Made by nmcil




Chapter Twenty-One:







The government's control room looked similar to Central Command, except it was larger and had more equipment. A rush of nostalgia hit Buffy the second she walked in, but she forced it away, especially when General Voll noticed them standing by the door. Buffy's lips curled into a satisfied smirk at his startled expression. He probably hadn't expected the normal girl to get out of her jail along with her powerful witch friend. After everything he'd put her through, she'd happily punch his lights out.

"I didn't realize," Willow said to Buffy, who looked at her questionably, "we're in Sunnydale." Willow pointed her finger at the familiar large hole in one of the screens.

Buffy's breath hitched and she felt her chest tightening painfully. Emotions battled inside her over how much she truly missed home.

"Actually, we're two miles south," General Voll's detested voice brought her back to reality.

"Where's the scythe?" she demanded in dangerous tones. Good thing that no one was around but the three of them. Not that anyone could win against them with Willow by her side.

General Voll gave a seething smile. "One press on this button and my men will be here in a second."

"Oh, try it." The corners of Willow's mouth lifted.

General Voll tried to press on the button but it wouldn't budge. He frowned and pressed harder but the button felt like it was frozen in place.

Buffy smiled and crossed her arms, taking a few steps ahead. "It's just us, General. Better play nice 'cause you don't wanna mess with us."

General Voll let out a laugh. "Are you threatening me? Did you forget that I'm stronger than you now, tiny girl?"

"Not me." Willow flew directly toward him and grabbed him by the neck, her eyes going coal black. "Now, you listen to me. Get the scythe out or…" she let the sentence hang.

"Nothing you do will make me talk. I'm a military man. I don't crack easily under torture." He challenged Willow with a hard stare.

Buffy could feel shudders going down her spine at the sight of Willow going dark all of a sudden. She hadn’t expected to see her like this again. Forcing her anxiety and discomfort to wane, she tried convincing herself that Willow knew what she was doing, that she wouldn't lose control.

"I hate asking for the second time, but I'm giving you a chance," Willow said, her fingers tightening their hold on General Voll's neck, "Where's the scythe?"

"You don't scare me," he sneered, standing his ground.

Willow took a step back, releasing his neck, and observed him silently. "A man who doesn't crack under torture. We've got different types of torture, and I'm guessing physical torture is useless." She smirked. "Let's see if you can handle humiliation."

With a flicker of her eyes, General Voll's clothes were ripped off his body.

"Willow," Buffy exclaimed with shock and revulsion, tempted to look away, but her gaze caught a symbol on General Voll's chest. It looked like a star and sunset.

General Voll, who appeared unaffected by being stripped naked in front of two strange women, noticed Buffy's gaze. "Twilight is coming for you," he addressed Buffy, "to stop this nonsense." He gave Willow a challenging stare. "It all ends soon."

"Twilight?" Buffy repeated with a frown. "What's…"

Her question was lost by the fireball Willow shot at General Voll. He snapped back, banging his head against the machine before falling to the floor, blood streaming from his forehead and mouth. He glanced at Buffy, forming a scary smile with his bloody teeth. "See? That's what I was talking about."

"Willow!" Buffy glared at her friend. "Stop it right now."

Willow wasn't listening to her. She grabbed General Voll's neck again, raising him up to his feet. "Where is it?" she demanded, and for some strange reason it didn't sound like Willow's voice at all.

General Voll didn't say a word, forcing a mocking expression on his face, unwilling to show weakness.

Buffy took a few steps ahead, about to stop Willow before she did more damage. "Look, Will, let me take it from…"

Shooting another fireball, Willow sent General Voll flying to the other side of the room, and this time the smack was too strong. He lost consciousness.

"Oh God," Buffy gasped, running toward his naked body. She held his wrist, checking for a pulse, and felt relieved when she caught him breathing.

"I can feel it, Buffy."

Buffy looked over her shoulder and saw Willow floating with her eyes closed, her green dress ruffled in the air. Buffy stood up, staring at Willow as if seeing her for the first time. Her appearance was different; her hair was shorter, her dress reminded her of hippies, and her attitude was nothing like the last time she had seen her. Willow had been so scared to use her powers after the mess she had done last time she'd lost control. She'd been so cautious about the spells she chose to use and the amount of magic she released.

