he was going and it’s not your fault that you couldn’t stop it. He knew that to. You just have to pick up the pieces and move on or it’s just gonna eat you up inside; it’s gonna tear you apart.”
Willow nodded beside him. “Buffy, come out with me tonight. I was gonna go patrolling with that new guy, Sean, maybe you could take him instead? Show him the ropes and whatnot.”
Buffy could see the offer for what it was – a barely concealed set-up – but she didn’t know how she was going to move on from this. How many times can one person break before the pieces can no longer be put together again? Faith walked into the room with a disgusted look and slapped Buffy in the face. Buffy took a step back.
“What the hell are you doing B?” Faith ignored the affronted look on Buffy’s face. “How can you be so selfish? You’re trying to move on with your life while he’s being tortured in Hell?”
“I’ve tried everything! I can’t get him out!” Buffy screamed back in pain. Willow frowned at Faith and stood next to Buffy for support. Buffy ignored her.
“That’s crap and you know it! Not every option has been exhausted because he’s still there, and while you’re up here having the time of your life, he’s being ripped apart.”
“There’s no way!” Buffy pleaded.
Faith shook her head in disgust. “Angel did it. If he can do it, so can Dean. I can’t believe you don’t believe in him enough for even that!”
Buffy ran from the room in tears, Willow following close behind. Xander stood angrily.
“She needs time Faith, not to be bullied for it!”
He stormed out of the room and Faith turned to Dawn. “Too much?”
Dawn shook her head and looked in the direction her sister had left. “Nah, she needs it. There’s a way, there has to be. But even if she can’t find it, she needs to be herself again, she needs to be Buffy.”
“I’m with ya, little sis. Ever need me to slap her ‘round again, just ask.” Faith winked at Dawn’s smile and walked out of the kitchen leaving Dawn to her thoughts.
~
Buffy ran, racing away from Willow and Xander and letting the tears fall freely down her face. Of course she was being selfish. How could she possibly move on from him? The ugly truth was, she knew she never would. She’d been less of a Slayer since he’d gone, less of a person. She felt like she was looking at the shell of who she used to be.
“I want you to cry, okay?” Buffy frowned at him but he looked sternly at her. “Cry, but the tears have gotta stop. I want you to move on. Everybody’s gotta go sometime, sweetheart, we just know when me time is, that’s all. You’re beautiful and tough and you know why I fell in love with you. I want those things to be here when I’m gone. Think of it as my dying wish,” he said with a wink.
Buffy smiled sadly.
“Promise me!”
Faith was right, she had to keep trying. If Angel could get out, so could he. It was possible. With the reminder of Angel’s name, a thought popped into her head. She hadn’t tried it before but maybe it was the only way. If it worked once, it could work again. With that thought, she made a dash for her office.
~
The screen glowed on her face as she scanned record after record. When the spell filled the screen her eyes scanned over it and she took a deep breath. She pressed the ‘print’ button before she could think about it too much and as the printer spluttered to life and printed character after character on the pristine paper, Buffy quickly packed her bag. This was now or never and she knew she’d never have another shot like this; she just never thought it would come to this.
Buffy grabbed the paper out of the printer, folded it up and put it in her jacket pocket. She took a piece of lined paper and opened it up, placing it on the desk near the keyboard and walked out the door without looking back.
~
Buffy looked around as she entered the outskirts of Wyoming. She knew about the Hellmouth here only because Giles had requested its location once he heard about them closing it. Buffy drove slowly as she reached the cemetery. She climbed out of her car and walked over to the crypt Dean had mentioned and took a deep breath. She couldn’t do the spell in Cleveland because that Hellmouth was open, there’d be no telling what would happen if she tried the spell on an open Hellmouth and the one in Sunnydale was out of reach. There had been frequent landslides after the initial collapse and a few people had been killed trying to salvage items from it.
