Author’s Notes: Thanks to Kar for being so quick with edits given my sudden burst of speed as the story nears it’s end. And for the spiffy new banner. Only two installments to go folks. Thanks to all of you who are reading and especially those who are reviewing. The reviews on the last chapter helped me to know some things I needed to clear up in this chapter (where Tara is, for example). So please keep that feedback coming.

In our nineteenth installment Willow reacts to Xander’s murder.

Chapter Nineteen: Villains


There was a high animal keening and Buffy eventually realized it was coming from her. The body was still in her arms and she couldn't let go, couldn't stop looking into the dead eyes of what had once been Xander. Blood soaked her body from Xander's chest, his mouth, and her own wounded shoulder.

Willow, she realized after a moment, Willow had been hit too? A bullet had gone through the kitchen window and she had screamed. Willow could be hurt… or worse. But going inside the house to check on Willow would mean letting go of Xander and somehow she could not do it. If she stirred the world would start moving again too. And there wouldn’t be a Xander in it anymore. So she stayed still and held her breath.

"Buffy? Buffy, what happened?"

Willow's voice was eerily calm as she descended the front steps. Her eyes were clouded over and there was blood slicking down her chest as well. Buffy felt a sense of sickening dread as she watched the bullet slip out of Willow's shoulder into the witch's hand.

"We have to... have to call the police," Buffy managed. "Warren. Warren..." Saying it would make it true. She wrapped her arms tighter around the corpse so that the body's head fell against her shoulder, as though hiding the face would spare Willow. "Warren killed Xander."

"No." Willow yanked the body from Buffy's grasp and tumbled to the grass as the weight pulled her down. She pressed her hands over his heart then ran them frantically over his face and body. "No!"

Buffy shivered as the air went chill and clouds gathered over the sun. "NO!" Willow's eyes had gone black.

"Willow," Buffy tried. The blood loss was making her woozy. "We have to... have to call the police. Please."

"The police?" Willow's voice, Buffy barely recognized it. "No, I don't think so."

Buffy goggled at her. "Willow, no. He's human. You can't... The police will find him."

She wasn't really sure it was Willow now who was talking back to her. "Not if I find him first."

Buffy tried to fight the dazed sensation that was seeking over her, but Willow was already moving, sweeping past her and taking the clouds with her.

"Right." Buffy heard a disembodied voice say. "Don't think I'll be letting that happen. But just in case..." She saw the floating taser a split second before it jolted into her wrecked shoulder. "I might need a little bargaining chip."

He’d made himself invisible, she realized. And he was touching her. The piece of shit who had killed Xander was right in front of her, and she couldn’t move her arms to stop him. She felt it bubbling up in her too, what must have hit Willow already. She’d been willing to kill before. But she knew what it felt like too, when she thought she’d made Katrina’s death. She had to stop Willow. But invisible hands grasped her throbbing arm and she was shoved into the back of a van. Something heavy smashed against her skull and everything went dark.


---------

“Dude. There’s, like, cops all over your house.”

Dawn blinked dumbly at the sight for a minute, forgetting Jeremy Sutter at her side completely as she noted police, an ambulance, and one of those pop-up stretchers covered with a white sheet.

A body-shaped white sheet.

Suddenly her triumph at getting some dumb guy to walk her home seemed like something she’d felt a century ago. “Go home,” she ordered solemnly before sprinting toward the crime scene.

“Miss! Miss! Stop!”

“This is my house,” she insisted. “Who… what happened?”

“I’m sorry, young lady. There’s been a shooting. We’re—“

“Has anyone called my mom? Where’s my sister? Is that her?” she pointed at the stretcher. It looked too bulky to be Buffy. In fact, it almost had to be... “Oh my god, Xander.”

“Alexander Harris?” The cop gave her a sad look. “I’m sorry, but it appears your friend was shot.”

“What happened? Oh god, Anya.” She could barely get the words out. “Has anyone told his wife yet?”

Another of the officers put a warm hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t we take a ride,” she suggested.

“I need to see him first.” She could feel them exchanging looks over her head, but finally the woman escorted her to the gurney. Dawn pulled the sheet down. The skin on his cheek was still warm and his eyes were closed. Xander looked like he was sleeping, rumpled hair and slack mouth. Except that there was a trail of blood from his lips to his chin. Like a sleeping vampire Xander.

Only he wasn’t a vampire. Xander wouldn’t rise again. There would be no more Xander ever. No sign of her sister. Maybe she had seen it. Maybe she was already on the trail of whatever had done this. Dawn certainly hoped so.

