Summary: This is just one of the many ways Joss Whedon will not resurrect Buffy. I have many tales to tell. These are just short stories beginning with her death, to her resurrection, to meeting up with the Scoobies again. All stories will end there. Hope you enjoy.
Spoilers: Ah, duh, Fifth Season Finale of Buffy.
Distribution: Is fine, just please tell me
Rating: Like the show
Pairs: B/A

In five minutes I will be thrown back into the world that I was beginning to hate. Hate is such a strong word: perhaps detest is more of a better word.

My name is Buffy Summers. I was, correction I am the slayer. I don't want to brag; however I am pretty dawn awesome. Let the truth be told, I probably wouldn't have lasted as long as I did without the help of my friends. Giles, my watcher, brilliant man, always knew what to do, and goddess, was that annoying. Willow, my best friend was a powerful Wicca. Xander, - what can I say; he's a great friend, always willing to help. Can't forget Angel. He is the ultimate. Ultimate what? - Friend, lover, hero, savior, kisser. Okay there I go dreaming again.

Four and half minutes and I'll be back in Sunnydale. Oh hey, did I tell you that I'm dead? Yup, I died three months ago. The Powers That Be knew it was a mistake from the very start. Can you believe they actually yelled at me? I mean, who are they to criticize the decision I made. They don't have to live with the fact that they let their younger sister been sacrificed while I stood there and watched. Hell No! I remember sitting on the couch telling Giles, how much it hurt to kill someone you love, even if you know it's for the greater good. It's easy for people to tell you what to do, but living with the consequences was something I wasn't about to do.

I take a deep breath and sigh, knowing I have four minutes to go. I haven't told you why I'm returning yet, have I? Well, it's simple, I wasn't meant to die. I was suppose to stick around and fight the End of Days Battle, avert a few more apocalypses, kill a couple more of big mean nasties. That's why I am being sent back. Why after three months? I really don't know. These Power That Be people aren't very open with the plans.

I was actually enjoying myself, being up here in heaven I mean. Mom and I have lunch twice a day. We don't have to eat to sustain life; it's just a mother-daughter thing. And remember I love food. Food is good. I usually munch on all kinds of goodies that don't put pounds on my thighs as mom reminisces about my childhood. Dawn's too. The difference is we can actually tell what the memories were like before the monks messed with our heads.

Yikes, three minutes to go. Mom squeezes my hand; "It'll be okay Buffy. I know it will."

I look into her eyes, as mine begin to fill with tears, "I know, that's the problem, it's always okay."

"You forgive me, right Buffy?" My mom needed reassurance before I leap back into the world of the living.

I take my hand and rest it on her cheek, "Yes, mom. I do. I understand why you did what you did."

My mom smiled, "Do you think you can correct it? If it's not too late?" Mom felt so bad for what she did to my relationship with Angel. Since the time she's been in heaven, she's had the opportunity to relive my life - so to speak. She's seen everything that happened in my teenage years. From first being called as the slayer, sneaking out of my room at night to kill the things that go bump in the night, to making love with the only man I was destined for, to lastly, my death. She was so apologetic when I first arrived in heaven. I had to forgive her immediately. "I love you Buffy Summers," she said.

I smiled pulling my mother into a hug, "If it's meant to be, as I know it is, everything will be fine, and I love you, too."

I started to pull away; it was almost two minutes away.

"Buffy, tell - tell Dawn, how much I love her." That was the last thing I heard from my mother as she slowly started disappearing. Actually, it took me a moment to comprehend that it was I who was slowly disappearing.

Again, I was alone with my thoughts. It was now time to focus on the task at hand. Over the last few months, Darla and Drusilla were taking advantage of Angel's situation. So was that law firm, Wolfram and Hart. It was Darla's goal to bring about the return of Angelus, the Scourge of Europe. Angel wouldn't go easily. So Darla and psycho bitch have been plucking all the loved ones of Angel's and mine.

