E-MAIL: ralph8401@juno.com
SUMMARY: Buffy has spent four years as the top Slayer. Now she finds out it will have to end...
DIST/ARCHIVE: Ask first
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, and co. don't belong to me, they belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story takes place in the future. The dream sequences are in italics, as well as thoughts. This is one of my first fanfics, and I would love to hear your comments!
Eighteen-year-old Buffy Summers stalked through the cemetery. Overhead, the nearly full moon shone, often hiding behind some passing clouds. It had to be somewhere after midnight. There was hardly a sound, for most of Sunnydale was asleep at such a late hour. The air smelled fresh and earthy, and the breeze blowing through the trees was cool and damp.
A soft "crunch, crunch" from behind stopped Buffy in her tracks. She waited for a few seconds. "You know, I've been the Slayer for almost four years without losing a fight, and you guys still keep coming back for more," she quipped.
The thing grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around.
Buffy gasped at the creature in front of her. No. It couldn't be. She had killed him. What was he doing here? "I-I killed you..."
The creature smiled slyly. The Master. Returned from the dead. His breath was foul and putrid, smelling of death. His eyes danced mischievously in their sockets. "Buffy..." he hissed gleefully. "We meet again."
"I-I don't understand. You're dead," Buffy pointed out.
"Soon, you will be, too," the Master answered.
Buffy's entire mind, heart, and soul cried out, but her body fell under his trance. She followed him through the cemetery to an open grave. The tombstone read: "Buffy Anne Summers. 1981-1999. Beloved daughter and friend. Rest in peace."
Against her own wishes, her body climbed into the coffin and lay down in its satin interior. She closed the lid on top of her. The soft sound of dirt being dropped on the lid filled the cramped coffin.
Suddenly, Buffy snapped out of the trance and realized what was happening. She pushed against the coffin lid with all her might, trying to open it, but the effort was useless. She screamed. "Noooo!"
*****
"Noooo!"
Buffy's eyelids flew open, and she glanced around. Safe. She was safe in her bedroom, tucked beneath her cozy sheets. The sun streamed through her curtains, and the sound of chirping birds floated in from outside her window. Buffy, suddenly hit with the warm California October air, crawled out from under the covers.
She glanced in the mirror. Yuck. Her hair was matted to her head, and her skin was a deathly pale shade. Dark circles ringed her eyes. Her throat was scratchy. "No. I'm not getting sick," Buffy thought aloud. She touched her forehead. Hot. Too hot.
Climbing into the shower, Buffy turned the water on cold. She felt refreshed once she was done getting ready for the day. However, Buffy knew she was sick. Everything inside felt queasy. She eased her way down the stairs.
Mrs. Summers was waiting for her in the kitchen, cooking her a breakfast of pancakes and hashing over the local paper. As soon as she caught sight of her daughter, she hopped up. "Buffy, you look completely drained! Are you feeling okay?"
"I'll manage," Buffy muttered, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. The tangy taste of the juice stung her throat. She winced.
"Buffy, I want you to stay home today. You're obviously ill. Why don't you go up to bed?" she suggested. Putting a hand to her daughter's forehead, she added, "You're definitely burning up."
Buffy shook her mom's hand of her forehead. "I'm fine," she protested stubbornly, although her body told her otherwise.
"Buffy...bed," Mrs. Summers commanded, in her no-nonsense tone.
Buffy knew better than to argue. She strolled out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom. As she climbed into her bed, Buffy remembered the strange dream she had had earlier.
Mrs. Summers left the house a few minutes later, yelling up the stairs that she's be home around six or so.
Buffy waited until she was sure her mother was down the street. She climbed out of bed, heading for the one person she knew could give her the answers.
*****
"Giles! Giles!" Buffy called out as she entered the Sunnydale High School library. Looking around, she called out again, "Giles!"
Sure enough, Rupert Giles rushed out of his private office, an empty coffee mug in his hand. "Buffy, what is it?" he questioned. His voice was full of concern and urgency.
