Last Updated 11/6/1999

Title: Love, Death, and Ressurection
Author: ShadowSmileSlayer
Rating: R maybe NC-17 at times. Buffy/Willow
Email: worias@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I hope James and Joss (or anyone else who have copyrights) aren't offended.

Notes: I wanted to bring together my two favorite wolrds, Buffy and the Crow, so here we go. -----*------- indicates a flashback. This Storyline skews away from BTVS television just before Graduation Day.

      As long as there have been demons, there has been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen one, born with the strength and skill to hunt vampires and other creatures of the dark. When one Slayer dies, the next is called. In this world of magic and demons, mortals loose their lives in hideous ways. Sometimes one of these victims carries with it a sadness so great that it can't rest. And sometimes, just sometimes a Crow can carry that soul back from the land of the dead, to set the wrong things right. But sometimes Vengance isn't the only way to set the wrong things right. Sometimes the only way is love.

Part One

Buffy's bedroom: 10:00pm
      "Buffy Summers slid her black jacket on slowly. Her body refused to work tonight. Her sorrow weighed on her soul so heavy should could barely breathe.
      "Buffy..." the sound drifted in the wind.
      Buffy felt a chill go up her spine. The wind seemed to be whispering her name in the night. Slowly she rose from her bed, its warm comfort lost, as she moved to the open window. When her keen eyes detected a shadow moving out side her window, she thought she was going insane.
      "Buffy..." it rang through the air again. Louder, deeper, more real.
      Buffy moved to the window, glancing to the tree she saw nothing. Angle used to visit her like that. Ducking her head out the window quickly she glanced around. Only darkness greeted her eyes, that and a large black bird with its head cocked to the side. She was lost in its eyes for a few seconds, they were cold and warm at the same time. They held her gaze, tears filled her eyes. "Willow......" Tears gripped her body "Oh god..."

Cemetary the night before:
      Buffy sat quietly sniffling away her tears at Willow's tombstone. She had come to it everynight before patrol. To say she is sorry, to try and find strength. She had no one to go to in this time of need anymore. Xander was to filled with his own grief. She understood, though it hurt how he had pulled away from everyone. She wasn't to shocked that he had decided to go ahead and leave on his "excursion" across country. It had hurt her a bit that he wouldn't be there but he needed to deal, and Sunneydale held just to many memories. Willow had always been apart of him, his best bud and confident. She remembered with a quiet smile how they had been hot and heavy for awhile too. Giles had burried himself in his work, barely there anymore and Oz had moved on to Arizona with the band. She was so alone, but even now she saught solice with her friend
      The slayer's lithe hand stroked the Stone fixture, and the tears returned to her eyes. Why Willow? Willow was her everything, she lived through her parents breakup, her boyfriend trying to kill her, sending him to hell, then him showing back up in her life... only to distance himself from her. She wasn't sure if she could be strong anymore, the source of her strength had been ripped from her. Faith would pay dearly for what she did 2 months ago, but right now she didn't have the strength or the stability to take on the Dark Bitch of a Slayer.
      A sudden rustling sound startled the slayer. Her eyes scowered the folage and trees behind the decrepit stones. There in the dark she saw a pair of yellow eyes and the glint of moonlight on fangs. Good she thought to herself, I could use a good kill before the night is through . She heard the growl, saw the flash of its fist and her Slayer instincts took over. The Vamp wasn't a newbie, but not all that great a fighter as far as the undead goes. Buffy dodged his spin kick and swept his feet from under him. The blonde girl pounced the demon, her fist coming down in a hail of punches. The vampire lunged up knocking the lithe frame from himself, and jumping for her. Buffy, quick as always, wrapped her arm around her attackers and with a quick snap took the vamp to the ground.
SNAP!
      The vampires fractured elbow left it writhing in pain on the damp soil. Her hand snatched inside her jacket and with a twist of the wrist drove the oak stake through the vamps back, a sigh escaping her lips as the demon exploded into dust.
      "If you don't mind I'll take my stake back Mr. FangFace." she announced snatching up her stake. Those things don't grow on trees she thought to herself. Buffy chose to ignore the oxymoronic statement and headed home. A hitch caught in her step, she thought she heard something. A quick glance around, but their didn't look to be anything wrong.
      Had Buffy not been so distracted by her thoughts of Willow, she might have heard another of the dead awakening. This one however, did not have Fangs.