The woman before her, though, appeared more confident and forward with her power. She made Buffy's heart skip a beat.

Suddenly, Willow snapped her black eyes open, gazing straight at one of the metal closets, then sent a fireball that cracked its door open. The scythe was hanging inside.

Willow looked with triumph at Buffy. Her smile died when she noticed Buffy's troubled expression. "It'll fade," she assured, talking about the dark energy surrounding her. "He just really pissed me off."

"He pissed you off and you strip him streak naked?" Buffy couldn't help the rise of her voice. Her angry tone stemmed from confusion and fear at the idea of Willow reverting to darkness again.

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked, confused.

"You acted on your own, Will. I asked you to let me handle it, but you ignored me."

Willow blinked, still looking perplexed. "I didn't hear you."

"Probably because of the whole black thing you got going on," Buffy exclaimed, now shaking with anger, fear, and disappointment. She thought they were past this by now, that Willow was back to being Willow. She wasn't ready to deal with that whole mess all over again. She'd had enough of her past rearing its ugly face at her. Sunnydale was gone, and so should be Wicked Witch Willow, Warren, and Amy.

Willow appeared upset, her eyes gradually dissolving into their natural color. She looked at General Voll and her eyes went wide with shock. Her mouth hung slightly and her lips trembled.

Buffy wasn't sure what to make of this, was Willow unaware of her actions? "You could've done a truth spell on him. You didn't have to resort to violence."

Willow's eyes were still on General Voll, still looking stunned. "Is he…?"

"He's alive. Willow, what just happened here?"

Willow shook her head, snapping out of her shock and walked to the broken closet, taking the scythe. Exasperation rose inside Buffy in waves when she remembered that General Voll was giving her information about an upcoming danger; Twilight. Thanks to Willow, she didn't even know what the hell it was. Person? Demon? Thing? Her frustration must be evident, because Willow lowered her gaze as she handed her the scythe.

Buffy's lips were set in a firm, thin line. She stared at the weapon and held it tightly with her fists. It still shined under her hold. The excitement to have her powers back wasn't as high as she'd expected. She started thinking about the other option. If she remained a normal woman, no one would hold it against her if she quit and pursued an ordinary, healthy life. One where she put her daughter first; no one would say anything to that.

Her grip tightened even more on the scythe. She returned it to Willow. "Make me a Slayer," she ordered.

Willow took the scythe and nodded.

Buffy stood back and waited, forcing in a defeated sigh. She couldn't walk away from the power. No matter how much she longed to connect with humanity, to throw away the burden and responsibilities, to go dancing in Italy, to do whatever she wanted; her heart wouldn't allow her that. She'd beat herself over it and live with guilt for the rest of her life. After being abandoned by many, she should know better than to do it to her Slayers, who loved and trusted her with their lives.

Willow held the scythe in parallel with her closed eyes, then muttered a few soft words. Suddenly, Buffy felt energy rush inside of her, going from her feet to her head. Empowered, she could feel her strong fist, ready to smash the wall before her.

She was back.

"That's it?" She grinned at Willow with amusement. "It was a big deal last time you made Slayers."

Willow shrugged, giving Buffy her scythe back. "I grew stronger this past year." She turned her back to Buffy and started drawing circles in the air.

"I can see that." Buffy locked her fingers on the scythe, holding it tight. "How did that happen? And where have you been? And where's Kennedy?"

Willow looked at her over her shoulder with a strange smile on her face. "Wouldn't you rather go home first?" A small blue portal started to form in the air where Willow was drawing circles.

Buffy wanted to protest and demand an explanation from Willow; the way she healed her completely damaged face in seconds, the White Witch attitude, the mysterious air surrounding her. However, as the portal grew wider, her heart ached for Andrea, Xander, her Slayers, and her castle. Home was where she desperately wanted to go right now.

On cue, Spike and all the other Slayers appeared in the room. Her eyes instantly locked with Spike's. Yes, home was where she desperately wanted to go.





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Buffy couldn't help the wide smile on her lips the instant she saw Xander pushing Slayers out of his way and racing towards her. She threw herself into his arms, and he tightened his hold around her enough to feel his happiness and relief that she was alive.

"So, you came to the rescue, Michelangelo." She drew back, looking at his confused expression.

A flicker of a smile passed across her face when his eyebrows shot up with realization. He grinned. "Cowabunga."