She placed the items around herself and looked at the paper again. The Latin words spilled out of her mouth awkwardly and when nothing happened at first, she began to wonder if her pronunciation had been that off. As she looked back up at the crypt however, she saw a small light emerge from the hole in the centre of the design work and it built until it was the size of a person. A flash later and the light disappeared leaving a figure in its wake.
He walked over to her. “Sweetheart, I never thought you would be the one to let me out.”
Buffy frowned. “You weren’t in Hell, so give it up. You’re not him.”
“Baby, I’m him to the core. I remember that first night we spent together in South Dakota when--”
Buffy put her hands over her ears. “Stop it!” she screamed, “Stop it! You’re not him!”
He sighed dramatically, looking frustrated before he knelt in front of her.
“Then why did you call?”
Buffy lowered her arms. “I wanna make a deal.”
~
“…I’m really sorry but I have to try everything. I’ll never forgive myself for letting him go and if I can find a way to go in there myself and get him out, I will. But until then, I have to go with what I can.
The First pulled Angel out of Hell and it can get Dean out. I’m going to make a deal to get him out but my life won’t be enough, it seems like it never is. So I’m gonna give it back what it wanted in the first place: the Scythe. You might all hate me for this but I can’t see any other way and I can’t leave him down there. I’ve tried everything, every way, and now I’m starting again at the beginning.
Dawn, I love you. I’ve tried to give you everything I could and help you become the woman Mum always wanted you to be. I hope one day you can forgive me.
I hope one day you can all forgive me.
- Buffy”
Giles looked up from the letter and looked around at the few assembled people in the room. He looked back at the letter in his hand in disbelief before putting it down on Buffy’s desk and taking his glasses off.
“We can’t let her do that, Giles!” Willow almost yelled.
“Willow--”
“That’s the source of the Slayers powers. If I could do that, imagine what The First could do with it!”
“Willow--”
Xander stood. “I agree with Willow, we’ve gotta find her and stop her before it is too late.”
“This is an extreme circumstance and there are no guidelines for such an event. This would never have been conceived of by the Council, new or old, so there is no precedence for it. What we do from here is up to us.” Giles replaced his glasses and looked at everyone with a grim expression. “Buffy is my Slayer but we need to look at what is good for the world and not just one person, so I…” Giles took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened them and Dawn was surprised to see them glistening. “I think we would all agree that she has crossed a line here and she must be declared a rogue Slayer. She has become a threat to us and the world,” he swallowed thickly, “and must be stopped. Teams should be dispatched immediately and she should be brought back dead or alive, though I cannot stress enough how preferable alive is--”
“Woah, woah, woah!” Faith began as she emerged from her corner of the room. “Look, B may have done the wrong thing but she’s not the enemy, she’s a Slayer!”
“Exactly!” Kennedy said as she faced off against her superior, “She’s a Slayer and that means she holds more responsibility. I like her and all, but she’s not risking her life, she’s risking all of ours for some guy. She IS now the enemy!”
“She’s kept this world safe and she’s helped keep you alive. What right do you have to sign her death warrant?”
“I have EVERY right! She’s already signed mine! As soon as she hands that scythe over, we may as well all kiss our lives goodbye. She’s the one who had no right!”
“Giles, please don’t do this!” Dawn pleaded. “Buffy would never just let The First walk off with the scythe, you know there’s more to it than that. Please!”
Giles shook his head. “I’m sorry but we have no other choice. Buffy is from here on in considered hostile and every measure should be taken in her capture.” He looked back to Dawn. “I’m sorry,” he said sadly.
Dawn took a deep breath. “I’m sorry too. I can’t stay here and let you go off and kill her. After everything she has done for you, you should be ashamed.”
Dawn walked from the room knowing two things. She would find her sister first and Faith would have her back. Faith and Buffy didn’t seem to get along but they’d never been closer and Dawn knew that Faith would fight to protect Buffy just like she would.