"I had a dream," Buffy answered. She glanced around the large room that had once been such a big part of her life. She could almost picture her, Xander, and Willow sitting around the wooden table, leafing through Giles' old reference books. She missed those days.
"A dream? You mean, prophetic?"
Buffy nodded.
Giles sauntered over to her with a new interest. Her dreams fascinated him. He wished that he had the ability to see into the future through dreams. Wondering briefly if every Slayer had prophetic dreams, he instructed, "Go on. What happened?"
Not able to hide the emotion, Buffy answered, "I died."
Giles looked down at her with sympathy and comfort. He couldn't even imagine what the girl was going through at the time. She must have been feeling anger and fright and sadness. Buffy had had prophetic dreams before. They ALWAYS came true. Giles searched for words of comfort. "How...how did this happen?"
Buffy tried to clear her head. "I, uh, I was in a cemetery, and the Master was there. He buried me alive, and I couldn't stop him. I was in a trance or something."
Giles listened with his whole heart. Buffy had come to be like a daughter to him. He wished for the whole world that they could change places. Seeing Buffy scared and upset like a frightened little girl moved his heart.
"Giles?" Buffy eyes him with suspicion and curiosity. She waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Still here, Giles?"
"Um...I best consult my books," he said finally.
Buffy stared at him with disbelief. "What? Giles, am I going to die? Am I?!" she demanded, grabbing his arm.
Giles looked down in the coffee mug he held, hoping it would hold the answer to the situation. All he saw were some coffee stains. "Not yet, Buffy. I promise you that. However, for the time being, I think it best to research what we have."
Buffy nodded and let go of his arm. She was much more calm but still worried. "All right," she replied and left the library.
Giles watched her leave. It was then that true sadness overwhelmed him. For a moment, he thought about telling her. "Buffy...oh, this can't be happening yet," he mumbled to himself.
*****
Late that night, Buffy rested in bed. After her pointless visit with Giles, she had climbed back into bed. The trip had worn her out tremendously, and her sense of balance had, for some reason or another, been thrown off. She kept getting attacked with dizzy spells.
Feeling bored and alone, Buffy decided she needed to talk to someone. A friend. However, she didn't have any close friends in college. There was one person that came to Buffy's mind, though.
After searching through papers on her desk, Buffy found a small piece of notebook paper with ten digits scribbled on it. It was a long distance phone number, and she would be hearing about it from her mom, but Buffy didn't care. She dialed it.
The phone rang twice before someone picked up. "Hello?" a familiar voice asked from the other end.
"Willow?" Buffy questioned happily. A small grin broke out on her face. It felt good to hear her best friend's voice.
"Yeah. Who's this?"
Buffy's heart fell. Did Willow not remember her? True, the last time they had talked was back in July when Willow had set out for Harvard. That had been a day full of tears. God, it seemed like an eternity since that day. "It's Buffy."
"Buffy?!" Willow cried. "Oh, my God! How are you?"
"I've been better. How are things at Harvard?" she questioned casually, as if they were still best friends. Yet Buffy had to wonder how close they still were.
"Great! Oh, Buffy. I met the most incredible guy! His name is Derek. You would love him! He's so funny and sweet and gorgeous," Willow gushed into the phone.
"What about Oz?" Buffy cut in before Willow could go on about the new guy.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "Buffy...we broke up a long time ago, a week after I arrived at Harvard."
Buffy felt guilty for not knowing the information. She really had to find more time to get in touch with her old friends. "Oh."
"So...are you still slaying?"
Buffy nodded, then remembering that Willow couldn't see her, answered, "Yep, and Giles is still the slave-driver."
"You sound different," Willow observed. "Buffy, is there something you're not telling me? I mean, you haven't talked to me for nearly four months, and suddenly, you just call me to talk about the weather? What's up?"
Buffy once again felt a warm rush for her friend. Even miles away, Willow could still sense that something wasn't right. "Well, first of all, I'm sick. Then, I had another prophetic dream last night. A bad one."
"Buffy, no."
"Yeah. I...um...I died. Giles is in total research mode. He didn't even wig when I told him about it."
"Are you thinking he knows something?"