She chuckled.

A hand brushed against her arm. She turned around and was face to face with Dawn. They jumped into a hug instinctively, each one burying her face in the other's shoulder. The tighter Dawn embraced her, the bigger Buffy's smile got.

"So how'd you get out?" Dawn mumbled to her hair.

"Leave her alone, Dawn. She's obviously dead on her feet," Xander said.

"But…"

"Whatever they did, it isn't gonna be Prison Break."

Buffy felt her heartbeat relaxing at their usual banter. It was nice to feel comfortable and safe after the last few days. She couldn't wait to take a shower and get out of the washed-out material. She wasn't sure if she'd wear a hospital gown ever again.

Xander's loud happy gasp didn't startle her from the firm hold she had on Dawn. "Willow!" he hollered.

Dawn pushed her away and jumped after Xander to hug a grinning Willow.

Buffy stared at the happy reunion for a mere second before she was attacked by another bear hug. She blinked with shock when meeting Satsu's tearful eyes. No words were exchanged, but the sisterly connection passing through them warmed Buffy's heart, and she let out a soft smile.

Satsu parted from her and went to hug Rowena. "I'm glad you're back," she mumbled before drawing back and looking at Rowena's dirty appearance. "How has it been?" she asked with a frown.

"Not very vell," Rowena replied in her thick German accent.

Satsu felt Rowena's oiled longish hair. "Obviously."

Buffy looked around, searching for Andrea through the happy crowd. Her eyes landed on Spike who was standing alone in the corner, looking at the hugging fest with detachment. Buffy made one step towards him when Andrea was in her vision all of a sudden.

Renée's voice reached her. "Looking for her?"

Buffy took her daughter and cuddled her into her chest. She breathed in the scent of baby lotion and brushed her cheek on Andrea's soft black hairs. Tears started to form in her eyes, and for once she didn’t care if anyone caught her appearing vulnerable and emotional. She rubbed her wet cheeks against Andrea's, and then caught Spike's gaze on her. He had a tender smile on his lips at her display of emotion. Blood rushed to her cheeks; she felt overwhelmed to see how much love and passion there was in his eyes.

She was taken aback by a couple of arms going around her and Andrea, pulling them against a hard chest. She cast Xander a self-conscious smile before glancing at Spike, who looked away. Buffy bit her lip but stayed in Xander's embrace.

Willow approached them, looking somewhat bewildered. "That's a weird picture."

Xander loosened his hug on Buffy and they shared awkward glances.

Willow looked between the two of them. "Are you two together?"

"What? No!" Buffy exclaimed louder than she should. Willow frowned at her first and then at Xander, her expression softening into a concern. Buffy glanced at Xander and caught the sting before he replaced it with a forced smile.

A pang of guilt went through Buffy's chest and she turned her gaze to Spike who was eying them with interest.

"We were drunk. We had unprotected sex. We decided to raise our daughter together while maintaining our platonic relationship," Xander said tightly, head downcast and hands stuffed in his pockets. Buffy bit her lip uncomfortably, hating how this whole conversation was hurting him.

"There's a reason why girls tell the stories," Willow joked to lighten the mood.

Xander smiled a little. "Andrew would be offended."

"Funnily enough," Buffy chimed, feeling a little relieved that the air took a lighthearted turn. "Andrew plays a big role in how this whole thing happened."

"Guess I'm gonna hear Buffy's version of the story later." Willow grinned cheerfully, and then her gaze went to Andrea. Tenderness and warmth flickered in Willow's eyes, and she held out her hands. "Can I hold her?"

Buffy handed her Andrea, and she settled gently in Willow's arms. The way Willow held her so carefully, and the way she gazed at her with love, all made Buffy's stomach flutter with happiness. Willow stroked Andrea's soft, black hair, her warm smile not wavering. Andrea opened her eyes, awakened by the gentle caress.

"Wow, Buffy, she has your eyes," Willow whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

A smile curled up Buffy's lips, and she remembered when she heard that comment for the first time. She looked at Spike, whose eyes never left her, still filled with passion and love.

"And those are the little version of Xander's lips, and I do know Xander's lips well." Willow laughed humorously.

"Actually, they got coarse over the years," Xander said, touching his smooth lips.

Willow nodded pretending to be impressed. "Very manly."