~
Buffy laid the items out around her and looked at the scythe on the floor. The light bounced off the sharp red blade and she tried to shake the feeling that what she was doing was wrong. Dean didn’t deserve to be suffering in Hell and more than the Slayers deserved to lose their power but they managed to train the potentials and could continue to train them as such. They’d be weaker, but at least they’d be alive.
The First had fought a hard bargain. It didn’t want the scythe, could do little with it, but the destruction of the scythe was a different issue and one only a Slayer could perform. She’d been given the instructions and the space in a nearby abandoned building but most importantly she’d been given the promise of Dean.
As she ran through the motions of the spell, she paused just before she dropped the fine powder over it. Once she did that, there would be no going back. She, along with Faith, would be the only Slayers and the weight of the world would once again rest solely on their shoulders.
The First, in the guise of Dean, once again appeared. He walked over and knelt before her.
“Come on, sweetheart, just one little thing to do and then I get a ‘get out of gaol free’ card. No more suffering, no more pain…”
A tear slid down Buffy’s face. She knew it wasn’t him, knew it was just a way for The First to play her, but her heart was hurting so much and a part of her wanted to take the easy way out. Dean stood and looked over her shoulder as if someone was approaching. He looked back down at her with pain-filled eyes.
“Save me.”
With that he disappeared in a small flash of light and more tears fell down her face. A sob escaped her lips and she pressed a fist to them to keep in the rest. Resolve spread across her features and she picked up the jar again.
“Buffy, stop!”
Buffy turned around to see Whistler running up to her slightly out of breath. He stopped and placed his hands on his knees, sucking in a lungful of air before looking up at her.
“We always meet under these circumstances, kid,” he said with a grin. A scowl formed and she turned away from him. “Wait!” he yelled, “You can’t do this!”
Buffy stilled but didn’t turn around. But she didn’t need to. Whistler could hear the heartbreak in her voice.
“I’m sorry. I tried everything and no one would help me. This was my only choice, there is no other way.”
Whistler looked up to see the form of Dean watching Buffy and knew, without a doubt, that it was The First.
“What have you done, kid?” he whispered as the scythe shined brightly, the light permeating everything it touched.
As the light reached The First, Buffy looked up to see it seemingly filling him and he let out a cry of pain. The form shattered into millions of pieces before coalescing into a red vapour. The red smoke stayed stationery for a moment, as though it was unsure what to do, before quickly shooting toward the ceiling and disappearing into the night.
The scythe glowed brighter still and Buffy put a hand up to shield her eyes as a loud sound filled the air. It was somewhere between a metallic door creaking and a jet engine and just a suddenly as it sounded, it stopped. The light disappeared and Buffy looked around. The cement floor beneath her was completely bare, the scythe forever gone and she looked up at Whistler with teary eyes.
“Where is he?” she asked with a slight panic in her voice.
Whistler took a step forward, knowing his superiors would frown upon him comforting the Slayer but as his first footstep sounded on the cold floor, a rumbling began and Whistler looked up in fear. Only a few things could do this and every one of them could squash him like a bug.
The light bulb above him shattered and Whistler quickly moved toward Buffy. He pulled her to her feet just as the light bulb above her shattered and they covered their heads as glass rained down on them. A form appeared in the doorway, taking a step inside and as the shadows moved out of the way, Buffy gasped as the outline of wings appeared on the walls behind him. His long grey coat billowed in an unseen wind and he walked quickly to them.
“You were warned time and time again but you still ignored the warnings.”
His voice was comforting and scolding at the same time and Buffy bristled. She took a step toward him angrily.
“No! You were warned! I did everything you asked, I save this world over and over; I died for this world. I came to everyone for help, including the Powers and you wouldn’t even lift a finger. You brought this on yourself! You’ve now lost hundreds of warriors because of your reluctance to help.”
“He’s not from the Powers, Buffy,” Whistler said in a low voice.
