If Destiny Wills (6/20) B/Willow By Alex P.

["Diana" <DianaBouvier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: If Destiny Wills (6/20)
Author: Alex P. keeper444@xxxxxxxxx
Feedback: Please any comments or suggestions to: keeper444@xxxxxxxxx
Archive: Gary's site and Bill's Bubblegum Crisis
Otherwise if you want it, ask.
Sequel to: A Higher Power, Truth and Consequences, Next Illogical Step
Spoilers: General Fourth Season
Rating: NC-17 This story is about two adult women that are sharing their
lives-if this isn't your thing or if it is illegal where you live please
delete this email now.
Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy Willow Giles and any others from
BTVS are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy etc. No infringement
of any kind intended.
A special thanks to Bill and Gary for giving a home to the ramblings of my
demented mind.

<>Thoughts<>

Part Six


A light fog swirled around them as the Slayer and her chosen mate stalked
into the graveyard's oldest section.

"For Goddess sake, Buffy," Willow complained. "Why is it so hard for you to
tell me what's wrong?"

"Let it go Wills," the obviously troubled blonde growled through clenched
teeth. "Not every part of my life is open to discussion you know, or is that
too much to ask?"

"Fine!" The witch snapped glaring back at her lover. "All I want to do is
help you through these dreams, but if you are going to bite my head off
every time I try to talk to you then just forget it."

Buffy was about to make a sarcastic remark when her "Slaydar" started
tingling.

She stopped dead in her tracks and began scanning the surrounding area, her
eyes straining trying to penetrate the shadows trying to locate the danger
she sensed was near.

Knowing the meaning of her soulmate's sudden stop and feeling her anxiety
Willow froze where she was and waited for a signal from her companion.

Buffy's sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of a scuffle not too far off
to the right and she silently let her partner know as she headed toward the
noise. The sound led them to a heavily shadowed tree lined lane that
meandered lazily through the woods to a clearing lit up by the bright summer
half moon.

In the center of the clearing was a stone altar that was surrounded by six
chanting vampires, and on the altar was a young girl struggling to free
herself from the bonds that held her.

Examining the situation carefully, the Slayer came up with a plan of attack
that would draw the vamps away from the girl. She just hoped it would give
Willow enough time to free the girl.

Indicating her intention to her partner, Buffy stepped out into the clearing
before Willow could protest her decision.

"Hey, guys." The Slayer called out, "is this a private party or can anybody
join in?"

Six very ugly faces turned to look at the intruder. As Buffy had predicted
all six began advancing on her, forgetting their bound captive entirely.

As if on signal they rushed at the audacious blonde expecting her to run and
were caught by surprise when she stood her ground ready to fight.

Once the conflict began Willow used the shadows as cover to get around
behind the half dozen undead and hurried to the altar. She was determined
to free the girl as quickly as possible so she could join her mate in he
fray.

Willow stealthily made her way to the alter and using her athame began
cutting the ropes that held the would be sacrifice. The brave young witch
had turned to lead the freed captive to safety, when an unnaturally strong
pair of hands suddenly grabbed her from behind. She turned her head as far
as she could to see what had grabbed her and saw that the cute young
brunette that was gone and in her place was a female vampire in full game
face.

Willow struggled, but was held fast in the vice-like grasp of the monster.
The vampire was smiling hideously at her in triumph. Willow immediately
tried to use magic to free herself, but just like in all the other ambushes,
some kind of strong dark power was protecting the Vampire.

"I've got the witch." The vampire shouted victoriously. "You can come out
now."

The first six vampires backed away from the Slayer as six more joined them.

"We are one of Lord Kresis' elite corps," the apparent leader of the party
crowed to the stunned slayer.

"You would not believe how much planing our master put into this ambush," he
continued. "And now we have not only been able to trap the dreaded Slayer
but we have also successfully separated her from the witch for the first
time."

"To answer your question Slayer," another one of the vampires said laughing
triumphantly. "This is a private party but don't worry, you and your bitch
are the guests of honor."

"Wouldn't you know it," Buffy quipped, with far more confidence than she
felt. "I brought the party favors."

