Categories > TV > Buffy the Vampire Slayer > The New Reunion
(After the End of Days)
Cordy threw a crossbow onto the counter at the Hyperion. "I'm soo glad that's over. Demons really should to learn where to spurt their... blood and death goo.. I need to shower." She looked over at Angel. "Well, come on, aren't you going to Shanshu already?"
He solemnly shook his head, and moved to sit on the couch.
"No demon goo on the furniture, Mister." He shook his head and went upstairs to shower.
Angel slowly walked down the stairs, freshly de-demon gooed and wearing clean clothing.
"Angel!" Wes quickly called as he saw the vampire on the stairs. "That was Sunnydale. Dawn called. They need you, Buffy's hurt. It... it doesn't look good."
"Where?"
"Sunnydale General. Angel.." But any advice he was going to give was in vain. Angel was gone.
*
"Miss Summers?"
"Ye. Yes?" Dawn answered nervously, while approaching the doctor. Xander followed close behind her. Xander's left arm was in a cast, his right upper arm was wrapped in a swath of bandages. He favored one of his legs. Dawn hadn't escaped the final battle unscathed either. Spike tried to keep her out of it, but hadn't lasted long in the wave of attacks. After he turned to dust, Dawn joined the battle, much to her sister's relief and chagrin. She only prayed that Buffy would have a chance to yell at her for it.
"The diagnostic doesn't look good for your sister. Her body is trying to heal, remarkable in itself, but there's too much damage. She's in a coma right now, if she doesn't wake up soon, that could mean brain damage."
"Willow?"
"As for Miss Rosenburg, we've treated the burns as well as we can. She most likely will not scar too badly. I'm afraid to try to set the break in her leg with the burns. It's possible that we will have to rebreak it after the burns heal. I wish we had a second option."
"Thank you."
As the doctor left, Xander guided Dawn back to a chair.
"I wish we knew what happened to Giles." Dawn said carefully.
"We'll find him, Dawn. He'll be alright. He's the G-Man."
"ANGEL!" Dawn shouted and raced toward the black dustered form.
"Dawn, you're alright." He hugged the young girl. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Warrior Dawn, that's me." She said as a few new tears raced the track that already streaked her face. "How did you guys make out?"
"We made it through. Dawn, where is she?"
Xander walked up just then. "I'll take you to her. Dawn, why don't you go get something to eat from the cafeteria?" She looked hurt as Xander shoved some money into her hands and started to walk away.
"Fine."
The two men walked in silence for a moment.
"Xander, how is she?"
"The doctor said she's. healing. But, she's in a coma. If she doesn't wake up soon."
Xander jerked his thumb toward a door. "That's it. I'll leave you alone. I need to see how Will's doing."
"Where's Giles?"
"We... we're not sure." He took a breath, "Just go to her. You can bring her out of it. I tried with Willow when Kendra was killed. Nothing I said helped, but Oz just had to say her name. So, just go. Get her back for us." With that, Xander went back down the hallway.
He pushed open the door. Even from the doorway, the sight of the one woman he ever truly loved shook him. There was only one time he could compare this scene to, a petite form lying motionless on a hospital bed. He had been the one to put her there. And then, there hadn't been so many. wires. So many tubes. What had happened to her? How many demons had she fought?
Yet another fight she almost lost without him at her side. It wasn't like he had a choice this time. He had to be in L.A. holding that front. Just like she had to be here holding this one.
Without saying a word, he went to her side and took her hand. He sat there for hours, just holding her hand. Xander had wanted him to talk to her, but when had they ever needed words? He was there, holding her hand, that was all that mattered. He was barely aware of Xander and Dawn coming in and out of the room. They tried to get him to eat or drink something, to get up and walk around for a few minutes, but in the end, they both would give up and leave the vampire with the Slayer he loved. Dawn finally sat down and started talking to him, despite his apparent lack of interest. She told him everything she knew about the battle, describing Spike's final moments, describing how she and Buffy had fought back to back, and how despite several mortal blows, she kept fighting, kept going until there wasn't anything to fight anymore, and only when she was sure her friends were going to get the help they needed, did she collapse. His heart filled with pride with Dawn's words, even though he knew he couldn't expect anything less from Buffy.
After she finished her story, Dawn started crying. For the first time in hours, his eyes left the face of the only woman he had loved in 276 years. "Dawn." He called softly and held out a hand. She looked up at him, face streaked with new tears. She got up and joined him in the chair that was barely big enough for the both of them. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she cried, arms wrapped around his chest. There he sat, one hand holding the hand of one sister, and the other arm holding the other. Slowly her sobbing calmed, her breathing steadied, and she fell asleep. Sitting there, between the two girls, he felt more of a sense of belonging than he had felt since he left Sunnydale all those years ago. His friends in L.A. had become more of a family, tempered by betrayal and forgiveness, but he couldn't have had this in L.A. Just the act of holding someone and sharing that sense of comfort.
At one point, Xander came back in, shook Dawn awake, and convinced her to go back to the house for the night. Once again, he was alone with Buffy.
