REPOST; Fic, "Blood Drive" (1/1)

[JDMeans@xxxxxxx]

In honor of those who fell last year on this sad date, I decided to repost 
this little piece I wrote shortly after the fact. This takes place in an 
alternate sixth season(I had Buffy come back a few months early, and didn't 
have her act all I-was-happier-dead. Disappointed in season six? Oh, a 
tad). Hope you enjoy.


Disclaimer; It's Joss's world, baby, we're just visiting it. The tragedy, 
alas, is all too real.

Author's note; This story is set a week after the tragic and horrifying 
events of September 11, 2001, and uses that day as a backdrop. I may be 
taking some liberties regarding events, but my understanding is that the 
season premiere is set two to three months after Buffy's final sacrifice in 
'The Gift', so Buffy in my story came back about a month prior to the date of 
the story.

Rating; PG

Archives; Go for it. 

Feedback; Let me know what you think at JDMeans@xxxxxxx

Summary; The gang comes together for a worthy cause, but sometimes even the 
best of us need a little more help.

Blood Drive
By Kirayoshi

"On and on, the rain will fall
Like tears from a star,
Like tears from a star.

On and on, the rain will show,
How fragile we are,
How fragile we are."
--Sting
"Fragile"


September 20, 2001;

"Are you sure you're up for this, Buffy?" Dawn asked her sister as they made 
their way to the Red Cross building. "I mean, you were…well, you just…"

"Came back from the dead, Dawn?" Buffy answered teasingly. Dawn grimaced at 
the thought. "I'm fine, Dawn. I've been back for a month, Giles had a 
doctor give me a complete physical and the ol' chassis is in perfect working 
order. Besides," she paused, a strange sadness as her mind recalled the 
terrible picture that she saw last week, "I just can't sit down and do 
nothing, not after what happened last week."

"I know what you mean," Dawn nodded. "I mean, I just got you back, it's like 
a miracle, then I wake up one morning, and everything's changed forever."  
She instinctively sought Buffy's hand, and her sister gave it a gentle 
squeeze. They both couldn't believe what they had seen when they woke up 
last Tuesday morning; two commercial planes crashing into the World Trade 
Center, and the mighty twin structures collapsing to the ground.

They entered the Red Cross silently, noticing the American flag flying 
outside at half-mast, and were greeted by a warm voice; "Buffy, Dawnie, hey 
there!"

"Hey back, Willow," Buffy met her best friend in the lobby, and they 
exchanged a warm hug. "Glad you could meet us here," she smiled.

"Hey," Xander poked his head from a six-month-old 'People' magazine.  
"Wouldn't miss it. Anything for free donuts and orange juice." Anya, Tara 
and Giles also nodded. The friends had agreed to meet Buffy at the Red Cross 
to donate blood.

"After what happened last week in New York," Giles admitted, "how could we do 
any less?"

Tara smiled, taking Willow's hand in hers. "I'm just glad that there's 
something we can do to help, instead of feeling helpless."

"I know what you mean, Tara," Buffy admitted, "I guess it's just so 
overwhelming for me because I'm used to being able to do something about that 
sort of thing. I mean, we've saved the world a few times now, gone up 
against the worst evils, but this…I can't pin this on a master vamp, or 
crazed goddess. This is human evil. How do we combat that?"

"By not giving in, Buffy," Giles answered sagely. "By standing against it at 
every turn, and not giving in to fear." The others agreed with their mentor, 
and waited patiently to donate some of their blood.

<<>>

Four hours later;

A clear night, illuminated by a handful of stars and a near-full moon, 
greeted Steve Marconi as he drove the Red Cross van down the dark road to 
Sunnydale Airport, carrying thousands of pints of refrigerated blood to be 
flown to New York. Steve had taken this trip the last three nights in a row, 
after the airplanes were allowed to fly again. He knew every turn in the 
road, every pothole and dip. He thought he could make the run with plenty of 
time to make the flight.

He didn't see the body in the road until it was nearly too late. The still 
form in his headlights caused him to swerve the vehicle violently, nearly 
overturning the van before banking to a stop.

Steve rushed out of the truck and toward the body, to examine it quickly. It 
was a pretty blonde, female, twenties, in a leather top and pants. She 
looked so pale, so deathly still, that Steve was afraid that she was dead.  
He bent down and took her head in his hands, saying, "Hey, miss, you all 
right?"

The blonde opened her eyes, lifted her head and smiled at the driver. "I am 
now!" She then grabbed him by the throat and threw him aside as though he 
were a paper airplane.

"Boys!" she barked, and three hulking vampires emerged from the trees behind 
her. "Grab the truck, guys, I'll take care of the driver." While her 
henchmen started toward the truck, Harmony stalked her prey, her face 
contorting into her vampiric aspect. "Thanks for the meals on wheels, fatso. 
These blood packets are just the thing for emergencies. But me," she leaned 
toward the terrified driver, her fangs bared. "I prefer mine fresh from the 
source."

"Sorry, Harm," a voice called as a foot flew hard into her face. "The bar's 
closed." Buffy grabbed Harm and threw her aside, then helped Steve to his 
feet. "Stand back, friend. We'll take care of the creep squad."

The three vamps turned toward the girl that attacked Harmony, intent on 
defending their mistress. A sudden flash of light erupted in front of them, 
causing terrible pain. "Eat sunshine, scuzzos!" Willow shouted from her 
vantagepoint, satisfied that the fireball she conjured had done its work.  
Xander grabbed the nearest dazed vamp, easily ramming a stake into its heart. 
Buffy and Giles made short work of the other two. Harmony, for her part, 
ran off before Buffy could catch her.

"Leave her," Giles called after Buffy. "We have more important things that 
demand our attention." Buffy, conceding to the older Englishman, rejoined 
the other three, as Willow and Xander were helping Steve get back to his 
truck.

"What happened?" Steve asked. "I heard weird things about Sunnydale, but 
those guys looked like vampires!"

Buffy glanced around at the others, who didn't seem phased by the driver's 
observations. "Yes, Steve, vampires. They thought they could score some 
free blood by attacking your truck. Probably staked out the road for the 
last couple of days, figuring out when you were likely to come by this way.  
Don't worry about it, though, we won't let them get past us."

"Thanks, miss," Steve answered. "I guess you know about this sort of thing 
more than I do."

"Would you care for an escort?" Giles offered. "We can drive alongside of 
you if you wish."

"Thanks, I'd like that." Steve got back in the driver's seat and started the 
engine. Buffy and the others returned to Giles' car, and prepared to follow.

As they accompanied the truck on its way to the airport, Buffy felt a strange 
satisfaction at what they accomplished that evening. It was a small thing, 
hardly in comparison to defeating The Master or Angelus, or rescuing Dawn 
from the mad Glory, but somehow this was different. This blood was earmarked 
for rescue efforts in New York, and preventing it from falling into Harmony's 
hands filled her with a warm glow, one that she hadn't felt for a long time.

They made a difference against a great evil. That was what mattered.