FIC: Life on My Block (5/?)

["Red Demon" <eternal_light2000@xxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Life on My Block (5/?)
Author: Red Demon
Email: eternal_light2000@xxxxxxxxx
Disclaimer: Joss owns all. I own cats ;-)
Pairing: Buffy/Willow
Rating: PG
Distribution: Take it but keep my name attached and send me an email.
Feedback: Please!!!!!!!!
Summary: Buffy faces the parole board.
Spoilers: Becoming.

First set of lyrics by Alice in Chains, second set by Metallica.

PART FIVE

In the darkest hole
You'd be well advised 
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies
Come the morning light
It's a see-through show
What you may have heard and what you think you know.

Buffy felt the eyes of those sitting in the folding chairs behind her 
pierce into her back. She could feel the hatred penetrating from 
some... love from others. She felt an incredible sadness and despair 
deep down inside her.

This was it. Her moment of truth.

Would she get parole? Or would her life end in seven days. She 
tried to concentrate on what her lawyer was saying but her thoughts 
were everywhere. She hadn't slept much last night. Every time she 
closed her eyes she'd remember that night.

"...Buffy Summers is not a murderer. You have heard several 
testimonials that back this." Her lawyer walked up to the podium in 
the middle of the room. "Of all the witnesses one placed her in the 
area of the crime. This one witness has a known vendetta against my 
client. No murder weapon was discovered. No fingerprints found on 
the victim matched those of my client. Yet she was convicted in four 
days..."

The lawyer stood in front of the board. "My client was seventeen, a 
junior in high school, at the time. She has spent fourteen of her 
thirty-one young years behind these very walls. If you choose to 
continue with the execution of Buffy Summers you will not be bringing 
back a life but adding a death."

The prosecutor stood up. "Fourteen years ago a young woman was 
murdered by Buffy Summers. Her throat was slit and she was left to 
die in a high school library. A place where hundreds of young kids 
go to learn. Buffy Summers has had a lengthy court review as well as 
several appeals. There has never been a doubt in the courts mind as 
who committed this murder..."

The prosecutor looked at Buffy before turning back to the 
board. "The victims family will never their daughter grow up and get 
married. They won't have any grandchildren... Imagine yourselves in 
the place of this family. Find your backbone and precede with the 
execution of Buffy Summers."

Time and space never ending
Disturbing thoughts, questions pending
Limitations of human understanding
Too quick to criticize
Obligation to survive
We hunger to be alive.

After awhile she'd lost track of time. Her lawyer told her the more 
time the board took the better her chances.

When the doors finally opened and the board came in her heart started 
pounding so fast she thought she was having a heart attack. She was 
overcome with dizziness and had to force herself to look at the men 
and women in front of her. They held her fate.

The board member in the middle picked up the microphone. "It is the 
finding of this board that clemency be denied to Buffy Summers. 
Execution will be carried out one week hence."

She thought she heard her lawyer say that he'd make appeals to the 
state and federal courts but she couldn't really hear anything but 
Willow crying.

As the guards led her out of the room several people whispered about 
justice finally being served. They led her past Giles, Willow and 
Kat. Giles tried to comfort Willow. He had aged since she'd last 
seen him. His hair was now completely gray. His lips were drawn 
into a tight line with worry. She noticed that neither her mother or 
her father were present.

Kat looked down when she glanced at her. Buffy knew that no matter 
what she'd find a way to make up for missing out on almost all of her 
daughters life.

Willow gave her a shaky smile when she looked back before going 
through the doors.

END PART FIVE