Cordy threw a crossbow onto the counter at the Hyperion. "I'm soo glad that's over. Demons really should to learn where to spurt their... blood and death goo.. I need to shower." She looked over at Angel. "Well, come on, aren't you going to Shanshu already?"
He solemnly shook his head, and moved to sit on the couch.
"No demon goo on the furniture, Mister." He shook his head and went upstairs to shower.
Angel slowly walked down the stairs, freshly de-demon gooed and wearing clean clothing.
"Angel!" Wes quickly called as he saw the vampire on the stairs. "That was Sunnydale. Dawn called. They need you, Buffy's hurt. It... it doesn't look good."
"Where?"
"Sunnydale General. Angel.." But any advice he was going to give was in vain. Angel was gone.
*
"Miss Summers?"
"Ye. Yes?" Dawn answered nervously, while approaching the doctor. Xander followed close behind her. Xander's left arm was in a cast, his right upper arm was wrapped in a swath of bandages. He favored one of his legs. Dawn hadn't escaped the final battle unscathed either. Spike tried to keep her out of it, but hadn't lasted long in the wave of attacks. After he turned to dust, Dawn joined the battle, much to her sister's relief and chagrin. She only prayed that Buffy would have a chance to yell at her for it.
"The diagnostic doesn't look good for your sister. Her body is trying to heal, remarkable in itself, but there's too much damage. She's in a coma right now, if she doesn't wake up soon, that could mean brain damage."
"Willow?"
"As for Miss Rosenburg, we've treated the burns as well as we can. She most likely will not scar too badly. I'm afraid to try to set the break in her leg with the burns. It's possible that we will have to rebreak it after the burns heal. I wish we had a second option."
"Thank you."
As the doctor left, Xander guided Dawn back to a chair.
"I wish we knew what happened to Giles." Dawn said carefully.
"We'll find him, Dawn. He'll be alright. He's the G-Man."
"ANGEL!" Dawn shouted and raced toward the black dustered form.
"Dawn, you're alright." He hugged the young girl. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Warrior Dawn, that's me." She said as a few new tears raced the track that already streaked her face. "How did you guys make out?"
"We made it through. Dawn, where is she?"
Xander walked up just then. "I'll take you to her. Dawn, why don't you go get something to eat from the cafeteria?" She looked hurt as Xander shoved some money into her hands and started to walk away.
"Fine."
The two men walked in silence for a moment.
"Xander, how is she?"
"The doctor said she's. healing. But, she's in a coma. If she doesn't wake up soon."
Xander jerked his thumb toward a door. "That's it. I'll leave you alone. I need to see how Will's doing."
"Where's Giles?"
"We... we're not sure." He took a breath, "Just go to her. You can bring her out of it. I tried with Willow when Kendra was killed. Nothing I said helped, but Oz just had to say her name. So, just go. Get her back for us." With that, Xander went back down the hallway.
He pushed open the door. Even from the doorway, the sight of the one woman he ever truly loved shook him. There was only one time he could compare this scene to, a petite form lying motionless on a hospital bed. He had been the one to put her there. And then, there hadn't been so many. wires. So many tubes. What had happened to her? How many demons had she fought?
Yet another fight she almost lost without him at her side. It wasn't like he had a choice this time. He had to be in L.A. holding that front. Just like she had to be here holding this one.
Without saying a word, he went to her side and took her hand. He sat there for hours, just holding her hand. Xander had wanted him to talk to her, but when had they ever needed words? He was there, holding her hand, that was all that mattered. He was barely aware of Xander and Dawn coming in and out of the room. They tried to get him to eat or drink something, to get up and walk around for a few minutes, but in the end, they both would give up and leave the vampire with the Slayer he loved. Dawn finally sat down and started talking to him, despite his apparent lack of interest. She told him everything she knew about the battle, describing Spike's final moments, describing how she and Buffy had fought back to back, and how despite several mortal blows, she kept fighting, kept going until there wasn't anything to fight anymore, and only when she was sure her friends were going to get the help they needed, did she collapse. His heart filled with pride with Dawn's words, even though he knew he couldn't expect anything less from Buffy.
After she finished her story, Dawn started crying. For the first time in hours, his eyes left the face of the only woman he had loved in 276 years. "Dawn." He called softly and held out a hand. She looked up at him, face streaked with new tears. She got up and joined him in the chair that was barely big enough for the both of them. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she cried, arms wrapped around his chest. There he sat, one hand holding the hand of one sister, and the other arm holding the other. Slowly her sobbing calmed, her breathing steadied, and she fell asleep. Sitting there, between the two girls, he felt more of a sense of belonging than he had felt since he left Sunnydale all those years ago. His friends in L.A. had become more of a family, tempered by betrayal and forgiveness, but he couldn't have had this in L.A. Just the act of holding someone and sharing that sense of comfort.
At one point, Xander came back in, shook Dawn awake, and convinced her to go back to the house for the night. Once again, he was alone with Buffy.
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