Buffy frowned and looked back only to see Whistler’s head bowed slightly, his body shirking away from the man. She turned back to him and noticed the look he was giving Whistler, somewhere between distaste and irrelevance. Whistler placed a hand on Buffy’s shoulder and she turned to him again.
“I’m gonna go, kid. I’m not welcome here and I’ve got other stuff to do. Saving the world’s a tough gig, as you know.”
Whistler gave her a small, strained smile before disappearing. Buffy felt a twisting in her gut and she turned back once more to the unnamed visitor.
“Who are you?” Buffy asked, feeling her muscles tense in preparation for a fight. Anything that could have Whistler running so scared must be powerful.
“My name is Castiel, I’m an Angel of the Lord.”
Buffy raised a brow in disbelief. “Right, and I’m Santa Clause!”
Castiel stepped closer. “You have no idea what you’ve done, have you?”
“It didn’t work!” she screamed, “I know what I just sacrificed and I know it was for nothing. There’s nothing you can say that could make me feel any worse.”
“It did work. You made a sacrifice that wasn’t yours to make and there is gonna be consequences that you didn’t see coming. You’ve declared war and then disabled the army.”
“Dean’s not here! It was for nothing!”
A tear escaped her eyes and for the first time, sympathy crossed the Angel’s features.
“Where did you come back?”
Buffy felt the sudden urge to throw up and she fell to her knees as the acid burned its way back up her throat. Her head fell forward as sobs escaped her mouth in between soft whispers. “Oh God!”
Castiel took a step forward. “God was listening and he heard your request but you weren’t listening to him. Now the conditions of war have changed and there will be fallout.”
“I couldn’t leave him there,” she whispered as she looked up at Castiel with red-rimmed eyes.
“That wasn’t our intention either. It was my job to pull Dean out of Hell and bring him back here.”
More tears fell and she fisted her hands in her hair. “I couldn’t leave him there, I couldn’t--”
Castiel pulled her to her feet. “This is a war, make no mistake,” he said angrily, “And you’re not the only one fighting it! You need to pull yourself together and help clean up this mess you’ve made!”
Buffy blinked away the tears and steadied herself. “I need to call the school, I need—”
“No, you’re no longer welcome there. You declared war on The First but the army you created has turned on you. You are an enemy now and, unfortunately, the wall of defence is gone. The First will rain destruction with the power it now has and you need to stop it.”
Castiel looked over his shoulder at an unseen entity before turning back to the Slayer and leaning in closer. “Find Dean. Our hope rests with you two.”
Buffy blinked and Castiel was gone but she wasted no time. Throwing her stuff into her satchel, she grabbed her keys and headed for her car. If what Castiel said was true, then a new stage of war was here and she needed to stop it. But first she had to find the man for whom she’d started all this for.
~Fin.
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Buffy had done everything she could except one thing…
Spoilers: All of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Supernatural’.
Disclaimer: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended. ‘Supernatural’ and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended.
Notes: A challenge set by Phoenix called 'Crossing A Line'. I hope this is what you had in mind.
Blood is seeping out of his mouth as he calls fruitlessly out. “Sam?! Buffy?! Somebody? ANYBODY?!”
Buffy jerked awake and rubbed her tired eyes. Every night had been the same and the lack of sleep was taking its toll on her. She looked across to see Dawn sleeping peacefully beside her. Every night since Dean had died, Dawn had snuck into her sister’s bed, usually waking up as soon as Buffy did, and holding her while she wept. Tonight, however, Dawn slept on and Buffy took a deep breath as she tried to stop the tears.
“I’m getting him out Buffy!”
“Sam, wait!”
“No! How can you just stand there while he is suffering?”
Buffy grabbed his arm angrily. “I’m not just standing here. I’ve tried everything and there is no way around this!”
Sam glared angrily back. “Then try again! We cannot leave him there.”
“I’m not going to. If I could walk into Hell myself and pull him out I would, but I can’t find it! I’m doing everything I can, this is eating me up too.”
