If Ever I Would Leave You
“Quod perditum est, invenietur.” Buffy, Giles, and Xander sat in the
watcher’s living room, beginning an all-too-familiar ritual. “Te
implor, Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte. Nici mort, nici al fiintei.
Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta, sufletul la el.” As
Giles spoke the words that would bind a soul to a demon, Xander and
Buffy watched as the vampire that was once their best friend paced
just
outside the window.
“Do you think this will work?”
“I hope so, Xan. I don’t know what I’ll do if it doesn’t.”
“Could you… you know?”
“I don’t know. She’s a vampire, and has tried to kill us all, so I
should have no problem destroying her. It’s my sacred duty and all
that. And yet…”
“And yet, she’s still Willow.”
“Yeah. And I have to believe that she’s still in there somewhere,
waiting for us to help her out.”
“Asa sa fie! Asa sa fie! Acum!” The orb between them glowed brightly
and then dimmed, the light simultaneously flashing in Willow’s eyes
before she took off running from the house containing her intended
prey.
*****
“Willow?” Spike called out as he saw a redhead turn the corner ahead
of
him. His mate hadn’t returned to their lair that morning, and now he
was getting worried. She’d set out to get back at the Slayer the night
before, and he hadn’t seen her since. Turning the corner, he grabbed
the girl by the arm. She spun around to face him. “Sorry, I thought
you were someone else.” She started to leave, but he tightened his
grip
on her and pulled her to him. “You’re not my Red, but I have another
use for you.” The girl didn’t have time to scream before his fangs
were
buried in her neck and her life was drained away. Dropping her to the
ground, Spike continued to search for the undead witch.
*****
“So I was thinking, if we just added some heavy drapes to the windows,
then….” Cordelia’s voice trailed off as her thoughts were interrupted
by a vision.
“Cordelia? Are you okay?” Angel knelt at her side and waited for the
pain to subside.
“Yeah, but if I ever see Doyle again, I’m going to kill him. Aspirin,
please?” Angel handed her the white pills and a glass of water and
waited for her to continue. “What?” the brunette actress asked when
the vampire continued to watch her.
“The vision?”
“Yeah, painful, huh? And they always come at the worst times. So
anyway, as I was saying before I was so painfully interrupted, if we
just… what?”
“What was the vision about?”
“Oh, that. You have to go back to Sunnydale. Willow needs your help.”
Angel slipped out of the office and began preparing for the trip back
to
the Hellmouth. “So I was thinking a nice slate gray. I know it’s kind
of boring, but it does go with the décor, don’t you think so,
Angel?
Angel? Fine, see if I ever consult you before redecorating again!”
*****
“No. No, I didn’t. Please, don’t!” Willow sobbed as the past three
years replayed themselves before her eyes. She saw them all, in rich
detail. From waking up in Spike’s arms that first night to leaving
Anya’s lifeless body on Xander’s step. And finally to following them
to
Giles’ house and waiting for them to leave the safety of its
boundaries. Once she realized what they were doing, she ran in search
of Spike, hoping that he would be able to stop the ritual before it
was
too late. But she never made it that far. The overwhelming pain
stopped her just blocks away from her lair, and she was forced to seek
shelter from the sun in the doorway of an abandoned warehouse. It was
there that Spike found her, nearly a day later.
“Willow, pet, is that you?”
“Spike?”
“Yeah, pet, it’s me. Where were you today?”
“I’m so sorry, Spike. I didn’t mean to… But I couldn’t stop it.”
“Stop what, Red?”
“The Slayer. She… don’t hate me, Spike.”
“I don’t hate you. Come on, now. Let’s get you home and you can tell
me all about what you did to the Slayer.” Spike started to lift her
to
her feet, but stopped when she cried out.
“No, it hurts. Make it stop, Spike.”
“You have to tell me what happened first. Did the Slayer do it?”
“Yes,” she hissed as another wave of pain and guilt washed over her.
“I’ll give you her head on a platter and you can bathe in her blood.
Would that make it better?”
Images of the mangled bodies of her childhood friends flashed before
Willow’s eyes, and her tears began anew. “No, please don’t. Spike…
I
can’t. Not anymore.”
“What did she do to you, Willow?”
“I… She…” Her voice broke into sobs.
“What, pet? Whatever it is, I’ll fix it.”
Willow stared up at him with eyes full of sorrow, pain, and guilt. “She
gave me a soul.”