"I'm thinking it wouldn't be the first time," Buffy reminded her. "I don't know. Maybe he's just...in shock."
"Buffy, you are NOT gonna die. You've had dreams with the Master and stuff, and you still survived. It's probably just another glitch in the system."
Buffy beamed at Willow's use of the computer term. She was right. Buffy had defied prophecy before. She could do so again. It was then that Buffy picked up on the music and voices in the background. "Are you at a party, Will?"
"Oh, yeah! My roommate, Alonka, and I decided to throw a party. I wish you were here. You would not believe how fun this place is!"
"I can imagine," Buffy replied dryly, suddenly jealous of her friend. Willow was obviously on the "popular" side of the social scale and had many friends. College was fun for her.
"Um, Buffy, I gotta go now," Willow stated uncomfortably. "I'll call you sometime."
Buffy started to speak, only to realize that she would be talking to the dial tone. She couldn't believe how much she missed her old friends. Xander and his family had moved out to New Jersey, where he attended a community college. Briefly, Buffy thought about calling him. However, it was around midnight in New Jersey, and Xander's family would be mad for receiving phone calls so late.
Staring at the phone for a minute, Buffy finally turned around and gasped in surprise. There, standing in front of her window, was Angel. "You do know I'm sick," she teased.
Angel just stared at her with his dark, mysterious eyes.
"Does this have to do with vamps, or did you bring me some 'Get Well' balloons?"
Angel walked over to her side and sat down on the bed next to her. "I came here to see you."
"What a surprise. I take it it's more than the usual social call, huh?" Buffy observed. She was trying to keep her spirits up for Angel but was finding it hard.
Angel stared into her eyes. "Giles called."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "How is Giles? He didn't seem to be too talkative. Is he hiding something from me? I have this feeling he is."
Angel sighed and looked off into the distance. "He is."
Buffy waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, she asked, "What?"
"There are certain things it's better for you not to know," he declared after a long time. "Buffy, if you knew what he knew..."
"But I DON'T know what he knows," she protested. Frustration began to seethe inside of her. "Angel, what is everyone hiding from me?"
Angel couldn't bring himself to look at her. "You..." He glanced at her saddened face and felt his heart melt. He couldn't do it. "I can't."
"You can't? You can't? Tell me what exactly you can't do!" she cried, turning away from him to hide the angry tears. When she turned back to face him, he was gone.
*****
The next day was greeted with the same - sunshine and sickness. Buffy woke up with a tremendous headache and fever. She felt terrible but pulled herself out of bed. Her mother once again stopped her in the kitchen before she could get out the door.
"Buffy," Mrs. Summers declared in a warning tone. "You should be up in bed."
"I'm fine, Mom." Buffy insisted. She opened the refrigerator and peeked inside, hoping for some food that would look tantalizing. Nothing met her standards.
"You don't look fine," Mrs. Summers shot back, watching her daughter explore the kitchen.
"Thanks for the compliment," replied Buffy sarcastically. She sighed, realizing that nothing would agree with her stomach. It was going to be another miserable day.
"Buffy, you are staying home. That's an order," Joyce Summers commanded, her hands resting menacingly on her hips. "You are obviously not well, and I'm not going to allow you to wander around Sunnydale and battle the undead."
Buffy started to argue but realized it was no use. Her mother's orders in this case reigned supreme. Without another word, Buffy padded back up the stairs and into bed. She knew she was going to fall behind in some of her classes if she didn't get well soon. She had tried as much as possible to do well in college and a few days off of school would place her behind the rest of the class.
Waiting until her mother was gone, Buffy climbed out of bed and threw on some clean clothes. She brushed her hair and teeth, fastening her silver cross necklace around her neck. Even after all that, she still looked deathly ill.
Without much of a thought, Buffy made her way to the library. She found Giles talking on the phone in his office. Standing in the door frame, Buffy couldn't help but listen in.
"I'm telling you, Willow. No, I'm not ASKING you; I'm TELLING you. Don't worry about the airfare. I'll take care of that. Yes. Yes. Good. I'll see you then," he said into the phone. Hanging up, he sat there for awhile.