Buffy pulled out two stakes from her belt and feeling that a good offense
was the best defense she attacked the nearest vampire in a whirling twist
planting the stake his long dead heart. As that one exploded in a cloud of
dust, the blonde blur moved on to her next target, all the while pushing the
fight toward the vampire that was holding her lover. She vowed that she
would save her beloved or die in the attempt. The Slayer fought with a
ferocity far beyond anything she thought she was capable of doing.

The surprisingly sudden and vicious attack seemed to have unnerved the
vampires and it threw them into a panic. The instructions from their leader
and all the training they received hadn't prepared them for the fury,
strength and speed that they faced in the blonde slayer.

As the vampire's leader tried regain control of his troops by having them
fall back and reform, the female vampire holding Willow made the mistake of
watching the fight. Sensing her captor's distraction Willow began chanting
quietly under her breath, gathering powerful magiks. The witch's hands
began to glow with a neon green--signaling the power Willow had built.

When Willow was sure she had gathered enough to break through whatever it
was shielding the unfortunate vampire that was imprisoning her, she let it
loose. With a flash of incredibly intense green light the female vampire
disappeared.

No cloud of dust, no flames, no screams, the vampire was just gone.

Willow collapsed to her knees panting--she looked up to see that Buffy was
in it deep. The remaining vampires had reformed and, now that they were
over their initial panic, were fighting like the elite guard they claimed to
be.

She staggered to her feet and rushed to her mate's aid. She didn't slow down
long enough to contemplate the meaning of the new range of her powers--all
she could think about was Buffy.

As she approached, Willow continued to chant and balls of powerful green
flames shot from her hands destroying any undead creature it touched. Things
slowed some when the witch joined the reason for her existence and turned to
guard the quickly tiring Slayer's back.

"Good to see you, Wills," Buffy admitted panting heavily from her exertions.
"I was beginning to think you were going to sit this one out."

"What and let you have all these hot young vamps to yourself?" Willow
quipped, knowing that her lover used humor to cover her fear that she was
going to loose her mate. "I think not."

Now the only thing that worried the two defenders of humanity was that,
although they were fighting better than they ever had, they had now reached
the limit of their strength. They were trembling with exhaustion and there
were still three vamps facing them.

"Wills, I'm sorry..." Buffy gasped, barely able to hold her arms up. "I
don't... how...longer I can...hold on...it looks like I'm letting'
you...down again."

"No...I can't ...accept that...we've got to... hold on" Willow whispered out
of breath and strength herself. "I won't ...let it end...now. I know if
we...."

She could say no more as the abyss of total physical, mental exhaustion
swallowed her, and she collapsed in a heap. Even exhausted a faint green
aura surrounded the witch.

Buffy looked down at her fallen companion and felt tears of frustration
falling down her face. With fatalistic determination the devoted Slayer and
lover of the fallen Sorceress straddled the body of her mate ready to defend
them both from their enemies.

"My love..." Buffy panted, blinking the tears and sweat out of her eyes.
She knew this was the end but she was incapable of surrender because of
Willow. "They. Won't... get to... you... with... out going... through... me"

The first of the vampires launched itself at the weary blonde defender and
in a deadly dance of kicks, punches, leaps and spins the two fought. The
Slayer was surprised at how much stamina she still had, but by the time her
dance partner was dusted there was nothing left.

Swaying unsteadily on her feet, her knees threatening to buckle, but
refusing the inevitable the Slayer looked even smaller than normal. Turning
slowly to face her last two adversaries the tiny blonde tried one last
insult.

"Come on...vamps," Buffy shouted as loudly as she could and with as much
contempt as she could muster "You haven't got the fangs to finish it?"

"You bitch, we were going to do you quick," the lead vampire snarled
viciously. "But now your smart mouth has convinced us to do you and your
witch slut nice and slow so we can enjoy every agonizing second of her
death."

"Gods... don't you guys ever get...new...material?" Buffy shot back and
braced herself for the attack that she knew must come.

A small smile crossed her lips as she felt a trickle of power coming into
her from Willow's unconscious form and saw the aura was a tiny bit brighter
but Buffy knew her beloved wouldn't be able to get enough strength in time
to help.