“Thank you,” she managed as she pulled the sheet back over him.



She couldn’t bring herself to look at Anya as the officer recited her little speech. It was hard enough to hear her. “I don’t understand. What do you mean he’s dead? Xander can’t be dead. There can’t just suddenly be no more Xander! That’s just… stupid.”

At least Tara was there too. She’d been at the cash register when they’d come in, and now she had her arms around Anya’s waist, likely the only thing that was keeping the other woman upright.

“It's mortal and stupid.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” Dawn heard herself whimper as Tara tightened her grip.

“We’ll need you to come downtown within the next few days, fill out some paperwork…” The officer droned. Customers were shooting Anya pained glances and filing out. Anya just stood clinging to Tara and the countertop. When the officer was gone, it was only the three of them in the silent shop.

“Can you lock up?” Tara whispered. “I think I better take her home, stay with her for a while.”

Dawn nodded numbly. She hugged Anya tight but still couldn’t bear to look at her face. There was a loud rumbling. Tara’s head shot up. Outside in the distance Dawn could see a concentrated swarm of dark clouds.

“Willow,” Anya said quietly.

“Oh no.” Tara looked pained. “Do you think she’s after whoever did this? What if she loses control?”

Dawn finally brought herself to look at Anya. Their eyes met and Dawn had the disorienting feeling that she was looking in a mirror.

“Good.”

---------


“What the hell are you doing with the Slayer, you moron?”

“It must be part of some clever scheme!”

“Just re-visible me already, numb nuts. What are you even doing back here? Thought you were through with us.”

“I am through with you, you retards. I just came to get my stuff and then I’m going to go stay with my parents until I have to go on trial for your last ‘clever scheme’. And you never answered my question about Buffy Summers and why she’s unconscious in your hideout.”

“You’re not gonna… do stuff to her, are you? ‘Cause her boyfriend is kinda scary.”

“Not a bad plan, but no. I may need her for negotiating. I just killed Xander Harris and I think I winged Willow.”

“You… You killed Xander? You better fucking hope you did more than wing Willow.”

Willow felt an absurd grin split her face. “Thanks for the concern, Jonathan. I’m just peachy.” She smiles widely at Warren. “You’re about to be less so.”

Tucker’s brother hopped up in her face. “You stay away from Warren!”

She rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t sound like either of you two had anything to do with this, so I’m willing to let you go.” As she spoke Warren was snapped back against the wall, splayed out and sputtering.

“Come on, Andrew,” Jonathan whispered loudly. “Let’s get out of here.”

“We have to help Warren!”

“Bored now,” Willow sighed. One of the action figures on the shelf shattered.

“NO! Not BOBA FETT!”

“Andrew, come on.” Jonathan grabbed the other boy by the back of his shirt and hustled out the way she’d come in.

“Now that we’re alone,” she cooed, “what to do with you?” She fondled the bullet she’d expelled from her own body. “You do seem fond of bullets…”

Warren’s eyes went wide as the bullet levitated toward him. “What are you doing?”

”Shush!”

”Hey! I'm sorry, okay?”

She smiled wider. “Oh, are you? Sorry? Wow, that’s… do you know what Xander is? Xander is dead, you miserable thing!” The bullet pressed pierced the cloth of his shirt and she listened to his gasp as it drilled ever-so-slowly into his skin.

“Stop! God, please!” He gasped as the metal dug in.

“Willow. Willow, no.” Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Buffy struggling to her feet. There was a rod sticking out of the wall. When Buffy grasped it, it fell to the floor and so did the Slayer.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” She kept the pace steady. She wanted Warren to feel every moment as it worked its way into his heart, wanted him to live everything he’d put Xander through in slow motion. “Something, isn't it? One tiny piece of metal destroys everything. You tore his heart up. Took him away from us, from Anya, from me. From the world... Do you know how few Xanders there are? There was just the one, and now he’s gone. And a waste like you gets to live? Something just seems a mite unfair about that.”

Buffy had regained her feet and the end of the rod had an impressive blade. “Willow! Stop this!”

Willow sighed. She didn’t want to fight Buffy. “I was going to draw this out,” she explained mournfully as Warren twitched and shrieked, blood beginning to pool below his feet.

Her hand shot in the Slayer’s direction and the axe flew out of Buffy’s hand and into her grip. Warren loosed from the wall and stumbled forward. “Thanks,” she hissed to her friend. She turned her black eyes to Warren and gave him one last smirk. Then she hefted the axe and took her swing.

---------

Only two parts to go, if you can believe it. This has been such fun! Thank you all.