Cemetary at present:
      Her eyes were heavy. So heavy. She had to get them open, where was she. Dark, so dark. Her matted red hair clung to her eyes. Finding some strength barried inside her, the girl brushed her face, moving the stringy locks from her face. So dark, have to get out . Her hands moved infront of her feeling resistance. Something had her, trapped her. God help me, I'm trapped. No air, nothing to breathe. Her heart lurched, she snapped, her hands striking against whatever was infront of her. Wood and metal alike splintered. Something deep inside her drove her on... have to get out. She felt her knuckles collapse and her hand shatter. It didn't matter she had to get out of the dark. The younge redhead lunged at the object infront of her feeling it give way. Shoving harder it all gave way. She was laying on her back looking up at the stars. God help me0 . The pale younge hands clawed at the dirt falling in around her. Have to get out .
      She felt the slick mud beneath her as she climbed out of.... what was it. Her eyes tried to focus but so much pain. Her hands were reeling with pain, he nails broken and dingy. Her clothes were soiled and old, and smelt of mildew. She tried hard to focus again, her body collapsing against a large stone structure.
      "BUFFFFYYYYYYYYYYYYY..." her voice cried.
      Buffy? Who was Buffy? What was going on. Her eyes finally caught the scribings on the structure
      "Willow Rosenburg, Loved and Cared for by all around her. May she Rest in Peace"
      God.
      Her teeth were chattering in the cold, her body limp and pale and unmoving. Her mind was swimming in an ocean of confusion. Nothing made sense. She had just crawled from her .... Grave0 . Grave... the word sung out in her mind. Buffy... the word tried to work its way to her consiousness. Nothing
      A sound above her sent her falling backwards. A loud caw had chilled her to the bone and drew her attention to the top of her gravestone. A big black bird. Its stare penatrated her. It seemed to gaze deep inside her urging her. Buffy. The name snapped in her head. Buffy. Who was she?
-------------Buffy touching her face as she was slipping away--------------------
      Her stomach lurched and her head felt like it had been cleaved in two. Please, help me she though her hands clawing her head. The crow let out another loud caw. Willow turned away from the crow to where its eyes fell. A large figure melted out of the shadows. Willows stomach turned as the sunken sockets of a skull stared blankly at her. Its sunken eyes and thin whisps of silky hair made the cowboy hat and yellowed teeth all the creepier.
      "Hello little Willow" the voice echoed in the night.
      "Who.... Who.... What... are you?" a whispered plea came.
      "I am the one and only Skull Cowboy. How do ya do" he crooned with a small bow. Spitting an arc onto the ground.
      "Skul..." her voice dropped off.
      "Listen little one, you have been given another chance." Her eyes couldn't leave the bony face of the vision before her.
      ~You are back to put the wrong things right~
      The sound rang through her head. Wrong things right? What wrong things? Was she going insane? Was she dead and in hell? Her head started pounding again.
      ~I have brought you back from the land of the dead~
      The voice sounded in her mind again, the crow. The crow seemed to be feeding thoughts into her head. What was it? Was this the powers of good? Of Evil? Please God Help me her mind screamed.
      "Back off little birdie... things are special this time." The Skeleton and Crow's eyes met fiercly. If it is possible for a crows heart to break it seemingly had. The loud cawing coming from its mouth was almost a soothing sound, but arguibly so. Willow felt a weight on her shoulder, the crow had perched there, cawing softly into her ear. The big black bird seemed to be urging her.
      Willow's head was still reeling but her body seemed to lung up, pulling her from the muddy earth. Dragging her weak frame up by her own tombstone, the red-head felt it start to crumble beneath her fingers. Looking down she could see her fingers digging at the cement and her bloody nails slowly reshaping and closing.
      "What the hell am I?"

      The raven locks framed the ex-Slayer's face as she sat gazing at the flashing light of a neon sign. It's message was lost on her as her mind replayed event's from her past. Her face was a collage of feeling, from happiness, to sadness, to evil glee. Her lip's curled into a tiger's grin as thoughts of Buffy played in her mind. The look on the Slayer's face that night, always gave her a tingly feeling. That was the night she left Sunnydale, the night she had turned so vile it almost scared her. But the woman was a survivor and she had done what she needed. She had taken the money in a bank account the Mayor had set up for her and fled. She wanted to be there for the Ascencion when the Mayor would feast on all her past demon's. Yet, she couldn't stay, she had tried to force herself to believe it was because she was afraid Buffy would come and shove a knife in her heart. That was part of it of course, but something else told her she needed to go into hiding for awhile.

