Deathwishes...Part XVI...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Anne...
Part XVI...
Like all great battle plans...Warren had noted to his allies as he gave the final briefing three hours
earlier that evening...Amy standing beside him...
This one is deceptively simple...
Thank God....he had not said, looking at the three Zorg had persuaded to join the action...
"It consists of three defined elements..."
First...The target, our dear Slayer...Kept under surveillance by our fair witch's tracking spell...
In the present, three hours following the time of Warren's briefing, Buffy now entered the McGarvey
cemetery...Spike's former home...A quiet Patrol so far...
Followed on Amy's spell map by her waiting "nemesis"...er "nemeses"...
The second...Warren had noted back at the briefing...Our diversionary force...
Three of the demons had looked at him, nodding a bit wanly...Ummn...?
Us, gentlemen...Zorg had explained...
My apologies, miss...he'd hissed to Amy...Waving sadly at his comrades...
In the old days, back in the Death's Head Brigade...he'd sighed...
Stationed by the side entrance to the McGarvey cemetery...A place the Slayer has always seemed
quite drawn to...
Home of her dear Spike...Warren had smirked...Not aware that William had recently changed his
address...
"Dear...?" Zorg had asked...A trifle startled...
Knew William the Bloody had turned traitor after his emasculation but...
"She's been involved with him..." Amy had explained...
Emotionally involved...she'd noted...
Really?...Zorg had blinked...
William the Bloody bagged his third...One of the other demons had explained to his confused
colleagues...
Wow...Echeb, a multi-horned Scarb demon was impressed...
Three Slayers...A definite record...
But...Then...
How come we're here?...
The human way with Summers...his informant had snickered...
Eehew...One made a face...
In the present, alerted by cell phone, the four demon allies, led by Zorg, now entered the cemetery
via a side gate...Dispersing as instructed and moving toward the center of the place...
The third...Warren had noted, smiling at Amy...Who hadn't been able to resist a faint smile back...
Us...Already in our separate positions...Moving in and over to the north part of the cemetery during
one of the security guards' shift changes...Set and ready as our target enters the zone...
In fact, as events unfolded in the present, they'd had to wait nearly an hour beyond the Slayer's
usual time for reaching the cemetery...Buffy having less reason to be eager to get over to McGarvey
these days, unbeknownst to their primary source, Amy...
Which fact had left an irritated Warren pacing his immediate waiting area...At some risk to the
scheme, Amy noted to him when she'd caught up with him...
At this point in the briefing earlier one of the three junior demon partners for lack of certainty as to
rules of etiquette had raised his hand somewhat nervously...
"But how do we transform the Slayer...? We'll be fighting her, right?...And we're not vampires...
Can the witch do it?..." he'd asked...
No...Warren had shaken his head, grinning...
Amy can't...And you'll be running from Ms. Summers...Not fighting...
Hopefully...he'd thought...As these clowns won't last ten seconds...
But...?
"There's a fourth element..." Warren had smiled...
A bit less defined...And somewhat unpredictable...But...In a cemetery like McGarvey...Always at
hand...
Our vampire sire...
Oh...Two of the junior troops had nodded...
"But...What if nobody rises tonight...?" the hand?raiser had persisted...
"My friend..." Warren had expansively beamed at him...
This is a Sunnydale cemetery...There are always vamp rising...Besides...
"This particular one has at least two permanent residents..."
William the Bloody...And...Warren had looked at Amy...
"Think his name's Phil..." she'd replied...A hair uncertain...
Whoa...All the bases covered...The three had nodded contentedly...
"Mr. Mears...?" Zorg had eyed his partner...Questioningly...
Has not Spike had plenty of opportunity to turn Ms. Summers in the past?...Why should we consider
him a possible sire candidate now...?
Kinda interested in that myself, Warren...Amy had thought...Eyeing him...
"Spike has a behavioral chip implanted in his brain to prevent him attacking humans..." Warren had
explained...
Courtesy those government types who were here a couple of years ago...He came to me for help with
it once...
Jesus...Echeb had shaken his head in horror...That's not right...
Those damned Initiative bastards...he'd sighed sadly...
How could we let such things happen in this country?...
"There's no guarantee that he'd help out...But if Summers were dropped at his feet, unconscious and
unable to defend herself..." Warren had smirked...
True love might take its natural course, in spite of some momentary pain...
In any case...The sire will not be a problem...We could even go find one outside the grounds...
The real trick is getting the drop on our dear Buffy...
"And that...With Amy's assist...Is my own unique contribution..." Warren had concluded...
***
In the cemetery, present time three hours later...
Buffy frowned at the little guard...The vamp from the other night when William had announced his
homecoming with a bang...
Who'd come running up, greeting her as an old friend as she made her rounds of the McGarvey
grounds...
Still...He had tried to help her with Spike the other night, she had to give him credit...
God...Vampire boyfriends, undead husbands, me resurrected and reincarnated...And now, sober and
responsible vamp citizens trying to earn their blood in honest and honorable fashion...
Where, oh where have those simple days of Slaying gone?...
"Everything quiet here?..." she made an effort to be polite...
Absolutely, the vamp nodded...
And your human partner?...
"Still human?..." she eyed him...
Oh, yeah...he nodded his head emphatically...
But...It's a new guy...Last coupla nights...
High turnover...he explained hastily...I swear...
You could check with the home office regards my old partner, Mike...
"The new guy...Bill...He's checking down over that way..." he pointed...
Ok...Buffy nodded...
"I'll take a look around and leave it to you...But..." she frowned..."This is probation, you
know...Dependent on your continued good behavior..."
Right...he put up a hand...
You can count on Phil, Slayer...he told her gratefully...
"All right...Phil..." she nodded...And headed for the other side of the graveyard, down the same row
of large monuments where she'd encountered William the other night...
Phew...Phil mopped his forehead...One tough lady...He watched her moving quickly down the row
of white and beige...
Still, nice girl...Not nearly as harsh as some of the guys described her...
Kinda pretty picture...Her moving in the center between the stone and marble blocks and statues on
either side...As they glistened in the moonlight...
But duty calls...He headed off about his rounds...
Hmmn...
I smell the blood of a clueless happy meal...Definitely not good ole Bill...
He turned and walked towards the scent's source...
Not that he was even for a moment considering...
Just...His job...Gotta keep those poor graves undesecrated by those idiot punk kids...
Of course...If he did manage to catch one, alone...With the Slayer off about her own work...
Well...The place was clearly posted...No Trespassing on Penalty of Prosecution...
And he'd just be dispensing...Immediate justice...Protecting the sacred graves of the dead from
molestation...
His job...Both a duty...And...Sometimes...A pleasure...
***
Well...William groused to himself, moving slowly down the street...
Here we are again...Out looking for Buffy...
Dog off its leash looking for its owner...
Looking for yet another kick, perhaps...?
Jesus!...He jumped as Anya materialized beside him...
"Hi..." she smiled...
Sorry...Didn't mean to...
"Girl...Wear a bell or something..." he frowned...
Just wanted to see how you were...she glared...
"Still dead...still twitching..." he eyed her...
Harris send you?...
"My idea..." she noted, a bit annoyed...
Figured Buffy would like to know how you're doing...And that someone was watching out for you
while she...
Ah...He doesn't trust me...Will smiled...
Natural enough I suppose...
"He's concerned...About Buffy...Even about you..."
"The Man of Love"...Will grinned...
"It suits..." Anya replied firmly...
But this was my idea...she repeated...
Are you ok, Will?...she stared at him...
And looked round...
"You're looking for Buffy, right?..."
I can just wanta take a stroll, lady...I've been cooped up all day in a crypt, you know...he frowned at
her...
"I'm fine...Thanks..." he added, a tad more graciously...Seeing her concerned face...
Like Buffy's when she left this afternoon...
"You think I'm being too hard on her?..." he asked as they walked...
Are you asking me as Anya the human Buffy friend?...Or Anyanka the vengeance demon ready to
grant your wish for revenge?...she eyed him...
He stared...
"Better me than somebody like Haly..." she smiled...
I'd push you into wishing she had a bad hair day or a pimple...
"I don't want to hurt her..." he shook his head...
But...
"You've had a terrible hand dealt you, Will...In that great non-governmentally sponsored lottery
called life...It's only natural you're angry..."
They walked on in silence...
Ummn...she paused...
"You know...I think Buffy's on Patrol up around the McGarvey cemetery...Do you want to head
over?..."
I dunno...he sighed...
Maybe it's best not to meet up with her for a day or two...
"She'd be glad...To have your help..." Anya noted...
He looked away...
"Said she loves me..." he muttered...Not looking at her...
This afternoon, back in my crypt...Before Xan took her home...
She loves me...he looked down the street, at the various storefronts...And at a few couples strolling
by...
"Well...Cicely "loved me" too...For a little while..."
What makes you think she stopped loving you?...Anya looked at him...
What are the signs, Will?...How do you fix it?...Tell me... she did not say...But stared intently at
him...
"She hasn't told you?..." he stopped and looked at her...
About that night?...he stared at her face...
Right...he nodded...Well, maybe she doesn't remember all of it yet...
But she remembered enough...
Years ago...She remembered enough...
"What happened...?" Anya asked kindly...
He put up a hand...
"Lets just say...She decided ole William was "beneath her"..."
Too poor, too awful a poet...Not enough for her...
She stared at him...
"It's funny you mentioned Halfreck..." he looked at her...
Spike knew her...In Hell vaguely, I think...Her pure demon anyway...And she met him later one or
twice...
Haly?...
"And oddest thing...She's rather like Cicely...A little older now...A few pounds heftier...But unless
memory fails me...She's Cicely older twin..."
Anya blinked...
Cicely's twin...?
"She came to Dawn..." Anya muttered...
Dawn...Made from Buffy...she thought...
Oh...My...God...
What...? he stared at her...
"Excuse me...Back later..." she waved, vanishing...
I just can't keep them...he sighed to himself, continuing to walk along...
Hmmn...McGarvey cemetery...
Five miles at least...
Well, got nothing else to do...
Yeah...he chuckled at himself a little...
We may be estranged...But a good little Victorian hubby always checks to see the little woman is a-
ok...
Can't allow the Missus Walthrop to be accosted by miscreants...
Give her a laugh to see me running up, anyway...he sighed...
But picked up his pace a bit...A sudden, odd little cloud of fear gripping his heart...
I shouldn't have let her go without telling her it was all right...
I shouldn't have let her go out alone...
I should have said...
Ridiculous...Nothing's gonna happen to this Slayer...Defeater of goddesses...
Reincarnated, resurrected...
He picked it up still more...
***
C'mon...
Pick up the phone...Dawn groused at her cell phone...
Anya?...Geesh...
Not at the shop...Not at Xander's...Not at her apartment...
The only person who could help me...Unless Willow were here...Maybe Giles in a pinch...
Well...Xander was home...I could call him back...
And tell him...I think Halfreck may have worked for Cicely...Buffy once...Yeah...That'll do it...
Still...
Course there's always the direct approach...Ask her straight out...And Halfreck always did like me...
Especially when she was gonna kill me, granting my stupid wish...
Hmmn...Buf would ground me for...Still...If I got Halfreck to tell what she did and why...
But...How do I summon Haly anyway?...Act morose I guess...
Well...The direct approach always is the best they say....
But, maybe best to try outside...Don't need any more bloodstains or wrecked furniture, even if she is
in a good mood...She moved to a spot in the backyard...
"Halfreck!..." she yelled...
***
Deathwishes...Part XVII...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XVII...
"Xander!..." Anya cried...Materializing in his living room...
He hasn't changed a thing...Oh...she sighed...
He might vacuum once in a while...Geesh...
Xander emerged from the bathroom...
Oh...she sighed again...
Our old bathroom...The shower of infinite delights...
The toothpaste tubes and razors we shared...
Well, he never knew I used his razors on my legs...
An?...he stared at her...
"Ummn...This is about Buffy and William, Xander...I think you better sit down..."
He sat down...
Oh...He's sitting on our old sofa...The way he always used to...When I'd push him aside to grab my
favorite spot...Sigh...
Anya?...
Hmmn...? Oh, yeah...Duty...
Proving that my compassion for things human...More or less, considering William/Spike...Is still
intact...Despite my reversion to demonhood...Merged-soul, non-lethality-committed demonhood...
"Xander...I just found out something about Cicely...And Halfreck..."
Halfreck?...he stared...
Halfreck...she nodded...
***
Odd...Amy thought as she scanned the cemetery...
I only sense one measly vamp here tonight...Just one...
Must be that idiot guard guy, Phil...
Where's Spike...? Buffy's here...He just got back from wherever he was all summer a couple nights
ago...This was his home, after all...He should be around, annoying her...While she pretends she can't
stand his presence a moment longer...Then goes off with him to have sex...
Well...I guess they're taking a break...She had been keeping her distance from him the last few times
I saw them together before he left...
Maybe he just stopped off to say good-bye and left for good...
What a shame...They made a nice couple...Sort of Hepburn and Tracy, Beatrice and Benedict...
Not that I'm doing this for Buffy's benefit...But if it woulda united their demons forever
immortally...I might have felt a hair better about the whole thing...
Well...As Warren said at the meeting...There's always a vamp somewhere nearby in Sunnydale...
In fact...I faintly sense two or three within three miles...Not a big deal...
In case Phil wusses on us...
Shame it might have to be him, though...
She felt Buffy approaching...From the southwest...
Well...Time to assume my role...she thought...Waving her arms...
***
Buffy halted, tensed as she sensed...Demons...
Approaching from several points...Just to the east and south of her...
She swung around as Zorg and his "men" appeared across the flat modern stretch of the central
cemetery...
A rather scruff-looking crew, except perhaps for old Zorg himself...He rather tall and distinguished?
looking...For a hideous, scab-covered demon with mucus-filled loose skin plates on the sides of his
head rising and falling with each breath that is...
Hmmn...she frowned...
They didn't seem all that interested in charging her directly...Moving off fast to the side...
Guess it'll have to be an intercept rather than beating off a frontal assault...she thought...
Pity Dawny can't be here...These fellas don't look like much and it would be good for her to see me
on the offensive...
She picked up after them...Moving diagonally across the row of tombstones...
Shame they cut down all the trees in this section...Just to crowd more tombstones in...Spike's old
crypt in the older southern section at least had some decent shade trees and bushes...
***
"Anyanka..." Haly frowned at her...
You know I can't divulge client information...It would be a breech of trust...
She stood in Xander's living room facing Anya and Xander...
"Well...Dreamboat...?" she smiled coldly at Xander...
Still alive and kickin'...?
Anyanka...I am shocked...she grinned...
In the old days...
"I called you here to tell us about Cicely Addams...And Buffy Summers...Haly..." Anya glared...
Not to jerk my ex-'s chain...
And I told you...I...Can't...Tell...You...Halfreck folded her arms...
"I wish...You'd tell me, Halfreck..." Xander tried...
Oooh...Haly grinned...Such a clever little Dreamboat...
A wish...Gee...
Only problem is, see...You're not my client...
"Unless you're seeking vengeance on some of those girls who used to torment you back at
Sunnydale High?..." she eyed him... "Maybe turn them into cawing crows?...Or worse, cut off their
charge accounts?..."
You could do that?...Xander looked at her...
"Could even turn them all into Xander-adoring sexrobots like that Buffy-bot..." she grinned...
Really?...
"Xander!?..." Anya glared...
Just stringing her along, An...Til you think of something...he hastily replied...
"Haly...? You took Cicely's form in 1880?...And this is her form you're in now, right?..." Anya
looked at her...