Darla had this underground warehouse that is leased by Wolfram and Hart, she's been storing my friends and family in the cells, trying to get Angel to surrender. She grabbed, Willow, Dawn and Tara on the same night. They have been missing the longest. It took a few nights but they also grabbed Xander and Anya. Finally Giles. Then the twisted blonde moved over to Angel's closest friends. She grabbed Cordelia in a boutique while she was shopping with Angel's new interest. Her name was Fred. I felt sorry for her; she had been missing from the whole for 7 years or something like that.

Fred and Angel were growing uncomfortably close. I often sat up on my cloud and watched them. Intimate is the wrong word, but friendly is more appropriate. Yes, that's jealously building up inside of me. That's when Angel started fighting again. He, Gunn and Wesley were trying to come up with a plan to free the others. Then slowly, Gunn, then Wesley disappeared in the same night - which was last night. Angel knew it was up. He had to surrender himself to Darla if he ever wished to see any of them alive again.

Angel walked into the warehouse, broken and defeated. "Darla!" He bellowed. "I'm here, isn't that what you wanted?" Angel took a few more steps into the room. He held his hands out into the air, calling for his sadistic ex to appear.

And she did, "Angelus," she purred. "Are you ready to come out and play?" She winked and slid over to the handsome vampire.

Angel huffed, "First, where are they?"

Darla cooed, "What you don't trust me baby?"

Angel shook his head in shock, "Trust - you? What are you nuts like Drusilla now, too?"

Darla dropped the sexy vixen act, "Angelus used to trust me-" she raised her eyebrow, "Trust me with his life."

Angel noticed the sorcerer on the other side of the room. So that's how Darla planned on returning the demon within. "I want everyone free from here before Angelus is released." Angel started the negotiations.

Darla flung her sexy blonde hair behind her shoulder and strutted up to Angel, "Oh, dear boy, you are in no position to make demands." She raised her hands and cupped his face.

Angel pulled away from Darla in distaste. "Don't touch me."

Darla laughed again, "In a few minutes you won't be able to keep your hands off of me!" She giggled and walked around Angel like a predator circling her prey.

Drusilla entered the room and cried, ""Daddy, you're here! Daddy's home!" She danced around the room and pulled the drapes back.

What Dru unveiled was saddening. All of Angel's loved ones were gagged and tied behind one large cell. He caught the eye of Willow, and then Dawn. He felt an unordinary amount of pain.

Darla whispered loudly into Angel's ear, "There's no one left to save you - not one single person."

Dru began singing, "No one to save you, no one to save you, who's gonna save you now?"

With that last note on Dru's song sung, the door came crashing in. Everyone was shocked to see the blond walk in. "Oh, maybe I have an idea," the flaxen vampire, named Spike shouted.

Angel was shocked by the surprise of seeing his old enemy, "Spike, get out."

Spike smiled, "I don't think so man." With in a split second, Spike produced a glowing sphere from his pocket and held it above his head. "I may not be able to save you, but this will."

Darla let go of Angel and shoved him to the floor, "What is that?"

Spike released the sphere from his hand and let it crash to the floor. Suddenly, the room began to fill with a bright light. Spike shrugged his shoulders, "Actually, I'm not sure. I was told to break in case of an emergency."

While Spike was causing a glowing distraction, Angel started fighting Darla's minions that appeared out of now where.

Spike joined the battle as well. He had a few killed and Angel had a few more, but the numbers grew incredibly fast. Everyone behind bars tried to struggle to get free, however they were drained of their own energy and watched helpless as the two good vampires got their asses kicked.

Angel was face down on the ground as the light started to fade. Spike was pinned against the wall. The good guys were losing fast. The noise in the room suddenly ceased, "Let them go before I dust your bad hair, wrinkly eyes, over-sized ass!"

Darla froze and slowly spun around to where the sphere was smashed on the ground, "You're - you're dead."

Buffy smiled a tossed her hair behind her back, "I have a feeling I am going to hear that a lot. If I'm so dead, - why don't you come get a piece of me?" Buffy cocked her head and smiled.