Xander smiled, running a hand over his hair when his eye caught someone among the gaggle of Slayers. He touched Buffy's arm. "Is that our Saudi friend?" He gestured at Reem standing alone between the crowd, looking lost and weirded out.

Buffy nodded.

"Back to business." Xander rubbed his hands together then walked towards Reem, and Buffy followed him.

"Uh… Reem Al Nasser?" Xander asked.

"Yes?" Reem answered, her eyes focusing on the eye-patch with wonderment.

"We talked to Mrs. Al Nasser…" Xander started.

Renée coughed. "Mrs. Al Malek."

Xander looked shamefaced, biting his lower lip. "Yeah, right. Mrs. Al Malek."

Buffy raised an eyebrow at Xander for an explanation.

"Well, Muslim women don't take the last name of their husbands after marriage. Never. Ever. Always stick with your last name."

Buffy forced her laugh to remain locked in her throat. Reem's mom must have beaten that information into Xander.

"What's happening?" Dawn popped out of nowhere and grinned at the gurgling Andrea in Renée's arms.

"Xander doesn't respect Middle Eastern culture," Buffy teased.

Dawn mock frowned. "Bad Xander."

Xander shook his head at them with a bored expression.

"You talked to my mother?" Reem asked, looking desperate and scared at the same time. Buffy's eyes softened at her with sympathy. She could still remember the few hesitant tries before she'd pulled her courage and knocked the door to her house. The fear and anxiety exploded inside her the second her mom opened the door only to vanish when she'd been drawn into a tight embrace.

"Yes, we did. We sent one of the Slayers there to keep your parents posted and we promised that we'll tell them once we find you," Xander said. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She tensed, but he kept his hand there. "Do you want to be found?"

Reem nodded quickly. "I do, please."

"Alright-y." Xander brought out his cell phone and dialed the Slayer's number. He rolled his eye when the line was busy. He dialed again but it was still busy. Crossing his arms, he huffed in irritation. "Guess we have to wait."

Buffy looked at Dawn, about to comment, but stopped short when she noticed Dawn smiling at Spike and mouthing a 'Thank you' to him. He smiled back and nodded.

Xander dialed the Slayer's number for the third time, and the result was the same. "Damn it, Judy," he yelled at his cell phone. Reem jumped slightly at his yell, and he gave her an awkward, comforting grin.

As Xander cursed his damn luck and waited for Judy to hang up in order to pick up, Buffy looked mischievously at Dawn. "You were smiling at Spike," she said.

"What?" Dawn acted like she didn't hear her.

"I saw you."

Dawn shrugged and pretended to be interested in Leah and Rowena's reunion. "Well, he saved your life."

Buffy smirked. "I bet you were the one who called him."

"Actually, I went to him. Spike doesn't have a cell phone." Dawn looked at Buffy again. "Xander asked me to go."

Buffy blinked at Xander with shock, but he was busy cursing at his cell phone to notice.

"We worked together and then things got… better, in a way," Dawn said. "What I'm saying is, if you invite me to come over and he'd be around, I won't say no." She smiled at Buffy, and Buffy returned it. Dawn and Spike's more or less reconciliation was good news to hear.

"Finally," Xander muttered. A few seconds and Judy answered. "Hey, Judy, where are you?" His expression changed from annoyed to pleased. "Good. Listen, put Mrs. Al Malek on screen; we found the daughter." He rolled his eye. "Yeah, seriously, Judy, just put her on."

Everybody's eyes went to the screen that flashed white before a woman appeared. The woman looked dignified and strong, her features were sharply angled and the black Louis Vuitton veil she was wearing gave her an elegant appearance. Buffy would have felt uncomfortable in the presence of such a woman, if it wasn't for the relieved expression Mrs. Al Malek had and the way her eyes became glassy all of a sudden. She said a few unrecognizable words in Arabic and tried hard not to break down.

Reem moved closer to the screen. "Yumma?" her voice wavered. "Yumma, sa… samhini…" Reem couldn't say another word, probably because of a distinctive lump in her throat.

Tears slid down Mrs. Al Malek's cheeks as she cried some words in Arabic. Her words made Reem break down uncontrollably. Buffy wiped her own tears with her fingers before they slipped on her cheeks and turned around, uneasy. She froze in her place when she caught Xander leading Spike out of the room.



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