Well...Yeah...Halfreck nodded...
I kinda liked it...And William was very fond of it...
I was hopin'...Maybe in time...Coupla centuries or two...Spike might come to look on me a bit...As
sort of a substitute Cicely...
Of course my original human form wasn't that different to begin with...Just...We ancient Egyptians
had such bad teeth and all...she added...
"I added a few years...And pounds...So I could do the guidance counselor thing with dear Dawny..."
Wanta see the real Cicely?...she grinned...and took on a younger, more slender form...In 1880-style
dress...
"Mr. Harris...Anyanka...So delightful to see you again..." she curtsied slightly...Offering a delicate
hand...Twirling a parasol...Speaking with a pronounced British accent...The exact accent Xander
and Anya had heard Buffy speaking with in brief episodes over the past few days...
So that's Buffy in 1880...Xander thought...
She resumed her Halfreck form...
"Why did she do it, Haly...?" Anya stared at her... "Why did Cicely have you drive Will away?"
Ask her...Halfreck eyed her coolly...
She's the client...
Buffy doesn't remember yet...Anya replied...
Really?...Halfreck grinned...
"How convenient for her..."
So nice to have that good ole... "I was reincarnated and don't remember a thing" excuse handy...
"Did William buy it?..." she smiled...
Probably did...He always was a fool for love...
Her face fell a bit...
"And he always did love her...Even after..."
"Poor fool..." she sighed...
Tell us what happened that night, Haly...Anya pleaded...
"Please...We've got..."
Whoops!...Haly waved a hand...
Sorry...Summons in progress...Gotta go...
"Haly!..." Anya cried...
She vanished...
***
What are these fellas up to?...Buffy thought as she raced after Zorg's diversionary force...
They keep backing away every time I think they're gonna make a stand...
Might be an ambush in progress...But where's everybody else...? Plus they've got some kind of
magics knowledge...
Twice throwing up an illusion to fool her while they slipped away...
Good thing I have Giles' amulet to deflect any normal spell casting on me personally...Not enough
to hold off a super-Willow but against the run of the mill love-spell caster, animal-shape-
transformer...Good enough...
Wise call on his part to prevent any more monks, evil Ethan-style wizards, or angry wiccans
(meaning Amy only, of course...Willow is fine, now...just fine) from messing with my mind or
body...
She focused on the closest one, poor Echeb...If she could just catch one and get some info out of
him...
***
She's really moving...Warren noted to himself, watching Buffy via night vision goggles...
Good thing we didn't plan on just trying to shoot her or tranquillizer dart her...We'd never hit her
tonight from any distance...
Say...What's with the funny hat...? he wondered...
"Warren?..." Amy hissed, drawing near...
Jesus, Mary, And Joseph!...he blinked in fright, eyeing her...
And I'm not even Catholic...
Boo...Amy grinned wanly at him...
Or at least her intent was to be grinning wanly...
In her present form...A leetle hard to tell...
"Whatdaya think...?"
I think Jonathan has to take a seat far in the rear of the bus compared to you...he grinned back...
Really?...she beamed...
"You look great too...Warren..." she told him...A shy tone in her voice rather out of place with the
hideous eight foot tall snarled red demon form she'd taken...
Slayer's nearly caught up with our boys...Warren noted...
Time for our little playlet...
***
She loves me...She must have loved me...William repeated over and over to himself, hustling down
the road through downtown...
She'd have no reason to lie to me now...Unless...
Cicely always was kind...When she wasn't sending me flying across her back garden...For
absolutely valid reasons, of course...
And with the exception of that one night...When kindness failed her...Or, she decided the situation
called for harsh measures...
She might...Have passed that kindness of hers onto Buffy...Buffy might...Be trying to ease things for
me...
Help the poor lost boy...The way she tried to help a poor student friend of her cousin's in...
But no...No...She married me...That wasn't charity...That wasn't kindness...Hell, she asked me...
She loved me...She loves me...I felt it...I feel it...
I stayed around for a century because I knew it...Believed she'd come for me...One day...
But...he paused in midstep...If she was the Slayer...And knew what I'd become...
Why?...Why didn't she come for me?...Release me?
Of course...If she reincarnated before Buffy...And tried to stop me before...
God, if only I'd known Chinese...
If it's true...If she loved me enough to come back for me after all these years...
Then she loved me in 1880...And it was all some kind of terrible, horrible...
Accident...?...Misunderstanding...?...
No...Oh...Christ...he put his hand to his head...Buffy Summers...Cicely Addams...The Greatest
Slayers of All Time...Constantly called on to fight evil...
Compassionate and protective of all they love...To a dangerous fault at times...
She was protecting me...
She drove me off...To keep me safe...
Jesus...Some protection...
Damn her...
She never trusted me with the truth...Never believed in me...Never trusted in us...
How could she not have known...?
That I wouldn't have cared...That I would've gladly died the night of our wedding...Just to be with
her for whatever time we had...
Little Willy the poor poof poet must be protected...Even if my heart must be shattered...That was it...
I was "beneath her" all right...Her feeble little poor boy husband...No choice in the matter for him...
Well, Cics...That was a freakin' brilliant move on your part I must say...
God knows what happened to my family...I nearly killed your reincarnated self (unless, oh God, you
were those other Slayers as well...)...Nearly lost my soul in Spike...Came as close as possible to
making you hate me forever...
Really think we're gonna have to work at this marriage a bit, girl...
***
Poor Echeb had exhausted the small bag of illusion spells Amy had doled out to the four demons...
And Buffy was closing in on him...
He halted...Ready to face his doom and too exhausted really to care anymore...
Buffy came up to him...Now in the middle of McGarvey cemetery...
Exactly where the plan called for her to be...
"Who are you?..." Buffy called to him as she came up...Cautiously scanning for the expected
ambush despite the lack of demon vibes...
Just...Walking...Slayer...Not...Doin'...Any...Harm...he gasped out...Wheezing now as he watching
her...
Who...Are...You?...she repeated...
I want an answer...Now...she raised her stake...
Echeb...he replied...Still gasping...Now falling to his knees...
And...? she glared...
He blinked at her...Slayer?...Don't use a last name...he explained...
She rolled her eyes...Shaking her head...
"Why are you here?...No more games..."
Just...Out for...A Walk...
Uhnnn...she groaned...
And put the stake to his throat...
He gulped...Rearing back on his knees as much as possible...
Well...? she glared...
"My other pal...Is the hunter...We're just the...Ummn..."
Diversionary force...
She blinked at him...
A scream came across the rows of tombstones...Human, from the north...
My pal got lucky...Echeb noted happily...
She pulled the stake away and raced off as he watched her...
Nice girl...he thought...
Very compassionate...Concerned...
Wonder how soon before her demon will go out dating...?
***
Up in the north part of the cemetery, a now somewhat-winded Buffy came upon Phil's partner, Bill
the human...And the eight foot "hunter" demon Echeb had mentioned... Bill groaning as the huge
demon lifted him helpless in its arms...Its four pals, the "diversionary force", having fled the
cemetery for now...
Buffy raced over to the thing's side and let off a hard kick...The creature staggered back, dropping
the guard...
Bill rolled on the ground, clearly the worse for wear...As was the demon, now on its knees, gasping...
Rather easy this fella, considering its size...she noted...
She caught her breath a bit, moving over to the guard while eyeing the creature...Which suddenly
vanished...
Whoa...She tensed...Magics capable and Invisibility?...Or a teleporter...?
Wish Anya were here...
She looked at ole Bill...Still moaning a bit...And helped him up...
"Thanks...Miss..." he gasped...
What...What was...?
"Who knows...?" she shrugged, smiling...
You ok?...she eyed him...
Middle-aged, on the hefty side...
A stereotypic security guard...
Funny though, something in his voice...Sounded...Vaguely...
"Don't...feel...Well..." he gasped again...Clutching his chest...
He staggered and she grabbed him...
Heart...he moaned...
"I'll call an ambulance..." she told him...
Please...I'll be ok...Just get me...Over to the guards' shack...By the main entrance...My meds are
there...he groaned...
"Can't let the company think...I can't handle it...My job...Please..."
Hmmn...
Perfectly understandable...Buffy thought...Given the circumstances...
And after all that racing around...I could use a break...
Really should recommend to his company they have folks here in somewhat better physical
condition, though...
Hmmn...You know...William will need a job...And I'll bet he could get in some writing time
working here...
Plus it might help Spike deal with the loss of control...That guaranteed bit of violence every night...
Might even be something for me to consider...If it pays better than Doublemeat...
Workin' with the hu...she grinned to herself as she helped Bill, who seemed a tad better,
along...Well...Lets not rush things...
Oh...!...Bill groaned again, collapsing in her grip...
His ring, a large one on his fourth left finger, scrapping her hand as he sagged...
Geesh...CPR, how do you do CPR?...she thought, settling him on the ground...
Wish Xander were here...Our resident expert...
God, I really gotta take a first aid class...
The large demon reappeared ten feet in front of her...Baring fangs...
Crap...
She reared back, assuming a defensive posture...But...Felt...Something...
Wrong...?
Dizzy...?
"Get out of...Here..." she called to the demon...
Or...I...Will hurt you this...
Oh...?...she wobbled a bit...What...?
"Something wrong, Buffy?..." the demon smiled at her...
What...? Buffy tried to keep her stance...
The creature for its part a bit bruised and battered by Buffy's womanhandling a moment
before...But...
It pulled a dart gun up...And fired...
Buffy gasped, staggering...
What...Are you...? she collapsed...
"Hey...Don't go without saying goodbye to your old pal..." Bill grinned at her as he stood up...
She blinked, as she writhed a little on the ground...Passing out...
Warren started to remove his fat pads and wiped some of the wax makeup from his face...
Buffy opened her eyes, moaning...Staring at him...
Who...?
"Better give her another shot...Slayers are preety resistant..." he noted...
The creature dutifully fired again...
No...Buffy groaned...
Oh...God...Not now...No...
"William..." she moaned...
William...
"Guess it was true love at that..." Warren smiled at Amy as she resumed her human form and they
stared at the now unconscious Buffy...
Amy stared at Buffy...
"Well...So..." Warren leered at the still form of the Slayer...
The mighty Summers brought low...
Now just the last piece to fit in...he eyed his partner...
"Vamps?..." he asked...
One nearby...she noted, still staring at Buffy...
"Hmmn...Well, lets hope it's dear ole Spike...I like doing things for my past customers..." he
grinned...
And if he loves her?...Amy looked at him...
He can either take her...Or we kill him and get someone else...Warren sneered...
"Better go and lead him...Or her...Over here..." he noted...
We don't have all that much time...he eyed Buffy...
***
What a night...Phil groused to himself...Having traced Amy's faint scent back and forth across the
cemetery...Finally to ole Bill's end of the cemetery...
Where Ms. Summers was no doubt checking things out...
Oh, well...At least he might score a few points with her, proving his trustworthiness by helping the
little happy meal find its way off the grounds safely...What with all the ruckus a few minutes ago
from the central area...
Who the hell were those clowns racing off the grounds just then...? he wondered...Demons, definitely
but no chums of his...
Thank God the Slayer was around to deal with things...Guess she scared 'em off...
Whoa...Amy materialized in front of him...
"Hi...There..." she grinned...
Looking for me?...
The human, he realized...But a magics type...
Handle with extreme care...
"This here's private property...Miss..." he pronounced solemnly...
You can be arrested for trespassing here...
"Didn't mean to roam around...Guess I just got lost...Sorry..." she sighed...
Just playing with a few minor spells...
"Spells...?" he asked...
Anxious to maintain his role of clueless security person as long as humanly...er well, you
know...possible...
"I'm not much good at it...But this is the best place to test things out..."
Private property...he repeated...
No trespassing allowed...For any reason...
Well...Sorry...Amy looked at him sheepishly...But...Maybe you could show me the way out...
Hmmn...No sign of the Slayer...
And he was in the market for a new mate...
So it wouldn't be like he was just using her to feed...She'd still be around...More alive than ever
from his pov...
He assumed work face...And rushed on her...
Whoops...A barrier threw him back...
Hey pal...Amy smiled...
Attacking humans?...And after all that spiel you gave the Slayer...?
The vamp resumed human face and eyed her...Clearly not your average happy meal...
"Course I could turn you in to her...But...Since she's right here...Warren!..." she called...
Mears dragging the unconscious Buffy over to them...
The vamp nervously eyed her...Mears...And Buffy on the ground...
"What is this?..." he looked at Amy...Who grinned...
"Your lucky day, pal..."
You get to be the Slayer's sire...
"Unless..." she paused...
"You want me to wake her up right now and find you alone with her..."
I imagine...She wouldn't be inclined to accept your protestations of innocence...
"And you'd be sitting pretty with a vamped former Slayer as your little girl..."
He stared at Amy...Whoa...
But being a practical sort...To whom such things rarely...Ok, never...Happened...
"How's about I take you and your friend out and earn the Slayer's gratitude..." he grinned...
Hell, I won't even kill you...Just take enough to put you under...
No other way...he noted...She'll understand when you're compelled by me to tell her whatever it is
you're up to...
A sensible vamp...Amy noted, nodding...Rare thing in this town...
Warren eyed Amy nervously...Ummn...
"Well..." Amy smiled...
Give it your best shot...she grinned at the vamp...
He charged again...And rebounded from the spell barrier around her and Mears...
"Try again..." she said kindly...
Maybe with a leetle more...Ommphf...You'll make it...
He tried again...With the same result...
Falling back, he stared at them...And the Slayer on the ground...
"She's all yours, buddy...If you hurry..." Warren grinned at him...
"Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?..." Amy hissed to Warren as the vamp stared at
Buffy...
What...? Warren eyed her...
"Are you kidding...? You wanta quit now...At our moment of triumph?..." he glared...
I just mean...If she saw us...Buffy the Vampire is not likely to remember us fondly...
And even if she didn't...
"Please...She never got a gander at anyone but Zorg and co...Besides, Buffy's demon will be far too
busy dealing with friends and family to bother us...And we'll be protected...If you do your job,
babe..."
Our new vamp queen will have to come to terms with us...
Ok...Amy sighed...
If you keep your big mouth shut and stay out of sight until I say...she noted...
Please...she added...
He frowned a mo...Then, suddenly...From somewhere in the buried recesses of what remains of
humanity were left in him...
She's protecting me...he realized in some slight wonder...
She cares about me...The first person since Kat...Back at the start...
Well, natch...The moment fading...
This needy babe can't let go of her Warren daddy...
Warren backed off to some bushes...Amy resumed the demon form and approached the sleeping
Buffy cautiously...As the vamp guard watched...
She carefully removed the amulet Buffy wore on her upper arm, then threw some dust on her from a
bag...Chanting briefly...
Then sprinkled dust on herself...Moving to Warren...Who eyed her...
"You want protection or no...?" she frowned at him...
This stuff doesn't cause cancer or anything?...he hesitated...
Warren...
Ok, ok...
She sprinkled him...
"That's it?..." he looked at Buffy...
That's it...Amy nodded...
"But you're sure...?"
Either it works...Or it doesn't...But...
"She could still find another way if she wants to kill us...This only keeps her from killing us the
usual vamp way...I told you..." Amy stared at him...
So...Be absolutely sure about this...
Absolutely sure...she stared over at the prone Buffy...Now stirring very faintly...
Yeah...I'm sure...Warren nodded...Lets take the bitch out once and for all...
"Come on..." she returned to the little vamp guard...Who'd continued to watch them carefully...
Here's your big chance...Are you gonna blow it?...
Cause she wakes up in ten seconds...nine...