Angel suddenly was overwhelmed with the feeling to fight again. He shoved the minion off of them and stood to his feet. He looked up at the scene before him. His love was standing there in the flesh facing Darla. The two blondes circled each other for a moment, then it was Darla who lunged first, "You couldn't kill me the last time we met, you needed Angel to do it - what makes you think you can take me on now?"

Buffy smiled and followed that with a chuckle, "How soon you had forget." She shook her head, "I remember Angel choosing me over you - he killed you so he could be with me - the one women who could bring him to complete happiness."

Darla was furious and picked up a board and starting swinging it towards Buffy, "Youuuu bitch!"

Buffy did a double handspring out of the way; she searched the room frantically for an object to fight with.

Spike's eyes never left the slayer. He couldn't believe he brought her back. Finally it dawned on him. He reached behind his back and retrieved a stake from his pants. "Slayer catch!"

Buffy instinctively turned and caught the object flying her way.

Drusilla was outraged and ran over to tackle Spike. "You - you still smell like her, she's been dead for months and you smell like her!"

Spike raised his arms to fend off the raging woman. "Bloody hell, would you stop Drusilla?"

"No!" she cried, "Why do you love her and not me?"

Spike tried quietly subduing the dark haired vampiress.

Angel had silently fighting off several minions, never tearing his eyes off Buffy for more than a minute. He thought he was dreaming at first, until he realized that other people in the room were reacting to the presence of the deceased slayer.

Finally Angel got the number of minions down to just two. Spike had finally won over Drusilla and she lay quietly on the ground.

Buffy and Darla were still fighting. Buffy hadn't lost any of her abilities; she was throwing punches and kicks like it was no big deal. She was performing her back flips like it was just yesterday. Darla was definitely taking a beating but so was the slayer. Within minutes of all the minions dying, Angel noticed the sorcerer step out of the darkness;

"She wants the return of your demon, that I shall give her."

Spike knew he had to get to Willow and Tara to help combat the sorcerer. Willow and Tara instinctively made their way to the front of the cell.

The light that encircled his body held Angel. Looking up and then down, he turned to face Buffy. However she was busy fighting Darla who was sitting on the slayer's chest.

Spike grabbed the gray duct tape off of the witch's mouths. He then proceeded to untie their hands as the two women started chanting in another language.

The two powerful spells that were being spoken at the same time caused confusion with the light around Angel. Ultimately, a thunderous crash of lightening came from a hole that was now in the ceiling of the warehouse. It impacted on the light encompassing Angel. Angel was thrown to the ground as the light disappeared.

Buffy was now fearful of what had just happened to Angel. She held back tears and used all of her might to shove the 400-year-old vampire off of her. When Darla was flung to the other side of the room, Buffy grabbed the stake that fell out of her hands moments earlier and plunged it into Darla's heart. Within moments, Darla died for the last time. Buffy stood, sniffled back tears and walked over to Angel. "Angel -?"

The dark haired vampire didn't move.

Buffy crept closer and knelt next to the fallen man, "Angel - can you hear me?"

By now, most of the people in the cells were untied and ungagged. "Buffy - Buffy is that really you?" The slayer heard from her left ear. She turned to see her sister's eyes full of tears. "Is it really you?"

Buffy turned away from the man she loved to embrace her now freed sister.

"Dawn." The two sisters clung to each other.

"Is she real?" Buffy heard Anya say in the background, "I mean, she's not the robot is she?"

Dawn turned to the ex-demon; "She's real. As real as I am?"

Anya shrugged, "That doesn't answer much?"

Spike walked over to the slayer, "Well, I can tell you if she real or not? How about having at it pet?"

With an appropriate punch to the mouth Spike confirmed, that she was indeed the real Buffy Summers and not an imitation

As Angel began to sit up, Fred rushed to his side. She comforted him like the way Buffy was going to. "Shhh - Angel, it's okay." The dark haired friend whispered.