      On patrol again, just rolling around on patrol again Buffy hummed. It was so lonely on patrol for her. She always took solice in the fact she wasn't alone in her divined duty, but now Giles was the only one left to help her. He had pulled so far away though, yet becoming extremly protective of her. True he didn't work for the Council anymore, neither did she for the fact of it, but she knew in his heart he would always be her Watcher. Willow's death was so unexpected though, anyone of them could die at any moment on a hellmouth, but Willow was never thought of as a target. Giles was having a hard time dealing though. Oh God why did she have to take Willow. Buffy knew exactly why, Faith had killed her because Buffy cared so much about her.
----------Willow and Buffy were sitting in the library searching. Willow was trying hard to find a spell or potion or anything that could stop the Ascencion. Buffy knew Willow was taking the Ascencion personally, she was after all the member of the Scooby Gang who dealt in magic. Buffy reached over and sat her hands on Willow's shoulders rubbing them slowly.
      "Easy Will, stopping the Ascenion is a good thing, but your shoulders about about to split apart" Buffy said with smile in her voice.
      "Ah that feels soooooooo good, I mean nice, yeah nice like when friends rub each others shoulders. There isn't anything wrong with two girls giving each other a shoulder rub, I mean really we are under alot of stress here and stress sometimes makes me tense and tense is bad and and ...... " Willow babbled
      "You okay Will?" Buffy asked turning to sit on the table and look at Willow.
      "Yeah Buffy, its just.... well with the Ascencion and everything, I mean we could all die. And well, its just had me thinking, about what I would do if you were to die or something happen, and its just made me realize...." the redhead trailed off.
      "Yeah its had me thinking too.... " Buffy said trying not to look at Willow's eyes.
      "Really?" Willow asked, switching to her concerned best friend mode.
      Buffy chuckled slightly, "Thats my Willow..." she started "always there for me even when she has her own problems." Buffy's hand touched Willow's face softly.
      Willow blushed at the intamate contact from her friend. "Yeah well you know, I care about you, I mean you are my best bud, but I worry about you and and ...." Willow felt comforted looking into Buffy's big eyes.
      "I know, that is what's had me thinking Will. After I came back after what happened to Angel things were awkward between us, but you were the one to help me back into my life. And then after he came back from Hell Angel and I haven't been the same. He's gonna leave after the Ascension, when he told me that it hurt horribly and I didn't know what to do, and once again you were the one to help me deal Willow. I know that I can live without Angel, but Willow if anything happens to you I don't know what I would do...." Buffy's voice trailed off but she kept her eyes locked into Willow's.
      "Buffy I..." Willow started, not sure what her friend was trying to tell her, but knowing exactly how she felt.
      "Willow....." buffy started. She knew this would be it, no turning back, but she knew she had to tell Willow before the Ascencion.
      "I love you." The girls said in unison.
      They stared at each a moment. Finally Buffy blinked, registering what had just happened. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Buffy winced at the thought. The pain seared through her sitll form like molten lava. The darkness behind her eyes playing the scene over and over. Her precious Willow, the one she loved more than anything, being ripped from her grasp by the Dark haird witch.
     