"What!?..." Warren cried...
"Then lets get the hell out of here..."
Yeah...Guess we'd better...Amy nodded...
"Bye, pal..." Warren chuckled...Halting and watching as the little vamp bent over Buffy...
And...Thanks...
***
Well...Halfreck eyed Dawn as they stood in the Summers' backyard...
"We are one clever little girl, aren't we?..."
You killed William...Dawn glared...
You murdered my...Gulp...brother-in-law...
"Please..." Haly waved a hand...
You weren't even a figment of the monks' imagination then...
But you did it, Halfreck...Dawn grimly stared at the "justice" demon...
"All I did..." Haly paused...
Was to carry out your sister's...Cicely's...Wish...
Your wish too, dear...If we take your being part of dear Cicely-Buffy literally...
"Buffy...Cicely...Would never have wished Will dead...Never!..."
Did I say she wished him dead?...Or even Undead...Haly smiled...
"She wished...For a simple life again..."
One uncomplicated by dear Willy's presence...
"And I gave it to her...Even sparing her the unpleasant task of dealing with William herself..."
She called on me, Dawny...I didn't pop in on her on a lark...
"You tricked her...Somehow..."
Moi...? Haly eyed her...
And what about Dru...? Dawn glared again...
"Was that Cicely's wish?..."
Can't help what Fate has in store, sweetie...I guess the Powers That Be just wanted to put their seal
of approval on my work...
"Heck...No one here seems very broken up about that poor girl...Drusilla..." Haly noted...
And no poor soul ever deserved her hideous Fate less...I can tell you...
"Why are you still here, Halfreck?..." Dawn stared at her...
Dawny?...You called me...
"You know what I mean!...Why are you still hanging around Buffy and William...? Especially
now...When they're almost back together..."
You're trying to stop it, aren't you?...she looked narrowly at the demon...
Screw things for them again, somehow...
"No need for that...Now...Sweetie..." Haly grinned...
What?...
Well...I've answered your question about Cicely...So, wish granted...she waved her arms airily...
"Wait!..." Dawn cried...
What do you mean...No need...?
Must run...Places to see...People to mete out justice too...Haly smiled...Vanishing...
***
The little guard waited...
Buffy opened her eyes and blinking, rose...
"You...?" she stared at him...Rubbing her head...
You're the one from the other night...The guard vamp, right?...
He nodded, grinning feebly...
She looked around jerkily...Something...
Voices...In her head...All trying to tell her...Warn her...Demand...
But...She was ok...Just stunned a mo...she shook her head to clear it...
I'm in the...Cemetery...McGarvey...? she eyed the vamp...
Yeah...he nodded...We spoke earlier, remember...?
Strange...she's not quite...he thought...
She's...So normal...?
"Yeah...I remember now..." Buffy got up...
I was fighting demons...But a human was here...
A human I know...Pretending to be...Someone else...
She looked at the guard...Who seemed a tad guilty-looking...And a bit...Confused himself...
"Where did they go?...The ones who knocked me out?"
Don't know...the guard shook his head...
"One of them...Was human..." she struggled to think clearly...
Your partner?...she eyed the vamp...
"I didn't know Bill all that well..." he pleaded...
The other one was human too...The girl...
The witch...he eyed her...
Girl?...Witch?...she stared at him...Staggering on her feet...Like a newborn calf...
Angry demanding voice in her head...Why were they still here?...It was her time at last...
"I won't go...We won't go...We mustn't go..." she whispered aloud...
William...Help me...Oh, God...Not now...not now...Please...she whispered...
I can't go now...We can't go...William needs us...
Oh...God...Have mercy on me!...On us!...A voice cried out in her head...
"Slayer?..." the guard stared...
This wasn't right, somehow...
But then...He rarely transformed people...
And never a Slayer...
"Yeah..." she nodded eagerly...
I am the Slayer...Buffy Anne Summers...That's me...
"I'm also...Cicely Addams Walthrop...Likewise a Slayer...Did you know that?..." she nervously
asked the puzzled vamp...
Reincarnated...And resurrected...
"It takes a toll..." she noted...
Ummn...Yeah...I guess...the guard nodded....Now a leetle uncertain...
What's going on here?...Maybe best not to bring up the new family tie just yet...
In fact...He'd feel a lot better if his new "daughter" would go away and get on with her new "life"...
Best to humor her mood a little...If she still wants to believe she's human, well...
"Those...People who attacked you?...They left that way..." he pointed to the gate down a row of
headstones...
Great...Thanks...I'll get after them...she looked over at the gate...Began moving off...
And halted...Turning back, she hurried over to the guard...He stopped...
"I'm the Slayer, you know...Buffy Summers...The Slayer..." she insisted...Almost...Pleading...
Ummn...Yeah...the guard agreed...
Some people just need a little time, he reflected within...
Sure...he nodded...The Slayer...
"And this is what I do..." she staked the guard...
***
Something's wrong...Amy shook her head...Lowering her night goggles as she stood by her partner
at a side gate...
"Gee..." Warren glared at her...
You caught that too, eh...
"She just killed a vamp...The good ole Slayer way...!"
"She's...Fighting it somehow...Her soul is hanging on..." Amy pondered...And knelt down,
spreading out her hands...Stretching the fingers out in a wide circle...
I don't understand it...
"Well, I do..." Warren sneered...
"Super-witch gave her some special charms or something...She's been protected all the time...And
you never caught it..."
No...Amy insisted...That's not it...All she had was that amulet...I'd have felt anything else...I'd feel it
now...
There's no special protection around her...
But...
"Look..." Amy pointed at the ghostly image now forming around Buffy...As the Slayer dazedly
walked away from them...Towards the main cemetery entrance...
It's her aura...Her human aura...The blue mists...
I see...Two?...Warren stared through his goggles...Amy rising to look through hers...
Am I seein' double?...he looked at her...
"It should be the one, right?..."
It should be none, now...Amy noted...
Her soul should be off to either Heaven or limbo...
Limbo?...
"Sometimes a departing soul gets trapped...Or can't make the grade direct to Heavenly peace...Or
Hellish suffering...And Limbo is the interdimensional void between all realms..."
But she's not moving...? Warren eyed his partner...
No...And there's someone...Something...With her...
Another soul...Or part of one...
"Two Buffies in one?..." Warren looked at Amy...
I'm as clueless as you are, Warren...she sighed...
"Maybe...Her mom...Joyce...Is trying to help her..."
So...Your little plan failed...he groused...
And Willow will be home in a few days...Sooner, now...Once Buffy calls her...
"Buffy's started her transformation...Partially...Warren...We got that far..." Amy eyed him...
We just have to see if her demon is strong enough to break through...It must be a powerful one...
"Isn't there anything you can do...?...To drive Mommie or whoever away...?"
"I'll have to see...I don't know..."
She paused, looking at him sheepishly...
I wasn't expecting this, Warren...I wasn't prepared for it...
"I'm sorry..."
Sorry...?! he glared...
"Babe...Sorry doesn't cut it...Do you know what you've done to me?!...If she calls Willow
home...?!" he raged at her...
"I didn't mean to...Warren...Please...I..."
She doesn't know we're involved...Amy pointed out...We're safe for now...
Maybe...In time...As she makes her first kills...
"I'll find a way to straighten it out...Just give me a chance..." she pleaded...
Please...
Ok...he calmed...Ok...
"Lets work the problem...Straighten it out..."
I will...Amy nodded...
There's no danger yet...And we are protected against her...she noted...
Just...Give me a little time, Warren...
***
Deathwishes...Part XVIII...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XVIII...
"Xander...? Do you know where Anya is?...I need her right now..." Dawn hissed into her cell
phone...As she stood in the Summers' backyard...
"She's gone Dawn...Off to D'Hoffryn's place..."
Rats...Oh...
"Say?...That mean you guys are back together?..."
She's talking to him about something else...he replied...A bit sadly...And somewhat evasively, she
noticed...
"Xander...I gotta see her...It's about Halfreck...You know...That crazy..."
Halfreck?...
"Dawn...What about Halfreck?...She didn't come to you again, did she?..."
Ummn...No...Dawn replied, a little brightly...
Ummn...See...
"I...Kinda..."
Summoned her...
"You what?!..." he cried...
"But it was Slayer business..." she insisted...
Well...Summers' family business...
"Dawn!...She might've killed you!..."
Or you might've killed millions...With a bad wish...
"She was Cicely...For one night...In 1880, Xander...."
She drove Will off...Dawn continued...For Buffy...er Cicely, she claimed...
He sighed...
"Yeah...We know..." he muttered...
What?...
"She was here...Anya was talking to her..."
Will told An that Halfreck looked like Cicely...That Spike had known her...An put two and two
together...It's why she's with D-H now...he explained...
"She's trying to get what info she can out of him...Maybe get him to force Halfreck to come back
and tell us the rest..." he continued...
"The rest...?" Dawn asked into the phone...
"Why Cicely called on her...And..."
Drusilla...he replied...
***
William reached the McGarvey cemetery main gate...Amy and Warren and their "allies" as well as
Buffy now gone...
Slayer scent...Or Buffy scent...Hard to tell now with the soul and all which he was registering...
Probably both...
He entered cautiously...
Quiet as...Well, naturally...
Still...Didn't they just upgrade security round these parts...?
"Buffy?..." he called...
"Cicely...?"
Had to admit...Rather nice to be using that name...Without accompanying curse words...For the first
time in so long...
He stared round...All quiet...
Whoa...He tripped, stepping in Phil's empty guard's uniform...
Hmmn...Ashes in a security guard's suit...
Nice to see one of them finally showed a little imagination in its encounter with the Slayer...
Even better to have the best evidence of its failure to fool her...
"Buffy...?!" he called...
Lovely...Crying out after her...Begging her to take some notice of me...
The wheel turns and we're back to 1880...
Hmmn...
Another guard's uniform...With...?
He lifted Warren's fat pads...And eyed the wax makeup bits scattered by it...
Sniffing...Hmmn...
Unless I've lost everything vampiral in regaining my soul...I'd say this was a human's outfit...
A trick-or-treating human's outfit...
And this being Sunnydale...Definitely no treats involved...
A human?...Passing as a cemetery guard...?
His or her uniform...Next to a vampire likewise doing the same...
And no Cicely...Buffy around...
Pity Dru couldn't choose right now to pay a call...Could use her skills just now...
And give her peace immediately afterward...
Oops...He looked down...Where the grass was matted and pulled...
As if something or someone had been dragged across it...
A hair clip...Nice one...
Buffy's...he realized...
He looked around...
The cloud of fear was freezing solid around his heart...
Just like the Powers That Be...Bastards...To...
And I let her go...Without...
After she told me...What I've waited to hear for a hundred years...
And that's not some fool songwriter/poet's exaggerated angst...
"Joyce...Please...Help me..."he prayed...
Well, he certainly wasn't about to call on the white-bearded One...That comical jackass...
Who was no doubt rolling in his chair, hooting over this one...
Screwed them yet again...he must be telling his crew of...
Angels...
Why did I let her go like that?...After she told me...
He rubbed his head...
Focus, Walthrop...
Time you made use of the little gifts poor ole Dru gave you...
He picked up her faint trail and began following it off the grounds...
***
There I am...Buffy smiled at the store front window...
See...No problem...
Just a little...Tired?...
More like...Hungry?...she stared at the hollow-eyed, tense face looking back...
Deep shadows flitting across it...
Course...The reflection stuff is all hooey...But if a vamp's human soul believed...It's like the crosses,
churches, and holy water...Sorta psychosomatic...
Anyway...While there's nothing to worry about...It's a good sign of normality...
Alls well...
I was just...Groggy...Disoriented...
She wandered along...Slipping into a fog...
Late she suddenly realized...Getting near dawn in fact she came to with a start...
Have I been walking all night?...
God...I gotta call Dawn...she looked for her cell phone...
Tell her I'm fine...Which I am...Just a little woozy
Anyway...I'll be in the light soon...
With nothing to fear...Walking home safe in the light of day...
My poor William...
A scream from up ahead...Whoops...she put the phone back...
First things first...
Better yet...she told herself...Better yet...
A victim in need of a Slayer heroine...
A human Slayer...
***
A terrified young brunette woman dragged into the basement of an old building up the street...Held
firmly by her now rather less charming escort...
Very poor dating choice...
But, a low self-esteem type with a few extra pounds...She'd been flattered when he'd asked her to a
private rendevous so politely a few hours ago at the Bronze...
Though one must note, Buffy thought as she halted on the basement stairs...From his pov...
The vamp was sincere in his affection...To go to all this trouble, risking the dawn, dragging her
down here...
Clearly he had something permanent in mind...
And was in fact in the middle of whispering an offer to his date...
Buffy jumped down behind him...Grabbed him, whirling him round...
He raged for an instance, then saw the famed Slayer in front of him...
Uh-boy...
Say?...Wait a minute...
"Slayer...?" he gasped, eyeing her as his date huddled fearfully on the basement floor...
You're...One of...?
He dusted as Mr. Pointy found his mark...
"Well..." she smiled at the girl...
Guess that's that...
"Who..." the girl gasped...Rising to her feet, taking Buffy's arm...
What was that?...
"A vampire..." Buffy said matter of factly, looking at her...
Something about her...Such a...Healthy...young woman...
Full of life...
She blinked...Catching the young woman clearly getting a leetle nervous at her intense stare...
"A vampire..." she continued... "Fangs...Demon essence inside...Wants your blood...On occasion,
might, if he were in a good mood and...Lonely...Offer you what he'd claim was eternal life..."
The girl stared at her...
"It's true...Town's full of them...Best to accept it and take a few extra precautions at night...And
with your choice of dates..." she smiled...
If I...Just as a joke, of course...Came over to her...And took her hands...And made as if I were going
to...
Just to make her realize how dangerous things can be around here at night...I...No...What am
I...Thinking?...
Please...God, no...Not now...
Mother, help me...Tell me it's all right...
I couldn't be...I saved her...I'm just...
"Yeah..." Buffy repeated... "Best to take lots of extra precautions at night..."
"Thanks..." the girl backed away a bit...
Frightened?...Of me?...Buffy stared at her...
"Why don't I see you outta here?..." she smiled...
I have a way with vamps...You saw...she grinned a bit...
Ummn...the girl shook her head...
"I'm fine...I'll just get going..."
"Don't be afraid of me..." Buffy told her...Staring deep into her...
"You're not afraid of me...I just saved you..."
"Please ..." the girl tried to break away from her stare...But somehow, couldn't...Though she
continued to try to back away...Towards the stairs...
"You're not afraid..." Buffy intoned...
No...No...Oh Mom...God...Help me...Stop me...
The girl stopped, staring at her...Trembling....Unable to break away...
"Come here..."
***
"Buffy!..." Xander called from the basement stairs...
Buf...? he saw her, a girl standing near her...
Xander...? Buffy looked at him...
The girl let out a gasp and backed away from the now startled?looking Slayer...Then turned and ran,
passing him...
"Hihowareya?..." he called out to her hastily as she zipped by him...
Buffy...he sighed at her...
"Dawn's been frantic..."
How did you...? she looked at him...And after the fleeing girl...
"Traced your cell phone signal...Little trick Willow taught me once..." he eyed her...
You might answer your phone once in a while...he noted, frowning...
"Anything wrong?..." he turned to Buffy...
Vampire...she shook her head...
I got him, but...
Scared her, I guess...
"One vamp...Kept you out all night...?" he stared at her...
She looked so...Hunted...
Almost as if...
"Is it day yet?..." she asked...Eagerly...
He mustn't think...He can't think...I'll prove it...