<>Good try sweetheart, <> Buffy projected to her soulmate hoping the
thoughts were reaching her. <>There just isn't time. I love you Willow. Now
and forever we will be together. <>

The petite blonde watched her antagonists waiting for them--prepared to go
down fighting. She wanted to take both of the vampires with her hoping that
could possibly save her partner.

The two vamps began to circle her in opposite directions trying to draw the
Slayer off balance and failing, she was too well trained to fall for that.

Suddenly, Buffy felt a familiar red haze cloud her mind and vision.

The next thing she knew she was standing over her beloved Witch, in the
empty clearing.

She looked down at the peacefully sleeping redhead in confusion. <> Where'd
the vamps go? <> She thought, searching the dark tree line for movement.

Again, with no warning the red haze pushed everything from the slayer's
mind--except the urgent need to get her beloved to the safety of their home.

Mind and body on the point of collapse Buffy picked up her unconscious lover
and started towards home.

As she gently placed the Witch on the bed--she thought she had no idea how
they made it. She couldn't remember anything after she left the clearing.

<>None of that matters, <> Buffy repeated the thought that formed in her
mind. <> You are safe. She is safe, go to sleep now. <> And a red tinged
blackness filled the slayer's head....

*****

Countess Hela and her faithful servant Max slipped out of her hiding place
across from the slayer's townhouse unseen.

As they headed for her temporary home, she could tell that her loyal Max had
questions. Since everything was going exactly as planed she felt benevolent
towards the human.

"What is your question, Max?" The Countess asked still humming a happy
demented little tune.

The insane little man looked at her adoring, "Thank you for your kindness,
mistress." He started, she could see that he was carefully forming his
question. "You had them at your mercy, why did you not allow me to collect
them?"

She laughed at his stupidity. "The slayer still struggles with her destiny
as my slave. Her will must be completely broken for me to gain total
control of it. If we had captured them tonight, I would never have been
able to gain power over her. No, for me to own the slayer, she must come to
me willingly."

"And the witch?" She glanced down at the human with a withering glare and
was rewarded as Max dropped to his knees to beg forgiveness.

"Stand up, Max." Hela said, " the witch doesn't need to be broken for me to
use her power -- energy -- all I need is the slayer." The poor little human
still looked totally confused; Hela sighed dramatically. "The connection
between the slayer and a witch cannot be broken, all I need to reach the
source of both their power is one or the other."

Comprehension finally dawned in Max's eyes. Hela laughed again, "let us go
and began phase two of the slayer's training."

*****


Weeping softly, Buffy cradled the young girl's lifeless body. Some part of
her mind knew this was a dream. That it was the same dream she'd been
having for weeks. Still, that knowledge didn't dull the pure agony she felt
when she looked down at the death clouded eyes of the innocent girl.

"Why did you let me die?" The girl's hollow soulless voice asked. "Why
didn't you stop them?"

"I-I-I t-tried." Buffy stammered, still stunned by the accusation even after
all this time. "It's not my fault. I couldn't...

The red haze that would normally gently fill Buffy's mind with the promise
of absolution instead slammed into her with a soul killing grief.

Her dream self fell to her knees gasping for air as the dead, innocent girl,
turned into Willow. Only this time Willow changed into Jenny Calendar who
hung lifeless from Angelus' arms.

"Yes you could have saved us all, Buffy." A familiar baritone said from
behind her.

She turned toward the voice and saw her first watcher, Merrik, the blood
still oozing from the gapping hole in his chest.

"You could have saved her, Buffy," he repeated pointing at Jenny. "Just like
you could have saved us all. If only you had tried harder, just a little
more effort and none of us would have died."

Buffy tried to cover up her ears so she couldn't hear the truth of the words
Merrick spoke.

He was joined by all the innocent victims she'd hadn't saved over the last
several years.

"You could have saved us," the voices of the failed screamed at her. "If you
had tried, you could have saved us, if you had really wanted to you could
have saved us all."

"NO, NO, NO, NO!" Buffy shouted as loud as she could, trying to drown out
the crowd. "I tried, I really tried, please believe me. PLEASE!"

The voices stopped.