     
      Willows feet drug heavily across the ground. Her burial dress, tattered and soiled, twisted around her legs. Her stumbling figure made its way through the woods clumsily. She had to avoid the streets, the city. Willow didn't know what she was, barely who she was, but she knew that public exposure was the last thing she wanted.
      The redhead's tired eyes tried to focus on the crow that flew over head. It seemed to urge her forward. She wanted to collapse though, to lay back on the earth and slumber. Her body was as if made of lead, and her head was a jumble of fear and confusion. The tatters of her dress wrapped around her ankle and Willow fell to the ground. Anger and frustration flew threw her as she tore the hem of her dress from her. Her legs unhindered, she moved once again moved through the night.
      Again her eyes searched the sky for her crow. It sat perched on a tree branch, head moving in one direction, like it was beaconing her. Moving a bit faster now, Willow followed the crow as it took flight. A loud CAW rang through the shrill night air. Her legs started to move faster, the aching weight of her legs draining away. Her body seemed to move on its own. Moving through the forrest like a cat, leaping, bounding, sailing through the air. Hurdeling fallen trees her form moved through the night. The night filled her, exhilerated her, gave her strength its cold emptiness lost to her. Her eyes focused, supernaturally sharp in the black that surrounded her. Her dirt encrusted red locks bellowed behind her, the strands of hair pulling out, forming what could only be described as a mane of blood. She leapt high into the trees, perching herself on a sturdy branch coming out of a large oak tree. The crow perching itself on her shoulder, peering its dark eyes at the street ahead.
--------------------Willow and Buffy walking home from school for a girls night on a friday night giggling and pushing each other------------------------------
      Willow flinched away from the vision.
      What was that
      ~a vision, memory, the past~
      It was painful, scary, being shown the happiness from the past when you know you are dead. When nothing you do can fix the tragedy. She was here to put the wrong things right she understood that now. Though even that wouldn't fix the past. But she could make them pay. She wasn't sure who yet, it wasn't all there, but she would find them.
      The crow leapt from her shoulder and flew down to one of the houses in the distance. Willow followed, suprised that her fall was graceful and she felt nothing as he feet touched the earth. Moving swiftly she caught upto the crow, it sat upon a fence cawing toward the large house. She scaled the fence quickly and moved soundlessly to the lattace at the side. reaching out she twined her hand into it to pull herself up.
-----------------------Willow was climbing down the lattace. She moved down it clumsily slipping the last step. She feel back into Xander who had been wating for her. He stumbled back with her laughing at her slightly. They were going to meet with buffy for a nights patrol-------------
      Patrol.... Buffy...... Slayer. The words were jumbled in her head, not sure quite what they meant.
& nbsp;     The redheads hands grappled the lattace, swiftly pulling herself up the side of the house. Slipping inside her eyes scanned the room. It was small, but familiar. She looked into the mirror across the room, her face was muddied, her hair disheveled. She looked fresh from the grave, how fitting. Her ears listened, nothing, no sounds from the house.
      She knew this was her house, where she had grown up. No one was here though. Where are they? Out of town visiting relatives? Vacation maybe? It didn't matter anymore. She wasn't really their daughter now, she was dead. She starred hard at the mirror before her, before turning away in disgust. She moved to the bathroom, she had to have a shower before she did anything.
      Willow slowly removed the remains of her burial clothes. The cool air of the house rippled across her naked form. How strange it was to her, she had just been in the cold of the night and felt nothing, but now all her senses were alive. She could feel the air caressing her skin, rolling over her taught body, peaking her pink nipples. A shiver ran up her spine. Like someone just walked over my grave she thought with an almost insane chuckle. If only she knew how right she was.

      "Ahh"
      Buffy was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the large hole in the earth before her. Another Vamp Another nightBuffy thought. Then she noticed the headstone marking the open grave. It belonged to one Willow Rosenburg.
      "Willow...... no not Willow." Buffy bolted toward town. She had to get to Giles, Willow couldn't be a Vampire, she was never bitten, never drank another Vamps blood. That bitch Faith probably came back to town and dug her up, I wouldn't put it past her.
The Slayers legs hurled her through the night. She had to get to the Gile's. She had to make sure she wasn't a Vampire.
     