He nodded...Staring at her...
"Lets get out of here, Xander...Now..." she insisted...
Up into the light...
Ok...he nodded, but paused...
"You ok?..."
"Just need some air..." she hurried to the stairs...
Some light...
"Well...Hey, wait...Buffy!..." he called to her as she raced past him...
Gotta get out of here...Gotta get out...Into the light...
I'll be Buffy...Cicely...In the light...
Mustn't stay down here...With Xander...
She ran out into a somewhat cloudy day...Xander's faint cries fading behind her...
No burns...No flames...Oh...Thank God...Thank you God...she sighed...
The sun peeped through a blocking cloud...she raised her arm to it...
Ok...she nodded...No flames...
Oh...she felt a mild burn...Not a flame-out, nothing like it...But...A bit quick for a sunburn...
No...No...It's nothing...Just strong sun...she told herself...
As she hurried towards a corner drugstore...
***
"Not a thing to worry yourself about Nibs..." William spoke into his cell phone...
Unless you don't make it to school this morning...he sternly added...
Dawn having called him for the fourth time since waking to find no Buffy...
"Spike...Ummn, sorry...Will..."
I told you what Halfreck said...she paused...
"Halfreck says a lot of things...She's a vengeance demon...They like to mess with your mind..." he
noted...
"Why won't she answer her phone?..." Dawn wailed a bit...
Well...Nibs...Be hard for her to call you with you talking to me, eh?...
And maybe the batteries have run down...You lot do more than your share of gabbing you know...
"Dawn..." he hesitated... "If I could be out there..."
I know...she replied...
Thanks...
"Xander's trying to find her...Trace her phone..."
Ah...he smiled into the phone...
Problem solved with our man Harris on the job...
She sighed...
"He will find her, Dawn...Intact...As always..."
"I was out looking for her last night..." he admitted...
Guess she didn't want to be found just then...But lots to think over...Work out...For her...
And me...he noted...
"Guess it must be hard for you too..." Dawn paused...
Nibs?...
"Being the husband of a Slayer, I mean..."
***
"It's gonna be all right...It's gonna be fine..." Buffy told herself...A mantra she repeated over and
over as she paced the drugstore where she'd taken refuge...
Sun was just a mite too strong today...Must be that ozone hole thing...
But nothing...she looked at her arms...Strong sunburn, no flaming...See...Alls well...
If I were...If...
Well, I'm not burned up...So I can't be...
I can't be...Not now...Oh, God...Not now...
"You buying somethin' Miss?..." the clerk at the counter eyed her...
Yeah...she nodded and bought three bottles of the strongest sunscreen they had...highest UV
protection grade...Plus an umbrella...
***
Deathwishes...Part XIX...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XIX...
Well...Will thought...As he put away his cell phone...Looking around the old house he'd taken
refuge in...As the dawn had crept up on him during his all-night search...
The same old house where he...Well, Spike...and he, hovering round...And Buffy...Had first...
Sturdy old place to still be standing...
Light peeping through some of the boards blocking the windows...Trapping him unless he chose to
call on Harris or his rabbitphobe demon girl for rescue...
This is another fine mess you've gotten me into...Cicely...
Another ring...
"Will!?..." Dawn's voice...Fifth time...
"Xander found her...Traced her cell phone..."
Oh...
Well...My vampiral supersenses are just off due to the human soul thing he thought...
"She ran away from him...!...Wouldn't stay...!"
He said...She looked...Strange...Dawn nervously added...
Ok...Will replied...Tensing a bit...
How...Strange?...
"She looked...Odd...He said...And she ran off into the street...But nothing else..."
Into the light, eh?...Phew...he thought...
Not that he'd worried about it...Just...The PTBs have such a joyful, ironic sense of
humor...Would've been right up their alley...
Could be some venom stuff again, right?...Dawn hastily asked...Making her a little crazy?...
"Maybe, Nibs..."
"Or...Maybe..." Dawn hesitated...
Maybe Cicely's driving her a leetle over the edge...All those old memories coming back...? You
think?...she asked hopefully...
"That's likely, Niblett...But where did he find her?..."
Cross and Merriweather...Old office building there...Fighting some vamp...Just after dawn...
"She went outside, Will...He said she wasn't..."
Burning or anything...
"Of course not, girl...Our Slayer?...My Buffy-Cicely?...To some nobody vamp?...Not a chance..."
"Are you in your new place?...I could have Xander get you...Maybe the two of you could find
her?..."
No, not at home...he replied...Looking around...Whoops...A few light shafts now moving his way,
slowly...
"Actually I'm a coupla blocks from Merriweather...In an old house...And yeah, having ole Harris
pick me up...With some coats or blankets...Might not be a bad thought at that..."
But, Nibs...As to Buffy...Just have Xander ask Anya to go...Even he should've thought of that...
"She's still with D'Hoffryn...Or maybe Halfreck...Trying to get some info..."
Oh...he affected a causal air...
Halfreck?...
"About that night, Will..." Dawn explained...
What?!...he lost the causal air...
You know...Why Cicely...she hesitated...
Halfreck?...
"Halfreck was there, Will..."
"I see..." he replied...Closing his eyes...
Why don't I just go walk into that large light shaft?...he told himself...
Of course Halfreck looked like Cicely...She was there...
It was her...She took Cics' place...
Such a bright wife I had...Called on a vengeance demon to help get rid of me...With exemplary
success...
Until just a few years ago...
He stared at the light shafts...Now slowly widening...
"Will...?" Dawn was a bit...
Maybe mentioning Haly and dredging up the past wasn't the best thing just right now...
She heard him sigh...
"Well...See if Harris can possibly get over here...We can do that cell phone tracking thing
together...And if Anya shows, have her go to Buffy at once..."
Right...Sis?...he finished...
She smiled and he could feel it over the phone...
"Right...Bro..."
Hmmn...Guess I'm forgiven...he thought...
And have a little sister again...At last...
Whoa...Practical matters, Walthrop...he noted a new light shaft springing open near him...
And moved toward better shelter...
Wish I'd requested a human body along with soul back in Africa...he sighed...
***
"So..." Warren frowned as he and Amy sat in her apartment...
Lets review...
"Our immediate goal was achieved in part...Buffy was taken, a handy vamp gave her the once-
over...She began transformation...Her demon is now present in her body..."
But...Something...Or someone...Blocked the process...Kept her soul in the body, preventing a full
transformation...
Amy nodded sheepishly...
"Unforeseeable I guess..." Warren sighed... "It not involving magics protection and all..."
Not your fault, babe...he generously conceded...
"But what the hell do we do now?..."
Buffy is sure to get in touch with Willow asap...Willow will come home from New York asap...
And the shit will hit the fan big time...
"Should we just go...Warren?" Amy looked at him...
He'd need me...If we went now...With Willow hunting for whoever...He wouldn't risk leaving me...
"We haven't exhausted everything yet, babe...You said you could fix it, remember?" he frowned at
her...
I can try...she nodded...
"Maybe...If I can push Buffy...and the other...Down a bit...Maybe the demon could take control..."
she noted...
Excellent...Warren beamed...A solution...
What I like to hear...
"But...Warren...She will be very dangerous...And a direct spell on her...By me...Might be
traceable..."
You protected us against her, right?...he noted...
Yeah...But...
"Well...She could have Willow trace that too, right?..."
I suppose...Amy sighed...But she'd have less reason to look for someone having done a protection
spell...
"'Sides..." Warren grinned... "When vamp Buffy gets going...Willow will have more to worry about
than hunting for us..."
And that's what you wanted...Right, babe?...To make Willow feel the pain...?
"You finish things with Buffy...And Willow will feel it...And she'll be alone...Just as you wanted..."
he eyed her...
And then...If all goes well with our negotiations with the new Queen of the Damned...
A new Trio will rule Sunnydale...
And Willow will be dead...
***
"Thanks, ole pal..." William smiled at a frowning Xander...As he pulled on one of several coats
Xander had brought to him...
Don't mention it...Xander glared...
I mean that...
"Nibs gave you quite a time over fetching me, eh?..." Will grinned...
Xander's phone rang...Third time since he'd reached the house...
"Yeah...Dawn, I told you...I'm here...I got him...We're heading out..."
He handed the phone to Will...
"Tell her..."
"Still dead and kickin' Nibs..." Will grinned into the phone...
Harris is still showing that noble self-restraint with me...
"Anything more from Anya...Halfreck?" he asked...
Nervously...Xander noted...
Ok...We'll move out...You get off to school...
"We'll find her, sis..." Will finished...
Sis...? Xander stared at him...As he handed back the phone...
"Something nasty on my teeth, Harris?..." he grinned...
Xander grumbled, looking away...
"Lets go...If you're going..."
"Oh yeah...Gotta see what the Missus is up to..."
Xander glared...Will putting on several coats and some gloves he'd provided...
He paused...
"Say...Xan...You know...Cics and I will be planning a rededication ceremony...Renewal of wedding
vows, that sort of thing..."
Xander's glare rose to white heat...
It's what Victorians do, you know...
"And I was wondering if you'd be willing to consider...Doing us the great honor..."
"Don't push the soul thing, William..." Xander grumbled...
I will only accept it so far...Whoa...
He blinked...
"Were you asking me to be your...Best Man?..."
Well...Will grinned...
Xander rolled his eyes...
"Do not push the soul thing...Spike..."
He led the now heavily wrapped Will up to the street entrance...
Ummn...he paused as they reached the car...
"Yeah...Yes..." he eyed Will...
If Buffy...Cicely...Really...
Wants to...
"Thanks, Harris..." William nodded...Formally offering a hand...
As a Victorian gentleman should...
***
"Now...Anyanka..." D'Hoffryn frowned at Anya...
As they stood in the misty Great Hall of his abode...The cries of the vengefully...And, to a
reasonable extent, justly...Tormented echoing through the place...
"D-H..." she glared...
This is not like you to be so evasive...What was Haly up to in 1880?...
"Sweetheart...Client confidentiality, remember?...One of the bedrock principles of our
organization..."
"Buffy would be happy to give me authorization...You know that...And she is Cicely, right?...So..."
D'Hoffryn eyed his favorite demon, sighing...
Such a loss to the realm...But he'd suspected even from the moment she'd rejoined the old firm that
her heart just wasn't in dispensing that Old Testament style wrath anymore...
Poor kid...A terrible thing to develop human ties...Even in the case of the Slayer...
So transitory...Although of course there is the immortal soul thing...
How to tell her...? Gently...That the case of Cicely Addams Walthrop/Buffy Summers had taken a
new and tragic turn...
At least from the human pov...
And a loss to him as well...A century of hard work to obtain his first Slayer-Vengeance
demon...Down the drain...It being highly unlikely that an independent vamp demon like Anne would
accept his offer of employment...
And yet...He had to be firm...Principles are principles...
Which offered him...A compassionate and sensitive employer by his lights...An easy out to avoid
hurting his poor favored one...
"Anyanka...The answer's still no...I cannot tell you about the case..."
All right then...Anya frowned...
"I'll do it the hard way...I'm sure Buffy will have a preety good case to make for employing me to
seek out Haly..."
Anyanka?!...D'Hoffryn gasped...
"You'd perform vengeance on one of our own?!..."
Like a shot...she nodded...
Unless...
Hmmn...She has that face...D'Hoffryn noted...
The face that cursed ten thousand souls...A year, at her peak...
All right...he sighed...
"Go to the archives in my storeroom...Tell Philip to let you review the Farris-Addams contract, circa
1880...Show him this..." he handed her a medallion, with his personal seal...
But Anyanka...he frowned...As far as I know...You "borrowed" my medallion while we talked...
That I agreed to do this...Remains between us...Forever...
Or your Mr. Harris receives a most unwelcome visit...From me...Personally...
"Absolutely..." she beamed...Wait?...
Farris-Addams?...
"Her old Watcher...You'll understand when you review the contract..." he eyed her...
Poor, poor kid...he thought...
Not a very pleasant homecoming awaiting her...
***
"George's Pharmacy...?" the clerk at the drugstore had decided to finally pick up Buffy's cell
phone...Left behind...Deliberately by Buffy as she left...
Not quite ready to have Xander track her down just yet...
"What?..." Xander stared at the phone...
Who is this...?
"This is George's Pharmacy, friend...Your ladyfriend left her phone here a while ago..."
What...? Will stared at Xander...Carefully avoiding a look out the car window at the sun...Even with
the UV?resistant dark glasses Xander had provided...
"She left her phone at some drugstore..." he hastily whispered...Turning back to the phone...
"Where is your place?...he asked the clerk...
Ok...We'll be right over...
"If she drops by for the phone, ask her to wait...?"
He hung up and looked at William...
"Why would she leave the phone?..."
She didn't want us to trace her...Will nodded thoughtfully...
Something's wrong...
"But..." he eyed Xander..."You said she went into the light...Just ran off, right?"
Yeah...
"It could be as the Nibs thought...Another drugging...Or, maybe...She needed some time...To think
things over..."
"Dawn..." Xander replied...Frowning...
"She'd never let Dawn worry like this...You were right the first time, Will...Something's
happened..."
William stared at him...
"Take me home, Xander...Then head over to the drugstore..."
Xander eyed him...He shrugged...
"I'm no use to you in daylight...Besides...If anything serious has happened, we'll need someone in
one place to make calls, wait for Anya, that sort of thing...In fact...I'd like to place a call to
Willow...And then Giles asap..."
And...If something has happened...She might come to me there, rather than go home or to the rest of
you...
"Ok..." Xander nodded, starting the car and pulling out...
"I mean a drugging...Something like that..." Will added... "Maybe Amy caught up to her and turned
her into a rat...Slowly this time..." he smiled...
You know Buf...She'd either insist on trying to fight the drug or whatever off...Or, if the rat
thing...Be much too embarrassed to face us...Once those whiskers started popping out...
Yeah...Xander nodded...Grinning slightly back...
"It'll be fine, whatever it is...Nothing our girl can't handle..." Will noted...
Back from the dead...Three times, if you count my Cicely...he pointed out...
Nothing she can't handle...he repeated...
Yeah...Xander nodded again...Eyes firmly on traffic...
Can't be serious...Can't be...Another little hallucinatory experience at worst...he told himself...
He eyed William a sec...
God couldn't be so cruel...Not after all He's let happen to them...
"I'd bet she's just trying to think things through...Will..."
Probably at home...Or your place...Already...
Please...God...Cut them a break this once...he prayed silently...
They reached Will's new cemetery...Greenwood...Xander helping him back through the rows of
stones to his crypt...
No sign of Buffy...
"I'll send Anya over to you as soon as she gets back..." Xander told him...
Ditto, if she come here first...Will nodded...And paused as Xander began heading out...
"Don't be a bloody fool about that girl, Harris..." he called...
She's the best thing that will ever happen to you...
"Don't let your fears kill your future...They can, you know..."
I'm Unliving proof...he smiled wanly...
"Your story's not over yet, Will..." Xander smiled back...
But...Thanks...
***
Deathwishes...Part XX...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XX...
I've just got to concentrate, Buffy thought...Moving down Westfield St...Towards downtown
Sunnydale...Holding her umbrella firmly in hand...
I'm fine...I just have a leetle UV sensitively this morning...No flaming, see...She stuck a hand out to
the sun...
A mild tingling, moving rapidly to a sunburn...But no flames...
This is some trick...Someone trying to unhinge me...Like the games Warren and his nerds used to
play...
Trying to make me think...
William...I've got to get to William's place...
"Buffy...!" a voice hissed...From the alley to her left...
She turned...Anya in human face...Waving her into the alleyway...