Angel rubbed his head and watched Buffy turn to him; "Are you okay?" is all she asked.

Angel nodded.

Willow was fighting back the urge to run and hug Buffy for the last few minutes inevitably it was her turn. The redhead witch squeezed the blonde slayer for dear life. "Hi Wills," Buffy managed to say.

"Oh, Buffy, I've missed you so much." Willow cried into Buffy's ear, "Don't you ever go sacrificing yourself like that again!" She scolded.

Buffy smiled, "I don't plan on it."

Anya complained, "Oh, no, I suppose you want to be in our wedding, too?"

"Wedding?" Buffy and Cordelia said at the same time.

Anya produced her adequate size engagement ring, while linking her arm with Xander's; "Yes, my sex toy and I are getting married. Sorry, ex-girlfriends are not allowed in the wedding party, but your gifts are welcomed." The last remark was stated specially for Cordelia.

Buffy smiled, "Congratulations," she hugged Xander and whispered in his ear, "I'm so happy for you. I should be happy for you right?"

Xander patted the slayer on the back, "I'm so glad you can be there. I missed ya Buff."

Buffy turned to face her friends, "I actually missed all of you." Then she scratched her head, "I think I missed all of you - no I did miss you all." She was still slightly confused; her mind had been through a whirlwind of memories.

Buffy did the next noblest thing, she walked over to Fred, "I want to thank you for giving him a reason to fight. It means a lot."

Fred smiled, "Do I know you?"

The shocked state that Angel was in now was gone, "Fred, honey, this is Buffy. The woman I've been telling you about."

Fred blushed and lowered her head, "Oh, sorry, nice to meet you. I've been very forgetful of people I used to know before I disappeared, so I didn't know if I really knew you or if - I'm sorry. I've been working on my bad speech habits. But it's really hard, especially when you've had no one to talk to then all of a sudden you have lots of people to talk to. Oops, there I go again."

Buffy placed her hand on Fred's shoulder, "I can totally understand."

Angel extended his arms to hold Buffy into a hug, but Spike jumped in the middle, "So whatcha say about taking this party to the Summers' home. I don't really like the atmosphere in here."

Buffy put her arm around Spike's shoulder, "Thanks for bringing me back."

"Ah, not a problem, we can talk about repayment, in the non cash sense later. Preferably alone." The slick blonde vampire suggested.

Angel growled when he heard the comments that were made expressly for Buffy.

Everyone started filing out of the warehouse, leaving Willow and Buffy alone. "So, how's Dawn been?" Buffy asked.

Willow smiled and nodded, "Okay, I mean, she's lost her mom and her sister within a month of each other, what can you expect? But I'm sure she's better now."

Buffy smiled, "Thanks for all that you've done. It means a lot."

Willow hugged the blonde, "Buffy, if you don't know by now, I love you. Not in a Tara loves Willow way - but in a Willow loves chocolate ice cream way."

Buffy shook her head, "I know I was at peace, but I'm glad I'm back."

"Come on, let's get out of here." Willow urged her friend.

"Can I have a minute? Alone. I need some time to process all of this." Buffy asked politely.

Willow gave a sympathetic grin, "Sure. Take all the time you want."

"Thanks Will." Buffy was finely left alone to herself. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

That's of course when the tingling sensation grew stronger. "Hey Angel, you can come out."

A few footsteps and Angel appeared before her. "I heard you tell Willow that you wanted to be left alone. I - I didn't want to interrupt you."

Buffy grabbed Angel's hand; "Hey weren't you going to hug me earlier?"

The dark haired vampire pulled the slayer into his arms. "Just tell me when to let go. Because I don't think I ever want to let go of you again."

Buffy smiled as a tear escaped her eye, "How's forever - hold me forever."

Angel squeezed her harder, "You bet. Forever it is."

Epilogue: Angel breaks his innocence romance with Fred off and marries Buffy Summers, oh yea, after he gets his humanity back. You can imagine those details any way you want!

Send feedback to Lisa M

Back to the Fanfiction Archive