Buffy cleared her throat.
Giles nearly jumped out of his chair with surprise. He spun around. "Buffy. What are you doing here?"
"Searching for information, no less," Buffy remarked, looking around. She observed him closely. "Those are the same clothes you wore yesterday."
Giles appeared embarrassed.
"Why were you talking to Willow?"
Giles opened his mouth to speak.
"And don't lie," Buffy warned with all seriousness.
Giles closed his mouth. He seemed to think about what he was going to say. Finally deciding upon the best approach, he declared, "Buffy, a lot of things are happening right now. I can't explain them to you at the moment, but I promise you, everything will be all right."
"Why do you keep saying that, Giles?" Buffy demanded. "Why don't you just tell me what's going on? I know you know."
"Buffy!" Giles exclaimed. "Some things are meant to be told at certain times. I can't tell you anything yet, but I can assure you that you will find out." He shifted uncomfortably and turned away from Buffy. He mumbled quietly, "Buffy, you need to be home right now. You're too sick to be here."
Buffy said nothing, realizing she had gotten all the information out of him she could ever receive from Giles. Buffy decided that she only had one place left to turn.
*****
Angel sat on the couch in front of the fire place when Buffy entered his mansion a few minutes later. He was evidently engrossed in what he was reading.
"Hey," Buffy called out as she walked over to him.
"Buffy," he replied and looked over at her. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"I have to say that's a first," Buffy teased quietly, taking a seat next to him. She looked deep into his eyes. "Angel, what's going on? Giles is acting all freaky. I heard him on the phone, talking to Willow. Why won't he tell me anything? Why am I having strange dreams? Why am I suddenly so sick?"
Angel looked away. "You would hate me for telling you," he stated.
She gently brushed her hand along his chin. "That's not true. I could never hate you."
Angel looked back in her direction. "Have you ever wondered what would happen to a Slayer if she reached the age of sixty?"
"Osteoporosis?" Buffy joked, smiling.
Angel didn't return her smile. "Well, Slayers don't...they don't...reach that age," he informed her.
"What do you mean? No Slayer has ever reached that age before?"
"No, once a Slayer has been a Slayer for four years...they die."
"Die?" Buffy's eyes opened wide. She felt like laughing. "Is this some joke? Okay, you had me tricked! I give up!" One look at Angel's face and Buffy knew it was no joke. She felt as though she had been punched in the stomach - hard. "So, I'm dying, huh? Is it like the dreams? Four years and that's it?"
Angel nodded.
"So I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die," Buffy repeated, anger growing inside of her. "Four years of slaying...four years of slaying, and I haven't lost a battle, but they're still gonna kill me?" Her tone was turning into more of an accusing voice.
"I told you you would hate me for it," Angel mumbled, looking down in his lap.
Buffy didn't even hear him. She stood up, her hands balling into fists. If she had been a monster, steam would have poured from her ears, and her eyes would have turned blood red. But she wasn't a demon. All she could do was stand there and be angry at the world for its cruel and unfair ways.
Angel stood up and tried to hug her. "Buffy, I don't want this to happen to you. I know how you feel..."
Buffy pulled out of his grasp. "No, you don't! You have no idea what it feels like to know you're gonna die after everything you've done! You have no idea, Angel!" she yelled at him. Her features were fixed with anger.
"Buffy..."
With a little cry of anger, Buffy stormed off. She raced home angrily. By the time she walked through the front door, Buffy's mind was a blur. She was dizzy from rage and sickness, but she suddenly felt like crying. The only thing Buffy wanted to do was curl up in her mother's arms and be told that everything would be all right.
However, her mother was at work, thinking her daughter just had some flu bug. She would probably come home, and nothing would be different to her. To Buffy, though, the world had changed with just a few words. How could someone just decide to let her die after she had spent the past few years fighting for her life? It seemed like a dead end either way.
*****
Buffy Summers was suddenly dancing in the Bronze. It was warm and hazy inside Sunnydale's exclusive dance club. The song was slow and moving. Feeling her muscles instantly tighten, Buffy knew a vampire was nearby.