"I've just gotten back from D'Hoffryn's palace...His archives..." Anya told her...
"Buffy...Cicely...You didn't kill William..."
What...?
"I mean..." she paused...
You didn't send him to Drusilla so that she killed him...In 1880...
"It was Halfreck..."
By the way...Anya looked at the umbrella...What's with...?
Seems a little cloudy but...
"Halfreck...?" Buffy stared at her...Moving closer...
Yeah...Anya nodded, excitedly resuming the tale...She took your place that night...After you
summoned her...
"I...Summoned her...?"
No...Buffy shook her head, anger building in her eyes...
Anger...Anya noted...And...something else...
"I didn't kill William!..."
"No...I told you...You didn't...She drove him off for you...And Dru was waiting for him...Primed by
Haly to wait in the alleyways near your place...In London..." Anya stared at her...
There's more...she began...
"I think there was a conspiracy...Between your own Watcher at the time and Haly...I think they
made you believe you were saving..." she stopped...Suddenly...
Oh, my God...she gasped...
"What is it, Anya....?" Buffy asked coldly...
You...Oh, Buffy...Oh, no...Anya backed away...
It's a lie...It's all lies!...Buffy insisted...Still moving up on her...
"I didn't want Will to go...And I am Buffy...And Cicely...No one...Else..."
She's here...Anya stared at her friend...Who glared back...
"You can't hide her from me, Buffy..." she told her quietly...
Concentrate, concentrate...Must teleport...Now...she thought...
Buffy grabbed her...Holding her tightly...Another demon...Like Halfreck...Trying to ruin
everything...
"It's a lie!...A lie!..."
Can't...Let...Her...Go...Can't...Let...Her...
Tell...
Oh, God...God!...Help me...Mom...Help me, William!!...No!...
"Xander!!!..." Anya screamed...As Buffy sank her fangs into her neck...
***
She's not dead...She can't be dead...Buffy repeated to herself...Over and over...
Wandering towards the Greenwood cemetery where William's new crypt lay...
She was still breathing...
I should have called Xander...I...Oh...God, what have I done...?
She looked at the sky from under her umbrella...Fewer clouds now...
I'm not a monster...I'm not...Anne...
Not Anne alone...We...Cicely...I...Are still here...
But she's here now...I feel her...She...
Oh, Anya...she closed her eyes...And felt the blood on her tongue...
I left her there for dead...And ran...
But was it Anne?...Or...
Who's the monster, Buffy?...The demon killing by instinct or the human killing to cover her
presence...?
She'll kill them all, Will too...They'll all die, hating me...
As William died hating me...
Then why don't I kill myself?...Before it's too late...
Isn't that what I always told myself I'd do...If it ever happened to me...Before the demon...Before
Anne drove me out, the Slayer would the right thing and stake herself...
I'd never allow a demon to take me...Become a Drusilla...Not me...Not the Slayer...
She'd never be so weak...Like...All the ones I kill...
But I did let a demon take me...I let Spike have me...And now...Anne is taking me...
No...It was William...Calling to me...I never loved Spike...Cicely heard Will calling...
But Anne does, as much as a demon can...As much to spite us as for anything else...She wants
him...And to get him...William will have to...Go...
Again...
I can't die now...Abandon him again...I can't let her win...No...Cicely and I...We have fought too
long for William to give up now...
But...Am I already dead?...she stared out at the cemetery...
Am I already...Home...Again...?
No...I won't play her game...I am still here...I am still alive...And Anya was still breathing...And is a
demon again...She'll make it...
I'll find a phone, call Xander...Make him understand...I...We just lost control for a moment...
Or did we...Did we all attack Anya?...To stop her...
Will has a phone...I'll find his place...Tell him...She was attacked...
I don't have to say by who...Not yet...
***
He stared at her as she folded the umbrella, just inside...
Hi...she tried to smile at him...
"Just wanted to see how you were doing?...Not a bad time...?"
No...he replied...Eyeing her carefully...
I thought you might be able to squeeze me into your social calendar...she stepped into the main room
of the crypt's ground floor...he following...
"Taking extra weather precautions, Slayer?..." he looked back at the umbrella...
Radio said chance of rain...she avoided his gaze...
"Dawn's been calling me...Every fifteen minutes..." he eyed her...
Where the hell...?
"I had a rough night..."she interrupted him hastily...
I'll call Dawn in a bit...If you could lend me...
He handed her his phone...
"The clerk at that drugstore told us you left your phone behind...He seemed to think it was
deliberate..."
Cell phones...I'm not used to carrying one yet...Easy to lay 'em down...
Yeah...he nodded...Staring...As she sat on the central slab of three in the center of the room...
"Aren't you going to call her?..."
In a minute...she put the phone beside her...
"So...No...Tea and cookies for the Mis...ummn...For me...?" she smiled...Still avoiding his gaze...
Haven't had a chance to stock my shelves...Cicely...he replied quietly...
She looked up at him, beaming a little at the "Cicely"...And seeing a cold, appraising stare...Turned
away, nervously as he came over to her...
"Look at me..." he took her hands...
"There's blood on your sleeves, Buffy..."
I...She stared at the blood on her blouse sleeves...Anya's blood...
Well...William smiled at her coolly...Folding his arms...Eyeing the bloody sleeves...
"Looks like you're beneath me at last...Cicely..."
What...?
"She's all over you..." Will looked at her...
She...?
Anne...he replied...At least I think I've got the right name, eh?...
"No..." she backed away...
You're...Crazy...
Angry at me...Trying to hurt me...she turned away...
This was...she eyed the blood...
A demon's...
Literally true, she noted to herself...
"Your hands are like ice..." he told her...
She trembled, staring at him...William...
And tried to pull herself together, managed a weak glare...
"I...Am not..."
She backed away...Staring at him...
"So...The Slayer's finally had her bad day..." he eyed her...
And just like I told you...I'm here to watch...
No...she shook her head...No...
"Please..." she gasped... "William...? Don't...Say...That..."
Not true...It's not true...
He just stared at her...
"I...I was outside...In the light..." she trembled, insisting...
"Spike's been outside...When he had to be...Remember, Anne?..."
I...Am...Not...she pleaded...
"Gotta love those Powers That Be..." he muttered bitterly...
Just like them to do this...
"I'm Buffy...Cicely..."
Never thought I'd be glad to be admitting I was the reincarnation of somebody else...
"I'm not Anne...!" she yelled at him...Trembling as she sat on the slab...
You know...he stared at her...
"The odd thing is..."
I'm not registering any howls of delight from ole Spike in here...
I guess he really did love you too, Buffy...
"I'm going home...Thanks for your support, William..." she said coldly, turning to rise...
He raced over, blocking her...
"No, girl...You can't go home..." he insisted...
Buffy...he eyed her...A hair more kindly...
"Get out of my way..." she grimly stared at him...
All right...I'll make you...she frowned...
"You'll hurt Dawn, listen to me...Buffy...Cicely...If there really is anything left of you..."
She swung at him...Sending him flying...And rose...
"I came to you...Will..." she hesitated...
"I came...And this is the best you can do for me...? Mocking me?..."
He picked himself up and moved back to her...
"I told you I loved you..." she eyed him...
"Did you expect that to make it all better...?" he looked at her...
Did you even once...Try to help me?...
"I kept you alive..."
You kept me...Dead...Undead...he corrected...
"This is pointless..." she waved an arm...
I'm all right...And I'm going...home...But she remained where she was...
"I'm not..." she twisted desperately...He just looked at her now, not moving...
No...she looked away, pleading...
No...!
Oh...God...she sobbed, falling to her knees...Oh...Help me, Will...Please, please William...
"Will..." she begged... "I know I have no right to ask...But..."
I loved you...Always...Whatever you may think...
"You abandoned me, Cicely...Why should you expect me to help you, now?..." he eyed her...
I didn't Will...I swear...
I am here...I came back...To find you...To help you...
"Really...?"
A little late, I'd say, dearest...he smiled...
"So...Anne...How do you find "night life"?...The first kill go well?..."
They say the first is always the hardest...
She trembled, staring at him...
"I'm right, aren't I?...Anne was your name, if Spike remembered correctly...Right, love?..."
No...she shook her head frantically...
Not Anne...Not Anne alone...
He stared...
Oh, God...William, don't...Please...she looked at him, pleading...Twisting in shame...
"Don't humiliate me!..." she sobbed...
He turned from her...
It's all been for nothing...he thought...And I have failed her again...
William...
Look at me...she begged...As he walked toward the wall, not turning...
"William!..." she cried...He turned slowly, a cold and embittered look on his face...
All for nothing...
"Is this what I am now?!..." she screamed at him...
What you want to see...?
Her face distorted a moment...
"Whine, whine...Listen to them whine..." she grinned at him, the tears still running down her now-
hardening face...Human again, but not Buffy, he realized...
My "sisters"...Well, what you gonna do, eh?...
"It's a leetle unfair, don't you think, Spike?..." she eyed him...
You and Dru never had this when you transformed...
"Though I guess Will is a handful for you now..."
Anne...? he asked...
"In the near-vampiral flesh..." she smiled...
At last...Thought I'd never get my time...
Though it stinks that I have to share with these two...In this ridiculous halfway state...
"So..." she walked about the crypt, watching him carefully...
Hubby?...
"Care to reconsumate our wedding vows?..."
Or should I just kill you right now and send ole Willy boy on his way to Heaven...?
"That might get ole Cics at least packing...And I could drive Ms. Buf out when she's alone if she
doesn't go with her..." she grinned...
See...I'm no expert on reincarnation stuff...she noted, chuckling...Can't tell where Cicely ends and
Buffy begins...
But I'm myself...Alone...
He kept in defensive mode...moving with her...
"Buffy..." he sighed...
"Anne!..." she snapped at him...
No Buffy...No Cicely...!
"I'm sorry, Buffy..." he told her quietly...
"Forgive me...Cicely...Forgive me... " he continued to follow her moves...
I never should have let you go last night...Not without telling you...he paused...
"Sure, Will...Come over here and we'll forgive..." she began, leering...But...
The kindness...In the eyes...
She blinked at him...Her face quavering...
Another distortion...
She gasped...Staggering a bit...Shame-faced...But with joy breaking through...
William...
"You...Believe me...Now?...William...?"
You forgive me...? she stared at him...
"Yes..." he replied simply...
I've always loved you Cicely...I always will...
My nature, I guess...Even Spike, my demon couldn't help loving you...
"Oh...God..." she cried...Collapsing in a heap on the slab in the center of the room, covering her
face...She looked up at him as he came over, taking her hand...
"I bit Anya...Left her in an alley...I don't know...I didn't even check to see if..."
She found out about me...I was afraid the others...Would...
Call Xander...Please...she begged...Tell him...The third alleyway off Westfield and Prescott...
He nodded, and picked up the phone...
Will...Why is God so cruel to us...? she stared at the wall across from her...
"I don't know..." he replied...
Maybe there is no God...
Certainly He doesn't seem like that benevolent, bearded chap they told us about back in Sunday
school...
***
Xander answered immediately and he spoke to him quickly...Anya attacked by some
creature...Buffy...Injured...Made it to his crypt somehow...
"Is Buffy there now?..." Xander asked, with surprising calm...
Yeah...But she's...
"An and I are in an ambulance on the way to Sunnydale Hospital...She's alive...Or was when she
teleported to me..."
"Did she say anything about...What attacked her...?"
No...Xander replied quietly...Tell Buffy...
"Tell her I'll be coming for her...A little later..."
She calmed a bit...Looking at Will's face...
He knows...she said flatly...Xander knows, doesn't he?...
Anya managed to tell him...
"He didn't say..." Will paused...
But...Yeah...I think he knows...
She sighed...
"There is a Heaven, Will...I saw it..."
Twice...
He nodded...And looked away...
"I think..." she stood up...
"I think I came back...As Buffy, I mean...Because you weren't there...You didn't come to me..."
He turned back to her...
Cicely...
"Will...I didn't hate you...I didn't despise you...Whatever you heard from me that night...I loved
you..."
Please believe that...
"I want to, Buffy..." he stared at her...
I am trying to...
She shook violently a moment...And nearly distorted again...
"She's trying to get through..." Buffy looked at him...
I...We...Can barely hold her back now...
And when the night falls...
"Kill me...Quickly...Will, if you love me..." she begged...
Don't leave me like this...Please...
"I can't do it myself...She's too strong..."
There must be another way, Buffy...he stared at her...
"Let me talk to Giles...Willow...See what can be done..."
She shook her head...
"They'll never help me now...Anya..."
"She may not be dead...She's demon as well as human, Buf..."
I want to die...She eyed him...I can't face Xander...Dawn...She put her face in her hands...
"You can't leave me again...So soon...Cics..." he came over to take her hands...
No...she backed away, putting out an arm...Keep away, Will...She wants to kill you...Release
Spike...
"I don't want to leave you...I didn't want to send you away...I tried to kill Spike the night he
rose...For months afterward, I tried to trace him..."
I tried, darling...I tried...she covered her face with her hands...
"But if I stay now...With her inside...We're going to lose each other...Forever..."
We...Cicely and Buffy...can barely hold her back now...By day...
At night...
"I'll keep her here...She won't harm anyone..." Will told her...
If she tries, I'll stop her...Whatever I have to do...
"Please, Buffy...Cicely...I can't bear losing you again..."
Stay with me a little while...Give me my chance...
"Hell, girl...You didn't even give me a chance to try last time...Did everything your way..."
I deserve my shot...A marriage should be a partnership, you know...
She smiled and laughed a bit...
Yeah...
"You promise...You won't let her harm anyone again...?"
If I have to kill you all to stop her, I will...he told her...And then I'll join you...
Xander?...If he comes...? she eyed him...
If the day has come that I can't restrain Xander Harris without killing him...Will smiled...
"Anyways...for now, lets get you something to quiet that ole bloodlust before Annie makes another
appearance..."
He walked to his new fridge, tapping into the power line kindly opened by Xander...And pulled out
two blood bags, tossing one to her...
"Bon appetit..." he smiled wanly...
"Sorry our first meal together has to be this..."
Our first meal...Alone...Buffy paused, eyeing the bag gingerly...
Was in Henry's cottage...One hundred twenty two years and five months ago...
"We had...Mutton stew, I think..."
He stared at her...
She carefully opened a section of the bag and drank it down hastily...
"How's about some soda...And maybe a little real food?..." he asked her kindly...
She hesitated...
Gets the taste out, love...he noted...
Yeah...she nodded...
"I'd break out the whiskey, girl...but..."
My inhibitions are low enough already...she grinned back...
"Lets go below...You haven't seen the rest of the place since Harris and I fixed it up, anyhow..." he
smiled...Waving her to the stairs in the rear...
"It looked like a nice one when we found it the other night..." she noted as she walked over...
Will...?
"Yes, pet?..." he looked at her by the stairs...
You are a good man...she stared at him...
I always knew you were...
"That's why I married you..."
"Though I hope the poetry has improved..." she grinned...
I think my years with Spike have added a darker touch...he noted...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXI...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXI...
"Nibs...?" William looked at Dawn as she entered the crypt...After making just enough noise to
inadvertently alert him and the now safely hidden Buffy...
What the Hell are you doing here?...What would your sister say...?
"I couldn't reach Xander and Anya..." she looked at him...
I had to find...Someone ...To help me find Buffy...
"I couldn't just go off to school...Wait all day to hear something..."
Anya... Will paused...
Was hurt...In a fight...
She and Buffy fought...A demon...
Harris is taking her over to the hospital now...
"Buffy?..." Dawn gasped...