“Well, I’m gonna try on my own. You’ve been having no luck so maybe it’s just you!”
Sam angrily turned and walked away. Buffy let the tears fall as the only connection to the man she loved walked out of her life.
Buffy felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Dawn sitting up. The tears fell anyway and Buffy let herself be comforted by her sister as she mourned her loss.
“I finally heard back from Sam.” Buffy sat up quickly and wiped the tears. “He’s had no luck but he wanted me to let you know that he was sorry for the way things ended. He’s got another lead so he was headed out to check on it. It sounded like the last one he’s got so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Buffy climbed out of bed quietly and padded downstairs. She turned on the coffee machine, lost in her own thoughts. She could see Dean’s face every time she closed her eyes and when she opened them, the image was still there, burned into her memory. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see Dawn pulling the bread out of the cupboard. Xander and Willow were seated at the counter watching her and when they saw her red-rimmed eyes, Willow gave her a small smile.
“Didn’t sleep again Buff?”
Buffy turned away as she made a coffee and heard Xander softly sigh.
“Buffy, I know what it’s like, believe me.” Buffy turned back to face him. “I thought I’d die myself when she died but you knew this was coming Buff, you knew where he was going and it’s not your fault that you couldn’t stop it. He knew that to. You just have to pick up the pieces and move on or it’s just gonna eat you up inside; it’s gonna tear you apart.”
Willow nodded beside him. “Buffy, come out with me tonight. I was gonna go patrolling with that new guy, Sean, maybe you could take him instead? Show him the ropes and whatnot.”
Buffy could see the offer for what it was – a barely concealed set-up – but she didn’t know how she was going to move on from this. How many times can one person break before the pieces can no longer be put together again? Faith walked into the room with a disgusted look and slapped Buffy in the face. Buffy took a step back.
“What the hell are you doing B?” Faith ignored the affronted look on Buffy’s face. “How can you be so selfish? You’re trying to move on with your life while he’s being tortured in Hell?”
“I’ve tried everything! I can’t get him out!” Buffy screamed back in pain. Willow frowned at Faith and stood next to Buffy for support. Buffy ignored her.
“That’s crap and you know it! Not every option has been exhausted because he’s still there, and while you’re up here having the time of your life, he’s being ripped apart.”
“There’s no way!” Buffy pleaded.
Faith shook her head in disgust. “Angel did it. If he can do it, so can Dean. I can’t believe you don’t believe in him enough for even that!”
Buffy ran from the room in tears, Willow following close behind. Xander stood angrily.
“She needs time Faith, not to be bullied for it!”
He stormed out of the room and Faith turned to Dawn. “Too much?”
Dawn shook her head and looked in the direction her sister had left. “Nah, she needs it. There’s a way, there has to be. But even if she can’t find it, she needs to be herself again, she needs to be Buffy.”
“I’m with ya, little sis. Ever need me to slap her ‘round again, just ask.” Faith winked at Dawn’s smile and walked out of the kitchen leaving Dawn to her thoughts.
~
Buffy ran, racing away from Willow and Xander and letting the tears fall freely down her face. Of course she was being selfish. How could she possibly move on from him? The ugly truth was, she knew she never would. She’d been less of a Slayer since he’d gone, less of a person. She felt like she was looking at the shell of who she used to be.
“I want you to cry, okay?” Buffy frowned at him but he looked sternly at her. “Cry, but the tears have gotta stop. I want you to move on. Everybody’s gotta go sometime, sweetheart, we just know when me time is, that’s all. You’re beautiful and tough and you know why I fell in love with you. I want those things to be here when I’m gone. Think of it as my dying wish,” he said with a wink.
Buffy smiled sadly.
“Promise me!”
Faith was right, she had to keep trying. If Angel could get out, so could he. It was possible. With the reminder of Angel’s name, a thought popped into her head. She hadn’t tried it before but maybe it was the only way. If it worked once, it could work again. With that thought, she made a dash for her office.
