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Tenebrae Author: Jamie Rating: PG-13 Synopsis/Notes: One year following the events of ‘Stuck in the feedback loop’, Willow has finally come to terms with Buffy’s death. However, something happens which will shake her life once again. Disclaimer: All hail Joss and the Mutant Enemies. Plus anyone else who’s bought into Buffy. I don’t own any characters, or if I do, Joss hasn’t told me yet. Consider me disclaimed. Archiving: Slayed, BuffyWillow.com (Eventually), and anyone else can have it if you tell me where it’s gone.
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Tenebrae Latin, a, darkness. (Ten-e-bry) "Stay with me?" She said quietly. "Always," Buffy replied, although her voice had taken on a more echoey, more spirit-like tone. Willow closed her eyes and tightened her hold. They stayed like that for long seconds, until when Willow opened her eyes, there was noone there.
--------------------------------------- Journal of Willow Rosenberg, June 11, 1998.
My name is Willow Rosenberg. I’m not like most girls…hell…I’m not like most people. I’m a Vampire Slayer. Cool huh? Who’d have thought, Willow the Vampire Slayer. I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if other people hadmy heritage. If Cordelia had been the Slayer, or Miss Calendar…or Buffy. Buffy, the first person I truly felt anything for, the first person who’d ever returned anything I’d felt for her. I still remember the kiss we shared, and they way we held each other before…before… That’s in the past now though. I still love Buffy. Funny as it is, I still think she’s with me, watching over me. That’s probably not the healthy way to live, but the truth is, I wasn’t living healthily for months after she died. I’d sit in my room for hours on end, thinking about how I’d allowed someone so innocent, and so full of life to die. The only person who pulled me out of the darkness that was consuming my life was Xander. I’d never expected him totalk to me again, let alone help me, but he did. A month or so after Buffy’s death, he started to call by now and again to see how I was doing. The weekly visits soon turned to daily ones, sometimes twice a day. We’ve become best friends, plus the official presidents of the ‘Please let Cordelia choke on her ownvenom’ foundation. Kinda childish I know, but I really don’t care. I think the one good thing that came out of Buffy’s passing was that I realised you have to live life to live, if that makes any sense. I know it does to me, and that’s reallyall that matters in the end. Xander’s here again, as always in the morning. I grab my bag and run down to meet him. Together we walk to school, pay a visit to Giles in the library, and take…Biology. Heh, even I’ve learned to hate that subject with almost as much fire as Xander and Buffy did. Buffy’s mom’s doing okay I guess. She still lives in Sunnydale and manages the gallery. Xander and I stop by a lot and talk with her, have some tea. You know, stuff people do. I think she appreciates it, and I totally sympathisewith her. I respect her more than anyone I know, after Buffy’s death she arranged everything, looked after the house, and us. She’s become a sort of surrogate mother to me, considering mine decided she’d rather be on business trips around the country than be with me when I was suffering the after effects of those fateful few days. We don’t really talk much anymore, the only words we really say are ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘excuse me’. Kinda sad, I know, but I’m fine with it. Xander and I walk through the hallways of Sunnydale High, chatting and laughing, not caring what everyone else says. We’re outcasts, socially I mean. Not in the literal ‘I’ve been banished to the desert’ sense, but otherwise yeah. Somehow, I’ve managed to earn the spite of Cordelia, a vicious little rabid Chihuahua stuck in the body of a cheerleader. Yeah, I’ve got nothing against her. BRRRRIIIIIIIIING Yep, life is good. ------------------------------------------- The tree leaves swayed by the gravestone, casting a beautiful effect on the marble object. Almost invisibly, the name seemed to glow. Buffy Anne Summers. 1981-1996 Rest In Peace And if you looked really closely, you could just about see the outline of a small girl, about 16-17. Then it was gone. An apparition of the mind, you’d say. Perhaps you’d be right, perhaps there really wasn’t anything there. Besides, it’s not like the colour of the leaves belonging to the oak tree just changed to a lighter green, is it? And it’s not like a low, continuous hum, not unlike an HRM tone, just changed to periodic beeps, is it? ------------------------------------------- "Miss Rosenberg." Came the sharp, grating voice that jolted Willow out of her slumber. The red head opened her eyes and sat up. "Huh?" "I don’t believe, ‘huh’, is the correct way to address me." Miss Prince said, peering down at Willow through the tips of her nose glasses. Bitch… Willow thought to herself. "I’m…sorry Miss, it won’t happen again." The Slayer said. Miss Prince turned away, obviously appeased. Willow brought her elbows up onto the desk and cradled her head in her palms. "What’s the sitch?" Xander asked quietly, careful not to attract the venom of the English teacher. "Nothing…I’m just tired." Willow replied, wiping her eyes and tryingto concentrate on the board. "You were dreaming about her again, weren’t you?" Xander said, more than asked. Damnit, Willow thought, why do you have to be so smart? "Yes." The red head replied simply. Xander didn’t respond. He stared at Willow for a few more seconds before turning back to the board to give it it’s well deserved half-attention. The bell decided to ring at that moment. Loud levels of chatter broke out in the class as the students packed up their bags and headed out of the door. Willow slung her back strap over her body and walked out with Xander into the hallway. The pair made their way to the library, which, as luck would have it, was swarmed with Miss Pegnitto’s English Lit. class. Giles stood in the middle of the swirling mass of students, looking bemusedand more than a little overwhelmed. His _expression_ of anxiety turned to relief as he saw Willow enter the room with Xander. "Willow, thank God you’re here." He said flusteredly. Willow smiled, amused at his inability to cope with situations like this. The whole reason he’d applied for the position of librarian at the school, apart from the research benefits, was so that he could avoid situations such as this. "How ya doing Giles? Coping?" Willow asked coyly, which earned him a glare from the librarian. "Oh come on, where’s that stiff upper lip?" "Long dead, along with my dignity, and soon my sanity." Giles replied inthat
typically unflappable British manner he had. "Are you planning on patrolling
tonight?" "Well, be careful. It’s been rowdy out there these past few days." "Will do, See ya on Monday!" Willow said cheerfully, and breezed out of the library with Xander in tow. They still had one period left…but no lesson,so what was the point in staying? ------------------------------------------- Willow strolled through the graveyard leisurely. For some reason, it’dbeen pretty quiet tonight, but that was fine by her. If the vamps wanted to sleep, let em sleep. No skin off of her nose. She sighed and continued on her patrol, knowing all the time that she was being watched from the shadows of a nearby crypt.
Cheers, Jamie. |