Ok...She's ok...She was there, but...
"Is she headed for the ER too?..."
No...he shook his head...
Go Dawn...Go now...Buffy thought, listening carefully...
Please God, make her go now...
"She's..." he paused...
She's probably almost home now...She was headed there...
Thank you, Will...Buffy closed her eyes...Thank you, my darling...My kind, loving darling...
Dawn sighed...
Ok...
"But...Will...I have some things to tell you..." she paused...
About...Cicely...she explained...
He stood, watching her...A strange sense coming over him...
He hadn't seen her since...
"What did she look like?..." Dawn eyed him...
He stared back...Hadn't realized...Never saw her clearly though Spike...
"You know...Cicely...The original..." Dawn impatiently frowned at him...
What did she look like?...
I saw a picture through the Internet...she continued...
Will...?
Amelia...he gasped, continuing to stare at her...
"My god...Amelia..." he repeated...
Dawn blinked...
"She looked like...Amelia?..."
Will...? Who's...?
No...he came over to her...She backing away a bit...
Amelia...? Buffy thought below...
His sister...My sister...In-law...
"Don't...Spike..." Dawn hissed...Drawing her arms up...A stake now revealed in her right hand...
No offense...she nodded at the stake...
Just...
"It's ok...Sorry...Nibs..." he put up his hands...
No menace intended...
He continued just looking at her...
Will...? You're freaking me, here, you know that...
"I never realized...I never..."
"Will...Who is Amelia?..."
"My little sister, Nibs...Back in England...1880 England..."
My god...he shook his head...Tears forming...
"You...Are Amelia...Nibs..."
What...? Dawn stared at him...
Formed from Buffy...And Cicely...he noted...
"She didn't forget...Not completely...And somehow..." he bowed his head...
Somehow she had you made in my Melia's image...
Her gift to me...
***
Not just part of me...Buffy thought below...
Part of us...
I didn't forget...Cicely didn't forget...
The little girl we lost...My poor baby...
Our Amelia...
***
After recovering from some moderate shock at Will's statement, Dawn passed on the Halfreck-
Cicely story with what details about her session with Haly she could make herself remember...
Still a bit overwhelmed...
Like his sis...?
Buffy remaining below and hidden...
So...Confirmation...she thought...That vengeance bitch did it...That "justice demon" killed my
husband...Drove him to Drusilla...
My "justice demon"...
But...For now, only one thing mattered...
Our daughter...My baby...Back with us...All this time...
And somehow, someway we both knew...She was ours...
"Will...?" Dawn eyed him back up above ground...
Will you...Come home with me...?...Come home to us?...Now...?
He looked at her...
"Not yet Dawn...You and Buffy need time...I need time..."
She shook her head...
"We want you home...I know Buffy wants you with us...Let me call..."
He put up a hand...
"Not yet, Nibs..." But he smiled gently at her...
Not yet...But...Soon...
If she wants me to...If we can find a way...
He grinned at her clouded, sad face...
"Sides, kiddo...You'd have a hell of a time getting me through the sunny streets of Sunnydale right
now..."
She nodded, sighing...
"Will you see us...Tonight?..."
If I can...And she wants me...he nodded...
She got up from the slab where she'd sat and headed for the door...Oh!...
"Anya?...Shouldn't we call?..."
Best to go home, Nibs...he eyed her...
"Buffy can take you..."
Forgive me, Amelia...My darling...Daughter...he thought...
The only lie I hope I will ever tell you...
She came back over to him...Staring a moment...
And kissed him...Smiling shyly...
Welcome home...William...
"Bye..." she waved...Heading out
***
"The first thing they'll do..."Amy paused, eyeing Warren and their "allies"... As they all sat quietly
in a dark booth of Willie the Snitch's bar...
Is try a demon exorcism...
Zorg nodded thoughtfully...He'd surprised them by not being at all downcast when she and Warren
had met with the four demons here at the prearranged time and Warren had spilled the bad news of
partial failure...
Hell, he was a "glass half-full" kinda guy...Besides he'd never expected them to get this far...Let
alone still have a crack at full victory...
"Can you prevent the witch and the Slayer's sorcerer from driving her demon out?..." he asked...
No and yes...Amy looked at her reference books...Spread out on the booth's table...
"I can't stop them from starting the spell to drive it away...But...I might be able to make use of the
chance it would give..."
The souls' will at their weakest, turned inward to avoid the demon as she is summoned...
There might be just enough time and opportunity to block the souls' hold on Buffy's body and let
the demon take control...
Not a full vampire demon...Not with the human souls still hanging on...But the demon would run the
show...
In fact, she noted...It might be possible to disguise its takeover simply as a failure of the spell to
drive it off...The souls would still be present, just submerged...
"But how do we get the ladies out, Amy...?" Warren eyed her, pressing...
Later, after the demon gains control...Makes her first kills...The souls may give in and flee...Or I
may be able to come up with something to make them leave...
***
Back above ground, Buffy faced him across a small table...Both seated now...Staring at each
other...He shaking his head slightly...
In wonder...
I...We...Have a daughter...
She took his right hand, lying on the table, gently in hers...Stroking its curves with her fingertips...
"Cicely..." he stared at her...
She smiled and nodded...Knowing...
We have a daughter...Our daughter is with us...We never lost her...
Even...What's happened...Can't...
"I hear something..." Buffy looked at Will sharply...Eyeing the crypt entrance...
He went to the open doorway cautiously, eyeing the bit of light at the edge...
A sudden sharp thwack...Against his chest...
Christ!...he gasped...
He fell back...Pulling...And clutching...a small dart...Staring at her...
"Will?!...William?!...William!!!?..." Buffy screamed, racing over...
Xander entered as she tried to carry him over to a slab...
Eyeing her coolly...
William staggered and collapsed...
"Xander!!?..." Buffy stared at him...Struggling to hold the rage back...
"He'll be all right..." Xander looked at her...Dragging a bag over to the table William had brought
up from below...
It's just a tranquillizer...
"We need some time alone..." he eyed Buffy...
***
"Xander...It's ok..." Buffy gestured for him to hold off...
Ok...? he stared at her...Carefully moving back to his bag on the table...Shaking out several
weapons...
"I know Anya told you...About me...But Will didn't do this..." she explained...Watching him...
He's trying to help me...
"Great...I believe you...And I'm going to make it easy for him..."
He shouldn't hafta see this...Not after all he's been through...
He grabbed at the weapons on the table, selecting a stake...
"Xander...? Wait..." Buffy looked at him...Backing away...
Don't...
"Don't...?!...You thing!!!..." he yelled...
"You still have her blood on your clothes, you bitch!!!..."
He charged at her and she dodged...
"Stop it, Xander!...Please..." she begged...
We have It under control...she began to explain...
"Sure you do..." he eyed her...Nodding...
Spike loan you his chip?...Guess soul-boy doesn't need it now...
"Or did you two hunt up the gypsy curse...?"
Anya...? she looked at him...
"You didn't quite make it, first time out..." Xander nodded...
Sunnydale Hospital is putting some back in her right now...
"I'm sorry...Xander...Please...Believe me..." she pleaded...
I didn't mean to hurt her...I didn't want to...
I'm trying to control It...
"Great..."
"Let me make that control permanent!!..." he lunged at her...
**
Deathwishes...Part XXII...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXII...
Xander halted by the first of the three large slabs in the center of Will's new crypt, breathing heavily
after his last lunge...Buffy standing by the third...Her hands raised in pleading...
"Xander..." she begged...
Don't...She'll kill you...Please...
"I still am Buffy...!..." she cried...
"If you were Buffy...If anything left in there is Buffy...Then you'll stay there and let me finish
this..." Xander furiously stared at her...
Buffy would want to die...To kill this thing...
"William needs me, Xander...I can't die now...Not now...Please!..."
You left her...Bleeding to death...He told her quietly...Shaking with rage...
"If I am...What you think..." she eyed him...Watching his tense movements in the space where he
stood watching her...Waiting for his next moment...
Why didn't I kill her?...
He caught her by surprise, bitterly laughing just for a moment...
"I know you're there, Buffy...Or Cicely...Or both..."
She told me...In the ambulance...At the hospital...
Over and over she kept saying it...he looked at her...
"Don't hurt her...Buffy's soul is still there, Xander..." he quoted...
Still there...With the other...he glared at her...
"And you still did it...Buffy...God..." he groaned...
You...Did it...
To stop her...
"Xander...I couldn't help..."
"It's all been a lie, hasn't it...?" he sighed, interrupting...Looking at her bitterly...
All these years..I believed you were stronger than them...Better than them...
Better than all of us...And we were right to follow you, kill for you...
Without ever trying to help these people...William, Angel, Drusilla, all of them...Seeing them only
as monsters...Because it was so much easier just to kill them...And it was ok...Because they were
weak...They gave in and let themselves be taken, right?...Can't feel for weak people who let
themselves be used for evil, right?...
He moved slowly towards her, watching her movements... "But not you, Buffy...You'd never be
weak, never be tainted...You weren't like them...Like us..."
Even Love wasn't enough to make you pause...Or so you told us until Dawn came...And last year,
when you turned to Spike...
"To William..." she eyed him...Not to...
But in the end... he went on...You're just as weak as any of us...And we've been killing...When we
might have helped...At least tried...
"You couldn't have..."
Hell, if we had died...he continued...All of us...Just trying to save one of them...It would have been
right...And somebody in this world would have saved the ole globe in the end...
It's like Spike used to say...There've been millions of Apocalypse plans since day one...Since long
before you or any of us showed up...
None ever succeeds...
"You've made us all killers, Buffy..." he stared at her...
Like you...And like your enemies...Your kind, now...Almost...
"Xander..."
"You did it for Will, right?...To keep her from telling us...To stay with him...?"
Yes...she looked at him quietly, a few tears running down her face...
It was me...I did it...Not the other...Not...Anne...
"I love him, Xander...He's...The one I came back for...I can't abandon him again, his soul won't
bear it...Not again..."
You're right...she nodded...I am not strong enough to give him up...I was willing to kill to be with
him...
"I am just another weak human being...With no more right to judge anyone than you or Willow or
Giles...Or William..."
Please...she begged, glancing over at William, lying unconscious on the slab she'd dragged him to...
"You know what he's been though...Help me...One last time..."
Not to save the world...Just to save my heart...
***
Hey...Xander's voice attempting to sound welcoming and cheerily normal...
"Welcome home...Almost, Wil...We can't wait to see ya...I..." Beep...
Willow grinned...He still hasn't got the hang of telephone messages...
"Love ya...Sorry..." the next message concluded...
Dawn next...Likewise with the cheery welcome...
Willow sighed...Stretching out on her hotel bed...
Guys...?
Well, thank God at least Ma was back to normal...Off to a psych seminar, leaving her here to fend
for herself...
Rather crossly fend, actually...With a minor spat included...Ma, you planned this seminar during the
first week we've had together in ages?...When I needed you?...What am I supposed to do, wander
around by myself all day...?
But ending somehow with them both knowing...Things had changed...For the better...
Even if the old ruts had begun to wear once again, already...
And, soon...The guys would get off this "china doll Willow, handle with care" stuff...And hit her
with their anger and hurt...And things would go back...Never quite to the ole days...But to a
reasonable facsimile of normal...
Patience, Willow...Giles' voice in her head...
Dear Rupert...
Hey...Now there's a worthy occupation until I meet Ma for lunch...
Dear Rupert,
All's going as well as...
The phone had played a message from Buffy, Anya...Really over the mind-control anger thing,
Willow...Please come home soon...And two more from Xander...
And then...
"Willow...This is William..."
Buffy has had...An accident...
You hafta come home...Now, Red...
Please...Call me...
She listened...Sitting up to look at the phone...
Another beep...Xander...
"Willow..."
Call me...The minute you can...
And finally...
"Willow my dear..."
There seems to have been a terrible accident back in Sunnydale...
Buffy...Needs you home at once...I'm flying out in a few hours...
Call me if you can...
As she grabbed for the phone, she could not entirely suppress a brief throb of joy...And satisfaction...
They need me...
I'm home...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXIII...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXIII...
Buffy remained in her pleading posture, Xander staring at her...And at William over on a slab,
unconscious from the tranquillizer dart he'd used on him...
"Please..." she breathed...
I'm not a monster...I didn't want to hurt Anya...
Xander, she's a demon...I knew...Somehow...
"Like you!?..." he replied furiously...
"Xander!..." Anya suddenly materialized between them...Staggering...Two IV lines still attached to
her arms...
Don't...she feebly raised her arms...And collapsed...
He ran over to her, Buffy coming as well...
"Get away...!" he screamed at her...Waving the stake in his hand...She backed off...Looking to
William...Still out cold on his slab...
"Is she all right?..." Buffy hesitantly called...
"Don't speak to me...Don't say a word..." Xander replied...Not looking at her as he chaffed Anya's
wrists...She gradually opened her eyes and sat up a bit...
An...he embraced her...
Don't Xander...If you love me...Please...she gasped...
"All right, all right..." he nodded...
But you have to get back to the hospital...
No...she waved a hand...I'll be ok...Just need a few minutes to get my strength back...
She looked over to Buffy now standing by William...
"No little vamp is ever gonna take a vengeance demon..." she grinned wanly at him...
Not even a Slayer vamp...
"Anya...I..." Buffy waved her hands...
I understand...Anya replied coldly...Avoiding looking directly at her for a moment...
She got up carefully...Xander taking an arm...And moved over to a concrete bench by the wall of
family plaques...And finally looked over at Buffy...Now gently stroking William's hair as she sat by
him...
"What happened, Buffy...?" she asked quietly...
"Someone...Human...Drugged me, somehow..." Buffy continued to look at Will, smoothing his
hair...
Last night...At the McGarvey cemetery...Posing as a guard there...Using a bunch of demons to keep
me busy...
Then that little vampire...The one who worked there...she paused...
Anya nodded...Patting Xander's hands as he sat next to her...
"It was some kind of a set-up...Someone was out to get me...And there was another...One of the
demons...I recognized her voice...Someone I know..."
The guard too...The human one...I knew him, I'm sure...But I can't quite...
"Human...?" Xander asked quietly...
A human did this to you...?
"Arranged it I guess is the better way to put it..." she replied...
Xander...Please...Forg...she started to rise...
"Stay where you are Buffy!!!..." Anya called in a thunderous voice, standing in a rush...Anyanka's
voice...
Xander and Buffy both jumping a bit...
I want to help you...Anya continued in a normal tone...Still standing...
But I will not take a chance with Xander...
"Understand?..."
Buffy nodded, sitting back down...
Guess I got my second wind...Anya grinned at Xander...
"Hey guys..." A cloud of bluish-white mist suddenly took form in the center of the crypt room...
Willow...Hi...Anya waved...
***
The face of a dark-eyed Willow looked out at them from the mist...
"Willow...?" Xander stared...
Are you...Teleporting...?
"Do I look like I'm teleporting, you fool?!..." she asked coldly...Then calmed...
Sorry...Raging dark force...Gives me a little headache...
"I don't have access to the power I'd need for a transport spell..." she explained...
But I wanted to see what was up after I got your messages...
I've got Giles on the other end of my line...she noted...He was gonna try the coven again for a
teleport but I got him to settle for this and the first flight home...
"He would have come straight, Buffy...But they have less power now since fighting me and it would
be too risky..." she eyed Buffy beside William...
I'm coming too...As soon as I can catch a flight...
I understand Wil...Buffy nodded...Thanks...And tell Giles the same...
"Is Blondie ok...?" she looked over at William...