~
The screen glowed on her face as she scanned record after record. When the spell filled the screen her eyes scanned over it and she took a deep breath. She pressed the ‘print’ button before she could think about it too much and as the printer spluttered to life and printed character after character on the pristine paper, Buffy quickly packed her bag. This was now or never and she knew she’d never have another shot like this; she just never thought it would come to this.
Buffy grabbed the paper out of the printer, folded it up and put it in her jacket pocket. She took a piece of lined paper and opened it up, placing it on the desk near the keyboard and walked out the door without looking back.
~
Buffy looked around as she entered the outskirts of Wyoming. She knew about the Hellmouth here only because Giles had requested its location once he heard about them closing it. Buffy drove slowly as she reached the cemetery. She climbed out of her car and walked over to the crypt Dean had mentioned and took a deep breath. She couldn’t do the spell in Cleveland because that Hellmouth was open, there’d be no telling what would happen if she tried the spell on an open Hellmouth and the one in Sunnydale was out of reach. There had been frequent landslides after the initial collapse and a few people had been killed trying to salvage items from it.
She placed the items around herself and looked at the paper again. The Latin words spilled out of her mouth awkwardly and when nothing happened at first, she began to wonder if her pronunciation had been that off. As she looked back up at the crypt however, she saw a small light emerge from the hole in the centre of the design work and it built until it was the size of a person. A flash later and the light disappeared leaving a figure in its wake.
He walked over to her. “Sweetheart, I never thought you would be the one to let me out.”
Buffy frowned. “You weren’t in Hell, so give it up. You’re not him.”
“Baby, I’m him to the core. I remember that first night we spent together in South Dakota when--”
Buffy put her hands over her ears. “Stop it!” she screamed, “Stop it! You’re not him!”
He sighed dramatically, looking frustrated before he knelt in front of her.
“Then why did you call?”
Buffy lowered her arms. “I wanna make a deal.”
~
“…I’m really sorry but I have to try everything. I’ll never forgive myself for letting him go and if I can find a way to go in there myself and get him out, I will. But until then, I have to go with what I can.
The First pulled Angel out of Hell and it can get Dean out. I’m going to make a deal to get him out but my life won’t be enough, it seems like it never is. So I’m gonna give it back what it wanted in the first place: the Scythe. You might all hate me for this but I can’t see any other way and I can’t leave him down there. I’ve tried everything, every way, and now I’m starting again at the beginning.
Dawn, I love you. I’ve tried to give you everything I could and help you become the woman Mum always wanted you to be. I hope one day you can forgive me.
I hope one day you can all forgive me.
- Buffy”
Giles looked up from the letter and looked around at the few assembled people in the room. He looked back at the letter in his hand in disbelief before putting it down on Buffy’s desk and taking his glasses off.
“We can’t let her do that, Giles!” Willow almost yelled.
“Willow--”
“That’s the source of the Slayers powers. If I could do that, imagine what The First could do with it!”
“Willow--”
Xander stood. “I agree with Willow, we’ve gotta find her and stop her before it is too late.”
“This is an extreme circumstance and there are no guidelines for such an event. This would never have been conceived of by the Council, new or old, so there is no precedence for it. What we do from here is up to us.” Giles replaced his glasses and looked at everyone with a grim expression. “Buffy is my Slayer but we need to look at what is good for the world and not just one person, so I…” Giles took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened them and Dawn was surprised to see them glistening. “I think we would all agree that she has crossed a line here and she must be declared a rogue Slayer. She has become a threat to us and the world,” he swallowed thickly, “and must be stopped. Teams should be dispatched immediately and she should be brought back dead or alive, though I cannot stress enough how preferable alive is--”
“Woah, woah, woah!” Faith began as she emerged from her corner of the room. “Look, B may have done the wrong thing but she’s not the enemy, she’s a Slayer!”