Buffy slowly opened eyes she hadn't known she had closed. She peered around
and found that she was alone. The silence was every bit as damning as the
cries of the people she'd failed.

She stood, as the cold feeling of loneliness began to creep into her bones.

"Then why do you resist your punishment?" The musical voice of her last
dream asked. "Accept your punishment, surrender to its power, and you will
never be lonely or in pain again."

Buffy felt herself falling -- and as soon as she gave into the beautiful
siren song of the music a red light washed over her -- with a pain so
intense it became pleasure. The promise of absolution from the other dreams
becoming the reality of ecstasy.

Buffy woke still crying out....

Realizing it was just another of those weird dreams that she forgot as soon
as she woke up, she choked off her screams. She didn't want to wake her
beloved lying next to her. She watched as the beautiful redhead stirred
slightly and mumbled something in her sleep.

The love Buffy felt for her soulmate rose up in her--she was sure that there
had never, in the history of the entire world, been anyone more beautiful
than her Wills. She gently stroked her lover's side, knowing the contact
would at once reassure the witch of her love and help her Wills settle back
into deep sleep.

After the ambush Buffy really didn't expect Willow to wake-up before noon,
at the earliest, but the slayer had to make sure her soulmate wouldn't
disturb her.

Buffy noted the bright morning sunlight streaming into the room from the
open curtains. She had been too exhausted the night before to close them,
so she got up out of bed to close them now.

As Buffy slid out of bed, she quietly made her way to the downstairs
bathroom, stopping by her dresser to pick up a special item.

She closed the bathroom door and leaned against it vaguely wondering what
she was doing. Why was she in the bathroom downstairs, she questioned, when
all she wanted to do was close the curtains?

Music intruded into her conscious mind; maybe Giles was re-living his
mid-life crisis? She thought, while making sure the door was locked.

Still confused at her own actions she tried to make out the words to the
music and couldn't, though she knew exactly what the music wanted her to do.

Slowly, the slayer climbed into the bathtub and sat down on the back edge.
After a few moments she realized she had something in her hand.

Buffy studied the beautiful knife she held in her left hand. She admired the
way the tapered black plastic handle fit her hand as if it were made for
her. The shining surgical steel blade reflected the harsh fluorescent light
into her eyes.

Caught in the thrall of the musical voice she laid the flat of the blade
against her cheek, enjoying the feel of the cool steel on her fevered skin.
Buffy slowly pulled the flat of the blade across her cheek to her mouth.

Pausing before she brushed the dangerous implement over her lips--her tongue
suddenly flicked out without her knowledge or control--over the needle sharp
point. The slayer gasped and pulled back--her mind clearing for just an
instant -- until the coppery sweet taste of her own blood washed over her
taste buds.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back feeling her entire nervous
system tingle as it carried the pain from her tongue seemingly throughout
her body. It began to focus in her belly where it ended up as a burning
knot.

The incredible dark music seemed to bury itself deep inside of Buffy. The
girl could almost feel tentacles detaching from the knot in her belly and
spreading through out her body.

As each of the dark snakes surfaced it called for more pain--more blood.
Buffy couldn't help but answer the song--she had to be punished--she had to
suffer for her sins.

Buffy lowered the razor sharp blade until it rested against the soft highly
sensitive skin of her inner thigh.

<>How perfect the same knife I used on Faith. <> She told herself,
<>someone else I've let down. <>

Buffy slowly drew the blade up her thigh, bearing down enough so it sliced
through her flesh. The pain was exquisite. The darkness expanding inside of
her applauded.

"At last--I can feel something else," the slayer hissed and repeated the
process on her other thigh.

She was panting heavily as the nearly orgasmic pain took control of her mind
and body.

Buffy turned on the water and let it mix with her blood and carry it down
the drain. She ran her finger across her skin coating it with the blood
flowing freely from the cuts. She put the finger in her mouth, sucked, and
licked the blood from the digit.

Buffy was in her own world of pain, blood, and the dark song urging her on,
demanding more pain more blood.

Demanding she do it in payment for her numerous past failures. It was
telling her that only her own suffering could possibly pay for causing all
the pain and death that ruled her life.

And Buffy was lost.

The End of Part Six