Turning around, she saw Darla standing behind her, smiling sweetly and innocently. "Hello, Buffy. Remember me?"
Buffy nodded, falling under a trance again. She followed Darla outside the Bronze against her will. Outside, there was a circle of nearly thirty vampires waiting for her.
"You can fight all you want, Buffy, but in the end, death always wins," Darla happily told her. She smiled and walked off. "Have fun."
Buffy tried her best to fend off the approaching vampires. However, nothing seemed to stop them. They kept coming at her, teasing sneers on their faces. They appeared to mock her. Buffy began her battle. Finally, realizing she was losing, Buffy tried to escape. As she crawled away, she felt a sharp pain in her neck. She touched the spot, and pulling her hand away, she discovered blood.
"Nooo!" Buffy whispered as she felt her life slip away. "Nooo!"
*****
"Nooo!"
"Buffy! Buffy!" Joyce Summers called out, shaking her daughter's body. "Buffy!"
Buffy jolted awake. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and looked around. Her mom was standing over her with a concerned look on her face. Buffy felt sweat covering her entire body. What had she been doing under the covers? The room was stifling hot!
"Are you okay?" Mrs. Summers asked.
"Yeah," Buffy replied wearily. She rubbed her eyes. "Bad dream."
"It must have been really bad. I heard your screams from the basement. What was the dream about?"
"I don't remember," Buffy lied. "What time is it?"
"About seven o'clock. I got home over an hour ago. How was your day?"
"Miserable."
"Someone's here to see you," Mrs. Summers stated, suddenly brightening.
Buffy felt her heart speed up. Her mother left the room, and a familiar figure entered with a sheepish smile. "Hey, Buffy."
Buffy gasped in surprise. "Xander! Oh, my God! What are you doing here?" she asked with overwhelming happiness. He walked over to her, and she wrapped him in a gigantic hug. It felt good to see Xander again.
"Giles called. He said you were sick," Xander replied. It was obvious he knew what was going to happen to Buffy, and she was thankful that he did not share the information. "I was out here in a heartbeat."
Buffy grinned at him. "Thanks, but I know why you're here. Angel told me," she declared warmly, rubbing his arm.
"Angel," Xander echoed with such meaning. "How is he, anyway? Pretend like I care." Xander was still jealous of Angel. Buffy suspected he always would be, and it killed her that she didn't share Xander's feelings for her.
"Fine, thank you."
Xander wrapped her up in another giant hug. "It's good to see you again, Buff," he stated, touched with sudden emotion. He had missed his friend so much. It had been extremely hard parting with Willow, but saying goodbye to Buffy was something else. She was stuck back in Sunnydale with all of the vampires while he and Willow were moving on to new places.
Suddenly, another figure appeared in the doorway. "Hey."
"Willow! Oh, my God!" Buffy gasped. She couldn't believe how much her friend had changed. She had a little more meat on her bones. She looked mature, but definitely the social butterfly. Her friend had changed so much!
Willow walked over to her happily and wrapped her up in a hug. "My God, Buffy. How sick are you?" she asked, eyeing her friend. Realizing what she was saying, Willow added, "Well, obviously not very sick because you look great!"
"Thanks, Will, but I've looked in the mirror lately."
Willow walked over to Xander. The enveloped each other in an awkward hug. Xander brushed some of Willow's auburn hair out of her face. "I've missed you."
"Me, too," Willow replied with tremendous friendship. She pulled him into another hug.
"It's just too bad that we had to reunite under these circumstances," Buffy commented to herself, watching her friends greet each other. She knew the next week or so would not be easy on them. They had decided to miss a lot of school, only to see Buffy die.
"Buff, don't talk like that," Xander scolded softly. "We're going to get you through this. We have before."
"Thanks, Xander, but I don't think there's a way around this one," Buffy replied. She was touched and saddened by her friend's comment. If Xander had come to stop Buffy from dying, he would have it extremely tough. However, his enthusiasm and confidence assured her that he was willing to do almost anything for her to survive.