“Exactly!” Kennedy said as she faced off against her superior, “She’s a Slayer and that means she holds more responsibility. I like her and all, but she’s not risking her life, she’s risking all of ours for some guy. She IS now the enemy!”
“She’s kept this world safe and she’s helped keep you alive. What right do you have to sign her death warrant?”
“I have EVERY right! She’s already signed mine! As soon as she hands that scythe over, we may as well all kiss our lives goodbye. She’s the one who had no right!”
“Giles, please don’t do this!” Dawn pleaded. “Buffy would never just let The First walk off with the scythe, you know there’s more to it than that. Please!”
Giles shook his head. “I’m sorry but we have no other choice. Buffy is from here on in considered hostile and every measure should be taken in her capture.” He looked back to Dawn. “I’m sorry,” he said sadly.
Dawn took a deep breath. “I’m sorry too. I can’t stay here and let you go off and kill her. After everything she has done for you, you should be ashamed.”
Dawn walked from the room knowing two things. She would find her sister first and Faith would have her back. Faith and Buffy didn’t seem to get along but they’d never been closer and Dawn knew that Faith would fight to protect Buffy just like she would.
~
Buffy laid the items out around her and looked at the scythe on the floor. The light bounced off the sharp red blade and she tried to shake the feeling that what she was doing was wrong. Dean didn’t deserve to be suffering in Hell and more than the Slayers deserved to lose their power but they managed to train the potentials and could continue to train them as such. They’d be weaker, but at least they’d be alive.
The First had fought a hard bargain. It didn’t want the scythe, could do little with it, but the destruction of the scythe was a different issue and one only a Slayer could perform. She’d been given the instructions and the space in a nearby abandoned building but most importantly she’d been given the promise of Dean.
As she ran through the motions of the spell, she paused just before she dropped the fine powder over it. Once she did that, there would be no going back. She, along with Faith, would be the only Slayers and the weight of the world would once again rest solely on their shoulders.
The First, in the guise of Dean, once again appeared. He walked over and knelt before her.
“Come on, sweetheart, just one little thing to do and then I get a ‘get out of gaol free’ card. No more suffering, no more pain…”
A tear slid down Buffy’s face. She knew it wasn’t him, knew it was just a way for The First to play her, but her heart was hurting so much and a part of her wanted to take the easy way out. Dean stood and looked over her shoulder as if someone was approaching. He looked back down at her with pain-filled eyes.
“Save me.”
With that he disappeared in a small flash of light and more tears fell down her face. A sob escaped her lips and she pressed a fist to them to keep in the rest. Resolve spread across her features and she picked up the jar again.
“Buffy, stop!”
Buffy turned around to see Whistler running up to her slightly out of breath. He stopped and placed his hands on his knees, sucking in a lungful of air before looking up at her.
“We always meet under these circumstances, kid,” he said with a grin. A scowl formed and she turned away from him. “Wait!” he yelled, “You can’t do this!”
Buffy stilled but didn’t turn around. But she didn’t need to. Whistler could hear the heartbreak in her voice.
“I’m sorry. I tried everything and no one would help me. This was my only choice, there is no other way.”
Whistler looked up to see the form of Dean watching Buffy and knew, without a doubt, that it was The First.
“What have you done, kid?” he whispered as the scythe shined brightly, the light permeating everything it touched.
As the light reached The First, Buffy looked up to see it seemingly filling him and he let out a cry of pain. The form shattered into millions of pieces before coalescing into a red vapour. The red smoke stayed stationery for a moment, as though it was unsure what to do, before quickly shooting toward the ceiling and disappearing into the night.
The scythe glowed brighter still and Buffy put a hand up to shield her eyes as a loud sound filled the air. It was somewhere between a metallic door creaking and a jet engine and just a suddenly as it sounded, it stopped. The light disappeared and Buffy looked around. The cement floor beneath her was completely bare, the scythe forever gone and she looked up at Whistler with teary eyes.
“Where is he?” she asked with a slight panic in her voice.