"Xander did it..." Anya told her...A faint note of pride in her voice...
Tranquillized him when he came to kill Buffy...To spare his feelings...
"Xander?...You took out William the Bloody...?" Willow grinned at him...
Even Giles didn't do so well with Angelus...Anya smiled fondly at him...
And all for me...she thought...Wobbling a little and hastily sitting down...
"Anya?..." Willow looked at her...
I tried to kill her...Buffy explained...
To keep her from telling the others...she looked sadly at Willow's face...
"I see..." Willow replied...A blurry hand appeared, rubbing her disembodied forehead a moment,
then disappeared...
I hate to sound so lame, Buf...she sighed...But...It will be all right, you know...she smiled gently at
her...
Whoa...Wait...Xander?...
"You tried to kill Buffy?!..."
Yeah...he nodded, sighing...Staring over to Buffy...
No hard feelings her wan smile back said...
Gee...Willow's floating head shook...
Guess we're all about even now...she grinned faintly...
***
Lovely...A groggy, dazed William looked up, turning over...Still on his slab...
Ambushed by Xander Harris...Successfully...
On the positive side...Spike may as well give up any hope of a return someday...He could never live
it down...
"Will...?" Buffy beamed at him...Hugging him gently...
You ok...?
He nodded, looking round...
"Harris?..."
Obviously he didn't kill me...Buffy smiled...
Yet...
"Good, good..." he eyed her...Carefully...
She looked back at him...William?!...she frowned...
"You think I killed him?!..." she groused...
Well...Love...he paused...
You did just sink fangs into ole Anya to keep her quiet...
"They're outside...Willow thought it was best if they keep their distance..." she explained...
Red's back?...
"Just her head..." Buffy grinned...
Communication spell...She and Giles are flying home asap...
Good ole Red...he nodded...
"See, girl...You had your panties all twisted for nothing...Ripper and Red will have this little matter
set to rights in no time..."
It will be all right, Cicely...he eyed her gently...
God couldn't be so cruel to us after all we've been through...
She sighed...I dunno about that, she thought...And looked at him...
All these years...Lost...And now this...And he can still...Hope...
And I doubted him, she closed her eyes...Didn't think he could handle himself and fight with me...?
And then grinned a bit...
"Mr. Walthrop...I thought you were the free-thinker in this family...? All those anti-Church of
England polemics you used to treat me to...?"
Papa would have had you horsewhipped...As an example to others...
Probably would've in any case if I'd lived...he smiled back...
"Well..." she grinned...
If we do get through this and I get back to college at last, I should at least be able to ace nineteenth
century English history...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXIV...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXIV...
***
It now heading on towards three o'clock, at Anya's strongly urged and strongly Buffy-supported
suggestion, Xander reluctantly went to the Summers' to give Dawn a diluted explanation of current
events and prevent her from returning to the crypt on her own...
In addition he'd be needed to ferry Willow and Giles in as they arrived asap...
But there was nothing remotely geekish in the cold warning he gave Buffy's demon within when he
and Anya returned inside the crypt before he left...Despite Anya's insistence that she would remain
near the entrance and could only be weakened, not killed in her "vd" state...
"Wasn't Xander terrific?...You know, he even thought of keeping a couple of vamp protective
charms from the store on him..." she proudly noted to Buffy and William as they waited just
within...She by the door as promised...
He've of killed me for sure if it'd been necessary, Buffy agreed...Smiling a bit at Will...
***
Xander returned from the airport with Willow two hours later...
A furious Dawn having reluctantly agreed to remain behind, settling for a quick cell phone call with
her sis and Buffy's assurance that the little demon curse thing placed on her was nothing special...
***
Willow had completed her examination...
Clearly there had been a partial transformation...But the strong presence of Cicely within had helped
to retain both souls or soul variants to be more precise...
"See..." she explained... "Buffy and Cicely are one person, but with variations...Born
twice...Therefore on the astral plane the original soul is sort of superimposed on the new one..."
A ghost soul...? Xander asked...
"Probably as good a way to define it as anything..." Willow nodded...
Cicely was one powerfully-minded lady...To be reincarnated at all...Then in the body of another
Slayer...And at what her soul...She smiled at Buffy...Your soul...Somehow knew was a preety good
moment...When Spike would soon be coming to America to find a cure for Dru...
My God...she eyed Buffy...And looked at Xander and Anya
"She knew...Cicely knew about Dru being hurt in Prague in '77...That's why she was reborn a few
years later...She knew Spike would be in one spot...Near the Hellmouth...For a while...And she'd
have a chance to reach William..."
"Except that I went and locked on to Angel..." Buffy noted...
Poor guy had the soul I was looking for...And I reminded him of what he'd sought all those lost
years...Poor Darla's true soul...
You'd think I'd remember what my own husband looked like...she sheepishly smiled at William...
"My record's not been exactly pure, love..." he grinned back at her...
You've done nothing, Will...she hastily replied...
Nothing...Spike was the...
"Love..." he raised a hand...
Lets leave the past to the past...For now...
Later we can tear our hearts up about it if we have to...
"Present problems first..." he turned to Willow...
And so...he eyed her...
"What's to be done...?"
"Giles and I talked some about this..." Willow nodded...
The demon has only sporadic control...And her toehold on Buffy is weak...
We ought to be able to drive it out...And restore Buffy...and Cicely to normal...
"Or whatever a dual-souled lady considers normal..." she grinned at Buffy...
"So...?" Xander asked...
This'll be like an...Exorcism?...
Hmmn...Anya frowned...
Never been fond of exorcism...
But that's a natural prejudice...
"When can we start?..." Buffy asked anxiously...
Well...Willow consulted her notes a mo...
Giles seemed to think there was no reason I couldn't go ahead without him...The actual spell is quite
simple...Reverse of a summons...
"Even musical demon-summoning boy here..." she grinned at Xander... "Could do it..."
"Are you sure about this, Red?..." William eyed her...
Willow sighed...
"No guarantees, guys...There may be spell traps, etc...But it should work...Or at least help..."
And Giles will be here asap to back me up if our first try fails...
"Do it, Wil...Please..." Buffy begged...But refrained from her natural impulse to reach out a hand to
her friend...Xander still keeping a wary eye on her...
Cicely and I are not finding this "Anne" a great roomie ...
My Anne...she shook her head sadly...
"We all have our dark side, Buffy..." William noted...Patting her hand...
Even the Slayer...
"Especially the Slayer..." she replied...
One thing before we start...she looked at Willow and the others...
"If this fails...If you guys can't help me get her out..." she looked solemnly at them...
Would you spring for a couple of tickets to Africa for Will and me...?
"I really don't want to die now..." she grinned wanly, putting an arm around William...
***
"I don't understand it..." Willow shook her head...
Nothing seems to have changed...Demon lady's still hanging in there...
"Well..." Buffy smiled...
"I feel better...More in control..."
It may have pushed the thing down a bit...Willow agreed...
"But this should have worked...Unless something or someone is interfering..."
So...Buffy wryly grinned...
Guess I still gotta watch it outside...
"Afraid it's likely, Buf..." Willow nodded...
Buffy patted her...Know you're doing your best, Wil...she nodded...
"William..." she looked at him...
Sorry...But they'll figure this out soon...Giles will be here and that'll be that...
"Maybe..." he nodded back...
But someone...Several someones, from what you told us, it seems...And at least one human
someone...Is trying to keep you this way...
"And we'd best find these folks before they try to make things worse..."
She nodded...
"Any ideas as to who, Buffy...?" Willow looked at her...
"You did say you recognized one of the demons' voices...A female..." Anya noted...
Could have been Haly, I suppose...Trying to louse you and Will up again...
"No..." Buffy shook her head...Not Halfreck...But I can't quite place her...It...
That human guard?...Xander asked...
"Yeah...I knew his voice for a second...But..." she hesitated...
Busy moment...I can't quite get it...
"Could check their records on computer..." Willow noted...
Nah, I worked for those guys once...Xander shook his head at her...
They couldn't use computers if their lives depended on it...All paper...
Paper...Willow rolled her eyes...
Not that she'd didn't love old papers...As in dark old archives to be throughly searched with dear old
Rupert...Just a modern-day company?...Paper records only?...Geesh...
"I could go to the security company..." Xander looked at Buffy....
Check names, get an address if possible...
"Thanks..." she nodded...He got up to leave...
Xander?...she paused...
"You did the right thing coming here...If William and my dual nature couldn't have held me back a
little...It would've been what I wanted..."
Ok...he nodded back...
But tell your Anne...
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat..."
He left as Willow began reviewing exorcism spells with Anya...
Oh...Don't worry, big brother...Anne thought as she watched Xander leave...Eyeing the others as she
kept a gentle arm around William
I know you would...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXV...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXV...
***
"Ow!..." Anya grimaced, looking at one particularly painful exorcism spell in Willow's "Lil' Book
of Demon Drivin' "...As she and Willow continued looking through the batch of spell books Xander
had brought from the Magic Shop when he'd gone to pick up Willow earlier...
William and Anne watching from a slab...Anne with arm about William...Her head on his
shoulder...
Sorry...Anya eyed Willow...That one brings back some painful memories...
"You possessed someone?..." Willow stared at her...
Me?...Anya shook her head...No, no, no...Vengeance demons don't do possession...We still have
human souls and all...
"But a friend got me caught up in her exorcism once...I got the backend of the energy wave..."
Not a pleasant experience...
"So this one's good?..."
Eh...Anya shrugged...Not as good as the one you tried...
Hmmn...Willow looked over at Buffy...
Anne smiling back from where she lay against William...Who was writing on a pad...Let me see?
she grinned at him...Taking it...
"Buffy...? You sure you don't feel any differently...?" Willow called...
"Just stronger, Wil...More in control...Like I told you before..."
"It's nice, Will..." she beamed at William... "And I'm glad to see my poet is back..."
I have one for you...she shyly put her lips to his ear...
"There must be a blocking force at work here..." Willow shook her head at Anya...
This one should have worked...I can't see any reason why it wouldn't otherwise...
"... '...tis grown a bulge in it...Inspired by...Your beauty effulgent'..." Anne whispered...
"I remembered, Will..."
Can't say as I like it any better than in 1880...she grinned at him...As he nodded...Staring at her...
"But I remembered...Or at least...Cicely did..."
"Hey, guys!..." she called to Willow and Anya, holding up William's latest...
"Will's written me a poem...!"
***
"So...?" Warren eyed Amy...Who shrugged...Looking at her spell implements...
"No way to tell if it worked...But they definitely did try to exorcize the demon...The orb there is red
hot..."
Oh, yeah?...Warren felt it...Jesus!...He knocked it over as their demon ally, Zorg watched...
"I told you it was hot, Warren..." Amy frowned...Zorg rolling his eye a bit...The left one...The right
remaining firmly on his human allies...
Here...she passed him a wet cloth...
"Do I say anything?..." he looked at the cloth...Wrapping it around his burned hand...
"..."Thank you" might be nice..." she looked at him...
It's just a wet cloth, Warren...
"Oh..."
Thanks...he nodded at her...
"Sure..." she smiled... "I've got some ointment, I'll get it for you..."
She hopped up...
Zorg frowned as Warren nursed his hand...Charming, but...
"So we cannot know if our witch's work has succeeded?..."
Well...If our Annie is up and in control...We should hear about it preety soon...Warren beamed...
"Sunnydale Observer's sure to run a banner headline about the murder spree..."
***
Pfft...!...Willow's laptop went dark...As did William's newly installed lights...
Fortunately still light out yet...Though a bit dim inside...William hastily lit some candles...
Hmmn...Willow frowned at the computer...Battery drained or fried as well...
"Guess Harris' electrical training leaves a bit to be desired..." William grinned at Willow...Anya
frowning back at him a bit...
Hardly a place allowing for quality electrical work...And it was a freebie, she thought...
"So much for getting anything done here..." Willow sighed...Well...
"Giles is due in about eight hours..." she looked at Buffy and William...
Maybe it's best if Anya and I head back to your place, Buffy...Check on Dawn and see what else we
can dig out...If I can't get this thing running again...I can use yours...
"I think that's the best plan, Wil..." Anne nodded...
William can watch over me here...she smiled...
"Club me one good if demon girl tries anything after dark..."
And you guys know...It's ok...
"We're married, after all..." she grinned at William who nodded...
Best if you go to the Nibs...She must be climbing the walls...he noted...
"Ok..." Willow collected her stuff...
Buffy...? she paused...
"I'm sorry it didn't work the first time...But we'll get it...Giles will get it done..."
Anne nodded...
"It's great just to have you home with us, Willow..." she smiled...
"Sorry your coming couldn't be celebrated...The right way..."
My way...Anne thought...
"Nice to be home...And...Cicely?..." Willow paused...
"Nice to meet you...And...Welcome...Home..."
"Thank you, Wil..." Anne beamed at her...
"Well...We'll tell Dawn..." Willow paused...Twisting her face wryly...
Some of it...
Yeah...Anne nodded...
"Tell her I'm gonna be fine...And I'll be home as soon as I can...And I love her..." she turned to
William...
"Guess the rest should wait, right... "Dad"?..." she smiled at him...
God, yes...he rolled his eyes...
"... 'Dad'...?" Willow blinked at them...
I'll explain later...Anne waved at her...
"Anya?...You know..."
"It's ok, Buffy..." Anya nodded...
Just name your first born daughter after me...she smiled at William...
"Second-born..." Anne sighed...Tightening her grip on him...
I know, honey...Willow replied sadly...Standing near the entrance with her bags...
"Giles and I found Cicely's death certificate..."
Anne nodded...Her head against William...
"But there's more to the story yet, Wil..." she looked at Willow...
"After we get my little problem sorted out...I'll tell you..."
We'll tell you...she hugged William still tighter...
"Don't..." she whispered in his ear...As he tensed slightly...
"Bye, ladies..." he waved...As the two left...
"Should I clap...For that wonderful performance...?" he looked at Anne carefully...
"Would you rather I'd killed them?...Right then?..." she beamed at him...
"Oh, right..." she sneered...
Super-Willow and Justice Demon...Poor half-vamp me wouldn't stand a chance...
"But I could have killed your Buffy...And Cicely...Made 'em go "poof"...Before Willow could've
batted an eye or thrown a pinch of powder...And I will if you tell them..."
If you try to send me back to Hell, Walthrop...Your wife goes too...Both of her...I promise you...
Darling...she smiled...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXVI...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXVI...
***
He was very quiet...Anne noted to him...As they sat facing each other across his little table, she
having requested something to eat...A little blood, followed by some real food...
"I've nothing to say to you, Anne..." he eyed her briefly...
"After a hundred and twenty three years of marriage...Baby?...Have we become a cliche...? Nothing
left to say to each other...?" she teased him...
"Leave me be..." he told her quietly...Or you may be sorry...Soon...
"Well...Just answer me one question...Dearest..." she batted her eyes at him...
"When and how?..."
He sighed...
"A little after Willow's spell failed..."
He grinned coldly...
"And...Because I've felt you before...Last year...Even earlier...Banging on my poor Buffy's
door...Even when I was trapped, hanging on with Spike..."
I know you, girl...And I know my wife...
She flushed a bit...
"I am..." she began...
He grabbed her suddenly across the table, hauling her to her feet...Screaming in her startled
face...Shaking her fiercely...
"You think I'm gonna let you win, bitch!!...After what we've been through?!...Hell, girl...You think
Spike was dangerous!!?...GIVE ME MY WIFE BACK, DAMN YOU!!!...I'll kill you if you
don't!!..."
Cool...she grinned, not resisting...