Buffy smiled as all three wrapped each other in a hug. They were friends. They would always be friends. No matter what.
*****
The next two days passed by quickly. There were several photos shared between the three friends, and then with Giles. Several stories were told time and time again. Memories were dug up. Buffy felt that the time only brought them closer together.
However, her time began to tick. She could actually feel herself growing weaker. Buffy wondered what exactly was going to happen to her in a matter of days. She turned to the one person she supposed had the answer.
"Giles, what's going to happen to me?" she questioned that night. Giles was over at her house. It seemed that he, Willow, and Xander had pretty much been live-in buddies. Buffy and her mother were thankful for the extra help, although Xander seemed to be eating more than he was helping.
Giles sighed. "I, uh, I'm not quite sure about the details. Your body will shut down as if you are deathly ill."
"But I AM deathly ill," Buffy pointed out. She reached towards her nightstand and grabbed for her glass of water. She was sure to have a glass of water by her side. Feeling the refreshing liquid wash down her throat, Buffy's pain weakened for a moment.
"No, I don't believe you are. Your body is simply shutting down. It may appear like an illness or infection of some kind, but it is not, Buffy. I've read up on this in the Slayer handbook. It says your body itself WILL die, but you will be reborn."
"Reborn? What do you mean?"
"Well, you will fall asleep, and when you wake up, you will be a different person. A newborn baby, if I'm not mistaken," Giles informed her.
Buffy still had questions. "What about you guys? Will I still remember you?"
"Uh...uh...I don't believe so," he answered thoughtfully, struggling to put his knowledge into words. "You may have dreams or flashbacks from this life, but I don't think you will actually remember anyone."
"Oh." The thought of living without her mom or Giles or Willow or Xander just didn't seem right. She had known Xander and Willow and Giles for around three years, but it felt like an eternity.
"Buffy, I know this is hard for you. You don't know how hard it is for the rest of us. You can move on without really losing someone, without remembering someone you really love, but the rest of us...We're here for you."
Buffy felt compelled to hug him. She just smiled distantly at him, and a far-away look crossed her face. "You know, all these years, I've resented my slaying, wishing I could have a normal life, someone else's life. Now that I have that chance, I'm finding I don't want it. Are you sure there isn't any way to stop me from dying?"
Giles looked down at his Slayer. She had survived so much - even death. Now, here she was, looking up at him like a frightened, little girl. He felt helpless, knowing that her life was slowly slipping away and not being able to stop it. Awkwardly, he began to wrap her in a hug.
Surprisingly, Buffy did the same. It was the first hug ever shared between the Slayer and Watcher, and it felt so right. Buffy had come to think of Giles more as a father than a Watcher. He had disobeyed orders to be there when she needed him. She realized that he basically filled in when her real father couldn't be there.
As she pulled away, Buffy stated seriously, "When I'm gone, look after Mom. I don't want her to be all alone. She needs me. I'm all she's got left. Please, take care of her."
"Of course, Buffy," Giles promised hesitantly.
"So, how much time do I have left?"
The conversation had turned from touching and emotional to the same old casual conversation with only a simple question. Despite the less-tense midst around them, Giles couldn't help but feel his heart grow heavy. "Um, by my calculations, you should...um...die. You should die tomorrow."
Buffy's face fell. "Tomorrow?" Her insides twisted with fear. "That's it? Tomorrow? That's all I have left?" Her throat tightened.
Giles nodded gravely. "I believe so."
"And there's no way around this?" she demanded.
"No."
With the thought of no hope, Buffy felt despair and grief. She knew that she should tell her mother what was going on, but seeing her mother break down into heavy sobs was just too much. In an instant, Buffy saw everything she would never get to do as Buffy Anne Summers.
"What would you like me to do?" Giles asked her. He wasn't quite sure how to handle this girl. Buffy was miserable, and he felt helpless. He wanted to wrap her in his arms again and tell her not to worry, but he thought it would be out of line. "What?"
Buffy felt her eyes fill with tears as she looked up at her Watcher. "Don't let me die, Giles."