Whistler took a step forward, knowing his superiors would frown upon him comforting the Slayer but as his first footstep sounded on the cold floor, a rumbling began and Whistler looked up in fear. Only a few things could do this and every one of them could squash him like a bug.
The light bulb above him shattered and Whistler quickly moved toward Buffy. He pulled her to her feet just as the light bulb above her shattered and they covered their heads as glass rained down on them. A form appeared in the doorway, taking a step inside and as the shadows moved out of the way, Buffy gasped as the outline of wings appeared on the walls behind him. His long grey coat billowed in an unseen wind and he walked quickly to them.
“You were warned time and time again but you still ignored the warnings.”
His voice was comforting and scolding at the same time and Buffy bristled. She took a step toward him angrily.
“No! You were warned! I did everything you asked, I save this world over and over; I died for this world. I came to everyone for help, including the Powers and you wouldn’t even lift a finger. You brought this on yourself! You’ve now lost hundreds of warriors because of your reluctance to help.”
“He’s not from the Powers, Buffy,” Whistler said in a low voice.
Buffy frowned and looked back only to see Whistler’s head bowed slightly, his body shirking away from the man. She turned back to him and noticed the look he was giving Whistler, somewhere between distaste and irrelevance. Whistler placed a hand on Buffy’s shoulder and she turned to him again.
“I’m gonna go, kid. I’m not welcome here and I’ve got other stuff to do. Saving the world’s a tough gig, as you know.”
Whistler gave her a small, strained smile before disappearing. Buffy felt a twisting in her gut and she turned back once more to the unnamed visitor.
“Who are you?” Buffy asked, feeling her muscles tense in preparation for a fight. Anything that could have Whistler running so scared must be powerful.
“My name is Castiel, I’m an Angel of the Lord.”
Buffy raised a brow in disbelief. “Right, and I’m Santa Clause!”
Castiel stepped closer. “You have no idea what you’ve done, have you?”
“It didn’t work!” she screamed, “I know what I just sacrificed and I know it was for nothing. There’s nothing you can say that could make me feel any worse.”
“It did work. You made a sacrifice that wasn’t yours to make and there is gonna be consequences that you didn’t see coming. You’ve declared war and then disabled the army.”
“Dean’s not here! It was for nothing!”
A tear escaped her eyes and for the first time, sympathy crossed the Angel’s features.
“Where did you come back?”
Buffy felt the sudden urge to throw up and she fell to her knees as the acid burned its way back up her throat. Her head fell forward as sobs escaped her mouth in between soft whispers. “Oh God!”
Castiel took a step forward. “God was listening and he heard your request but you weren’t listening to him. Now the conditions of war have changed and there will be fallout.”
“I couldn’t leave him there,” she whispered as she looked up at Castiel with red-rimmed eyes.
“That wasn’t our intention either. It was my job to pull Dean out of Hell and bring him back here.”
More tears fell and she fisted her hands in her hair. “I couldn’t leave him there, I couldn’t--”
Castiel pulled her to her feet. “This is a war, make no mistake,” he said angrily, “And you’re not the only one fighting it! You need to pull yourself together and help clean up this mess you’ve made!”
Buffy blinked away the tears and steadied herself. “I need to call the school, I need—”
“No, you’re no longer welcome there. You declared war on The First but the army you created has turned on you. You are an enemy now and, unfortunately, the wall of defence is gone. The First will rain destruction with the power it now has and you need to stop it.”
Castiel looked over his shoulder at an unseen entity before turning back to the Slayer and leaning in closer. “Find Dean. Our hope rests with you two.”
Buffy blinked and Castiel was gone but she wasted no time. Throwing her stuff into her satchel, she grabbed her keys and headed for her car. If what Castiel said was true, then a new stage of war was here and she needed to stop it. But first she had to find the man for whom she’d started all this for.
~Fin.
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Date: 24 Feb 2010 18:51 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Feb 2010 11:17 (UTC)