FIC: That Day - Rated G

["amberbensonfan" <AmberBensonFan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Okay, I just wrote this story a few minutes ago but Stef seems to 
think I should post it so now you're all subjected to my story LOL.

It's a very short story, but I hope you like. I would REALLY 
appreciate feedback on this as it's kind of a therapy story for me.

Okay - here we go:

THAT DAY
By AmberBensonFan

Disclaimer: The characters are all owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant 
Enemy. No infringement is intended and no profits are being made.

Summary: The gang take a vacation but all hell breaks loose.

Author Notes: There X/A and W/T are paired, but this is not 
a `relationshippy' fic so that doesn't really matter. This is 
something that I wrote to help deal with certain events.

Feedback: PLEASE! AmberBensonFan@xxxxxxxxxxx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's not something you can fight, Buffy, I'm sorry," Giles' voice 
cracked over the unstable phone line.

"No, you don't understand, there has to be something I can do," Buffy 
shot back with a harsh and bitter tone, the fuzzy line making it seem 
even more angry than it was.

A long, drawn out sigh filled the line before he spoke. "Buffy, I 
realize these are trying times and I wish I could be there with you, 
I really do, but I dare say this is the one thing you will have to 
leave alone."

"Giles! How can you say that? What good is a slayer if I can't 
fight this? Huh? Tell me that! The world is literally crashing down 
around us and you expect me to just sit back and watch it all 
happen? I'm sorry, I just can't do that."

Loud gasps and increased cries filled the small room and Buffy spun 
around to see her friends all hugging and consoling each 
other. "Shit! I have to go. I'll try to call you as soon as I 
can." Buffy hung up without waiting for an answer. She rushed over 
to the bed where her friends were huddled. "What happened?"

"Another hit" Xander whispered, never looking away from the most 
terrible sight, a sight he never thought he'd ever see.

"Buffy, why are they doing this? Make them stop!" Dawn cried out as 
she flung herself into her sister's arms, her eyes puffy and red from 
tears.

"I don't know, Dawnie, I don't know," Buffy answered feebly as she 
stroked long brown hair trying to calm her sister.  

"What did Giles say?" Sniff. "How can we stop them?" Willow 
whispered as she desperately clung to her lover who was just as 
scared as she was.

"He said there's nothing we could do. We have to let this one go."

"What?" Nearly everyone in the room shouted.

Buffy looked away, unable to meet their eyes. They weren't accusing 
her of backing down. They weren't thinking she was weak and running 
away. They weren't screaming at her that she was a coward. But she 
was.

"How many more attacks are there going to be?" Dawn asked as she 
sniffled against Buffy.

"I don't know," Buffy answered again, mentally punching herself for 
having absolutely no answers this time.

What could I do anyway? It's not like I can just grab a stake, rush 
out of this room and start clobbering. But I can be out there 
helping. With resolve Buffy gently pushed Dawn to Willow and Tara 
and grabbed her jacket.

"Where are you going? The world is ending and you're just leaving?  
Xander, she's leaving. You can't leave." Anya's petrified voice 
filled the room.

"I'm going to help. Stay here. Do not move from this room." Buffy 
ordered and was out the door before anyone could protest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was about six hours later when Buffy finally staggered into the 
room. She was covered from head to foot in what looked like ash and 
dust. If it wasn't for the fact that the most terrifying event in 
all their lives had just happened, she would have looked pretty funny 
covered in all that muck. Instead, her friends bounded up to her, 
pulling her into the bathroom.

With their help, Buffy began to wash away the traces of her mission, 
uncovering dirt to reveal tiny wounds. Merely scratches to a slayer, 
but they ached nonetheless. Tara pulled out some tweezers from a 
drawer and began to gently and systematically pull out the tiny 
shards of glass and slivers of metal from the cuts that littered the 
slayer's body and still no one spoke.

It was only after as much of her body as possible was cleaned and the 
foreign objects imbedded in her skin were removed that Buffy finally 
focused her eyes and announced, "I'm going to take a shower." Her 
voice was eerie, low, whisper-like, and cold.  

No one questioned or pushed her for details. They silently left the 
room, all knowing that the carnage Buffy had witnessed first hand was 
probably a thousand times more poignant than the quick flashes of 
images they'd caught on the television screen.

When Buffy finally came out of the bathroom she barely had her 
clothes on, almost like she just shrugged them on just to have some 
basic cover, but not caring at all how she looked. Willow brought 
her over to the bed and sat her friend down. She reached over, 
picked up a brush, and began to slowly comb out Buffy's blonde 
tresses. The television and radio played in the background, their 
volume almost muted, but the images that splashed across the bright 
screen would forever be burned in their memories.

"Good evening." An accented voice came over the television.

"Turn it up," was all Buffy said and Xander quickly clicked the 
remote so the volume increased.

"Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came 
under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The 
victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business 
men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends 
and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, 
despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into 
buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us 
with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet, unyielding anger. These 
acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos 
and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great 
people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can 
shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch 
the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot 
dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack 
because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the 
world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our 
nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded 
with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with 
the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and 
help in any way they could. Immediately following the first attack, I 
implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military 
is powerful?" The voice of President Bush filled the room, trying to 
sooth a panicked and hurting nation.

"Turn it off," Buffy's weak voice requested.

"?and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City 
and Washington, D.C., to help with local rescue efforts." were the 
last fading words of the President as the screen went blank.

"To know there is so much evil, so much pain. To know that each 
night I fight the darkness and all that hell can dream up. To know 
that in the end it will be our own hands that destroys us. To know.  
To know. Whoever said knowledge was power didn't know anything."  
Buffy stated and rolled over.

THE END

FINAL NOTES: I've been having trouble coping with the events of 
September 11th and thought I'd share some of my own frustrations 
through Buffy. The speech from President Bush was found at 
www.september11news.com, which is a wonderful site if you should ever 
need any type of information about that day.

This was just a tiny fic I put together without much detail to it, 
but I hope you find it poignant. I may wind up writing another 9-11 
fic, but for now, this was therapeutic and I hope it touched you as 
well.


Jude
MegaWitches
www.megawitches.net