      Willow once again stood before the mirror. She was shaking the last drops of water from her red locks, watching her own eyes. She had no idea who she was, why she was brought back, only that it had to do with Buffy. She wished she could remember, but it wasn't there, like her mind had been formatted. Buffy was the only thing she knew, the only thought. If only she could remember.
      Then a small glinting caught her eye, a chain was hanging part way out of the medicine cabinet. Willow opened it slowly, watching the small chain dangel in the air. It was a small cross necklace. She took it slowly in her hand...
--------------------------She was struggling in the arms of a dark haired woman. Her grip on her throat was vice like, crushing her air supply. She could feel the point of a knife at her back. Buffy stood infront of her, she was following the dark haired woman. Willow was being drug toward the school exit by the other woman. Faith.----------------
      The name rang in her head. Anger, fear, hate flashed through her eyes. Faith, that evil bitch. She closed her eyes and gripped the cross in her palm.
--------------------------Faith was dragging her through the hall. She could feel her feet scuffling along the tiled floor. Her mind was swimming in a oxygen deprived haze. She could feel the point of the dagger digging into her back. Buffy will be alright she thought. She felt Faith snap her head back pulling her closer the dagger digging in even further.
      "Let her go Faith!" Buffy demanded.
      "Why B? Don't you wanna share your knew plaything?"      She felt Faith's tounge slide up the side of her cheek.
      "Guess not..." Faith continued "...well you know what they say, if I can't have her, then no one's gonna have her." Faiths voice was dripping with evil honey and mock sympathy.
      Willow felt the knife slide into her back.-----------------------------------
      Willow's back arched out, feeling once again the knife sliding into her back
----------------------------Faith was twisting the knife, relishing the look on Buffy's face. Willow fell back to the floor as Faith sprinted out the doors. Willow saw Buffy running for her but it was to late. She knew she was dying. She could feel her life slipping away, drowning in a sea of darkness. Buffy was cradling her now, utter terror on her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. With what strenght she had left the red head lifted her hand and touched her face gently. She mouthed the words 'I love you' before she closed her eyes and felt the last bit of herself slip away. The darkness behind her eyelids seemed to take on the shape of a large black bird.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     
Part Two

      Giles was leaning against the back of his couch, his nose stuffed in one of his many books. He had been researching something, but his mind kept wondering away and he couldn't seem to remember where he was. He glanced down at the pages and with a sigh, closed the book. He just couldn't concentrate, Willow still filled his mind. She had been like a daughter to him. He had never told her of course, but looking back, he wished he had. After her death, he swore he wouldn't let that happen to Buffy. He kept her constantly training and out of as much unnessacary harm as possible. He knew he had been becoming distant, his worry mixed with grief clung to his aura, and he didn't want to cause Buffy anymore heartache.
      A loud banging sounded from his front door, almost pleading him to open it. He glanced at his watch. One in the morning, that had bloody well better be Buffy. He shook his head to clear the annoyance of the alliteration flowing through his mind and glanced through the peep-whole. There standing in the night air was of course, Buffy Summers. Quickly the Englishman unbolted the door and opened it. He was quite shocked when Buffy flung herself into his arms and started sobbing uncontrollably.
      "Willow..." he heard her murmor.
      "Yes w-well Buffy, I know its been hard on all of us, but..." he started in a comforting tone.
      "No you don't understand!" she began, pushing a bit further into his home. The cold night air was chilling her once heated blood. She had ran all the way to Gile's home without faulter. But now the tears were streaming and she was fighting for control of her senses.
      "Her body..." she met Gile's eyes watching the pupils narrow as he focused on her. She fought hard to choke back the tears.     
      "Y-yes Buffy go on, what about her body?" Giles questioned.
      "It's... It's gone Giles, The dirt around her grave looked like it had been thrown up out of the ground. And her casket, it looked like someone had taken an axe to it or something." Once again she choked on her tears trying to get out all she had observed.
      Giles face was a mask of anger, fear, hate, and confusion. His soul trembled his very being at the thought that Willow's grave had been desacrated. And her body stolen no less. It didn't make any sense his Watcher mind rang. There was no reason for her body to be gone. She couldn't be a vampire, it had been 2 months since she had died.
      "Giles...?"      The ex.-Watcher snapped his head to attention at the sound of her voice. He watched the way her eyes bore into him. They were begging him to have an answer, some kind of logic.
      "Yes... well um..." He stammered.
      "She can't be a vampire right? I mean she wasn't bitten and never drank vamp blood. Giles she died in my arms!!! She can't be a vampire! I WON'T LET HER BE A VAMPIRE!!!
She turned away from him, strangling back the tears. To many tears had been shed, she would let no more fall.
      Giles laid a hand on his charges shoulder. Gving her a comforting squeeze.
      "Yes Buffy... you are quite right, a vampire must rise soon after it has transformed to feed. Plus, as you have pointed out already, she didn't die at the hands of a vampire."
      "Why would someone desecrate her grave like that?!?!? Someone would have had to DIG her up. If it was Faith I swear to what ever God their is Giles, I will KILL her!!"
      "Buffy..." Giles removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. "I am not sure why someone would do this. Most magics require live sacrafices, and demon's are summoned to live bodies, they like to devour the soul before they claim the body." he concluded in mild disgust.
      "What kind of sick son of a bitch would dig up a girl's body?"

unfinished more to come later

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