"I like you all insane with rage, Willy...Never thought you had...Hey!!..."
He slapped her with an open hand...And dragging her over, threw her back, onto the slab...Calming
a bit as he held her down...She staring up at him...Just eyeing him...
"I'll kill you, Anne...With pleasure...And then stake myself...Buffy...Cicely will find me again...You
of all people should know that..."
"Wow...William the Bloody gets rough...Again..." she grinned... "Oooh, please..."
"Well...Darling..." she smiled up at him...
Go right ahead...
"I won't even fight back..."
C'mon...A stake'll do it...she cooed...
And there's one, right over there...she nodded at it...next to the table...
"Course...I'm not quite a vamp...So there's likely to be blood..."
He jerked her up to sitting posture...Holding her by her neck...
"So..." she smiled gently...
"Still the little poet who finds violence "vulgar"?...Even within what Spike gave you?..."
He looked at her...Relaxing just a bit of his grip...
"Do you want to die, Anne?..." he asked her, calmly...
Is that it...?
"Please..." she chuckled... "I just got here..."
But...Death...?...Heck...Been there, done that...All three of us...
Her face suddenly darkened...
"But I won't go back...Not without company..."
And you're starting to make me feel unwelcome...William...she gave him a grim look...
Feeling her face...
"None of us likes to be hit, Willy...Even by our own true...Especially me..."
"Really?..." he smiled coldly... "Well...You must know Spike would give you a hell of a lot
worse...On his best day..."
As for your little threat...You'll go alone to Hell, girl...
"You so sure of that...Willy...?" she stared in his eyes...
Your girl...Even the human parts of us...Is no....she grinned...
Angel...
"We're quite the slut, really..." Anne shook her head...
"And you know our skills as a cold-blooded killer without compassion..."
He tensed...
"You hit me again...Willy...And you'll be sorry..." she smiled at him...
One I'll allow for your deep, deep love for my human sister...sisters...
"But that's all..."
He released her and paced...Watching her all the while...
"That's more like the Willy we know..." she smiled...
My loving monster who wanted to be a man...
"You can't touch her soul...Bitch..." he told her quietly...Pausing in the middle of the crypt...
"I am her...Bastard...Just as you are Spike, Willy..."
But... she spread her arms and stretched a bit on the slab...
Even if I can't send the Good Ladies to Hell...
"You would be separated, William...From all of us..."
And, considering the way the Powers That Be have operated with us...Poor Honey...she eyed him
with a sad expression...That quickly became a sardonic grin...
"I think it's a safe bet that I could arrange for all of us to be separated...Maybe not forever...But..."
You prepared to wait another thousand years for us, Willy?...Ten thousand...?
"Buffy...Cicely...Listen to me, girl..."
"HEY!!!" she raged at him...Rising up...
I'm talking to you!!...Me!...
"Forget about the little sisters...They're asleep until I say so..." she calmed...
"Don't you mean...Until whoever is helping you says so?..." he looked at her...
Clev..Er...she cooed...
That's my little scholar-poet...
"But...Can't help you there, honey...I don't know who myself...Though I do appreciate their
kindness..."
"This is hopeless, Anne...I'm not gonna let you do anything...Except vacate..."
She made a gesture with both hands...Well?...
"So...Put your hot little hands on my tight little bod...And make me...Bitch..." she grinned at him...
She eyed him a moment...
We never have danced, you know...she smiled at him...
Dance, dance...I mean...Not Spike's way...
"Though I suppose...In reality...We were dancing even then...Love..." she grinned...
"But real dancing...Not even at Anya's wedding...You know..." she eyed him...
Almost...Sadly...He suddenly realized...
"All three of us...Or two and a half of us...Cause it's hard to tell where Cicely or Buffy begins and
ends...Wanted to dance with you then..." she paused....
"Why didn't you stay, Will...?...It would've been so nice...We've waited so long..."
We didn't even dance at our wedding...Remember?...That dinky little church west of London...
He watched her carefully...Trying to catch him off?guard he thought...But...There was something
sincere in her voice...Wistful...
She went over to the little CD player-radio Anya and Xander had given him...Battery-powered, she
noted....
Mind if I?...she asked...
He nodded...And she turned it on...Searching the tapes Xander had given him...Ah...
She popped it in...
"Love me tender...Love me true..." a young Elvis warbled...
"Dance with us, now...William..." she eyed him...
I'll let her...them...Feel it...
"Dance with us...Please...?"
Just one...
"Maybe...I'll go if you dance with us..."
I doubt that...he looked at her...
"Yeah...Well..." she nodded...
I still would like it...And I'll let you speak to her...Maybe she'll hear you...
She came over...Putting up a hand for him to take, almost shyly...
"I am her too, Spike...You married all of me, you know...Just like I married all of you..."
"We deserve to have our wedding dance at last...Even if it's me running the show, you can pretend
it's her...Them...It is, after all..."
Dance with your wife, baby...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXVII...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
PG-13/Borderline R
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXVII...
***
"Love me tender...Love me true...All my dreams...Fulfill..." Anne whispered as she and William
slowly danced about the crypt...He steadfastly maintaining a cold lock on her, refusing to look
directly at her...
"What will it take to make you go, Anne?..." he asked her quietly, sliding her around the room...
Be nice to me and maybe I'll say...she smiled...Looking into his face...He turned away...
She crimsoned a little...Pausing in the dance as the music continued...
"I'm part of this little work of art called Buffy...And Cicely...William..."
Don't ever forget that, hubby...she glared at him...But resumed the dance as Elvis continued...
"I am your wife too..." she murmured...Holding him tightly...
"The most important part...The part that made Cicely...Makes Buffy...The Slayer..."
The part that grabbed you by the balls even back in those old so refined days of 1880...Willy...she
smiled at him, pulling back a bit as the song ended...
"You want Spike...Is that it?..." he stared at her directly finally...
Why, hello there, Mr. Walthrop...Nice to see you...she grinned...
"Spike...? Yeah...I want him..." Anne nodded...
But I've gotten greedy over the years, Will...
"I want all of you..."
But...For now...she grinned...
Just one more dance...Please?...
***
"So she was hurt....Exactly what did happen to her?" Dawn glared at Xander...
Ummn...
Who was doing his manful best to explain just enough of the situation to keep Dawny from charging
off to the crypt without letting her know the full extent of Buffy's condition...
"Like I said...She asked me not to say too much...But Willow has it under control..." he began...
"Has what under control?!...Xander!?"
***
"They'll drive you out, Anne...Willow and Giles...They'll find a way..." William whispered to Anne
as he granted her the second dance she'd requested... "Unchained Melody"...
"Pray they don't, William..." she looked up at him...Holding him tightly...
If they do...I take my sisters with me...
"You're bluffing, Anne..." he pulled back from her...
I know demons...They don't like Death...Not once they'd have a taste of Earth...
You're not the type to commit suicide...
"No..." she grinned... "But murder's right up my alley...And if Willow and Giles "murder"
me...Why shouldn't you lose Buffy...Cicely...?"
I'll never lose her...he smiled coldly at Anne...Turning her round with the music...
"I've already told you...I'll stake myself...And we will find each other..."
Afterlife's a big place, hubby...she smiled...
Don't count on find her...them...too soon...
"But you have your money on our little magical friends anyway, right?...They'll revive the souls
and drive lil' vicious me out..."
Which means...she paused...
"I have to find whoever was kind...And powerful...Enough to drive the sisters down in the first
place..."
Somebody up here obviously likes me...she grinned...
"I think we best set some ground rules..." she eyed William....
"You keep mum about me..." she nodded at him, turning him about in time to the music...
And I won't go kill our Dawny...Our little restored Amelia...
"Difficult to do when I'll never let you leave here...Alive..." he smiled at her...
Hmmn...Well...she smiled back...And stabbed him with one of Xander's darts which she picked up
from the floor unseen...
"Good thing Xander was such a poor shot, eh...honey?"
He collapsed...Struggling...
"Cicely!..." he groaned...
"Guess you need another..." she grabbed a second dart from where it had fallen...
"Night, sweet Prince..." she smiled...
"Just remember me in your dreams...And Dawny..." she whispered, kissing him as he passed out...
"I love you, Will..." she kissed him again...Dragging him over to the ladder leading to the depths of
the crypt...
***
"You sure she's out and about?...Not still at Spike's new place?..." Warren hissed to Amy...As he,
she, their demon ally Zorg, and one of his mates carefully moved along a dark side street a few
blocks from the Summers' home...
"She's headed in this direction...But I can't say if we succeeded or no..." Amy replied...
And no sign of Willow with her...Though Willow is now in Sunnydale...she added, well aware that
Willow's whereabouts would be a prime concern of her boyf...er partner in crime...
Hmmn...Warren frowned...Not likely mad killer demon Buffy would simply head home to see the
little sis, even allowing for the half-human body...
Unless...She wanted company...
He turned to the authority at hand on demon psychology...
"It would not be unusual for a newborn demon to seek out family for transformation..." Zorg nodded
in reply to his ally's question...
"Well..." Warren sighed... "I guess all we can do is watch from a safe distance and hope things take
a bloody turn quickly..."
Night goggles, people...he commanded...All slipped their goggles on...
Remarkable things, Zorg noted...
"Our kind really should've paid more attention to human scientific accomplishments...Might have
made a world of difference in our efforts..." he nodded at Warren...
"Never too late to learn a few new tricks..." Warren replied...
The group reached a fenced-off field with clumps of bushes and hedge, just two blocks from their
surveillance objective, the Summers' home a few minutes later, Warren ordering them all to various
concealed spots....Buffy sure to come along this way based on Amy's monitoring...
***
William groggily came to...In a back section of his new crypt, under some blankets...Still heavily
sedated he fumbled against the ropes and chain Anne had put on him...He shook at a blanket, which
moved but was clearly weighed down on him with something heavy...Rock from this hollowed?out
section of the crypt, he guessed...
Something pinned to his shirt...He couldn't quite reach...Damn...Something heavy fell on his leg
from above the blanket...Felt almost like...Yep...Part of a broken tombstone...
She'd weighted the blankets on him down with broken tombstones...Nice touch...
Dawn...he thought suddenly in horror...She'd mentioned a threat to Dawn...His reincarnated
Amelia...Their little girl...
He struggled fiercely against the ropes and managed to partly turn over...Arghh!...Two large blocks,
more tombstone, fell on his side...
But now, on his side, he could see that she'd pinned a note to his shirt...He pulled it free with his
teeth...Desperately trying to smooth it with his head...He reared back to see it clearly...
Pity Anne couldn't have thought to leave his glasses near...Ah...
"William, darling..." the note began...
"I'm guessing the darts, chain, and ropes will hold you for about say...Three hours at best...Which
should be just enough time for me to visit with Dawny..."
"When you get free, come and see us...We'll be at the house..."
"I suggest you come alone...And refrain from talking to anyone about me...Dawny will be quite
willing to die for me by the time you reach us...And you know I won't hesitate to let her do so if you
betray me..."
"But it's your decision, honey..."
"Love, Anne..."
"PS. Cicely and Buffy send their best...And something about not letting your little daughter
die...Again..."
***
"There she is..." Warren hissed to Amy...As they stood in a clump of bush behind the battered fence
surrounding their "stakeout" field...
Buffy was passing by a good clip...Looking intent on reaching wherever she was headed...But
otherwise not any worse than since her partial transformation...
She halted suddenly...
Warren gasped...Amy stifling him with a hand over his mouth...
He relaxed as he saw she was merely pulling out a cell phone...William's...
"Xander..." they heard her hiss into the phone...
"Can you get over here...To the crypt...With some blood?...Will's out and the demon is being to rage
a little..."
What?..Warren eyed Amy who shrugged...
"No..." they heard her continue...
"Will went to try and find some quick or get over to Willow and see what she could get...But I'm
afraid to stay here without it...He's got me safe behind some crosses and stuff but...Please,
Xander..." she pleaded...
I don't want to hurt anyone...
There was a brief pause...
"Thanks...Big brother..." she sighed... And shutting off the phone...Leaned against a telephone pole
by the fence...
"All right..." she called into the field...
"Who's out there?...I feel you...Demons and humans...Come on out or I'm coming in..."
No response...She peered into the field...
"Ok...I haven't got much time...I have to go see my sis in a few...Now you guys had something to do
with our transformation...And my liberation...I assume?..."
"Look...I'm the one you wanted to meet...C'mon out...I'm willing to deal...But if you don't come
out...In ten..."
"Nine-seven-three-time's up!..." she grinned, pulling part of the metal wire fence away...
"How do we know you're her demon...?" a voice called from a clump of bushes...Warren
desperately doing his damnedest to disguise his voice...
"Cause...I won't kill you right away...Warren?..." she smiled at him, having run over and torn open
the bushes...
Suddenly she found herself tossed back by a wave of energy...
Amy stood up...Standing by her b...er partner in crime...
"Amy?..." Anne blinked up at her from the ground...
You?...she looked over to a nervous Warren...
"Nice job...How'd you do it...?"
Clone...Spell...Amy noted...
Mmmn...Anne eyed her...
Zorg and his friend rose and came forward as well...
"Got a new crime gang together, Warren?"...Anne smiled...
"Something of an improvement, I'd say..." she looked over the group now collecting together...
Sorry?...she nodded at Zorg...
"Zorg...And my friend Harvey..." he indicated the other demon...
"And which of you should I be talking to...Amy? You the leader here...?" she cocked her head at
the witch...Noting the defensive position she'd taken at Warren's side...
So...Amy and Warren...?
Well...She always was the clinging little wallflower...And three years rat in a cage couldn't have
improved her much...
And Warren has a knack for picking...Or creating...Needy, low self-esteem types...
"We're...Partners..." Amy eyed Warren...
"Yeah...You speak to both...er...All of us, lady..." Warren corrected diplomatically...
"Gee..." Anne shook her head...
"Would've thought a nerd like you would have avoided a Council, Warren...I mean...Look what
happened to the Jedi...?" she grinned...
"You wanna talk or what...?" Warren glared...
"You're right...Sorry...And my time is short..." she nodded...
"So...You and Amy arranged Buffy's little incident the other night...And Amy sabotaged Willow's
exorcism this afternoon?..."
"And...If we did?..." Amy felt a slight squeeze on her hand from him...Watch her, she realized...
Anne waved a hand...
"Just wanta say I'm grateful...I'd never have gotten out at the rate she was going...Though I can't
say as I'm too crazy with this half-and-half existence...The worst of both worlds in some ways, I'd
say..."
Hardly our fault...Warren sniffed...Speak to your "sister"...
Sisters...Anne corrected...There are two of them in here with me...Or one multi-lobed soul if you
prefer...
"Buffy's a reincarnate, isn't she?..." Amy asked, curious...Warren staring at her...
Anne nodded...A previous Slayer...Who knew William the Bloody many years ago...she
explained...And lost him...
"It was the most likely explanation, Warren..." Amy shrugged...That or her mother helping her
somehow...
"My mom...Our mom...Abandoned us..." Anne shook her head...Glaring a bit...
Safe in Heaven and not a care in the universe...Certainly not about me...Us...
"But then...At least she didn't try to steal our body and kill us...Eh, Amy?..." she grinned...
"What do you want...Buffy?" Amy frowned...
"Anne...At least when we're alone...None of my friends about...Call me Anne..."
"Anne...What do you want...?"
"I'd ask the same question..." Anne smiled...
"But I can guess...Warren there wants power...Sunnydale and the Hellmouth's power at his
feet...And the frenzied worship of millions...Especially women...Especially..." she beamed...
"The sort of women who used to kick his ass...Like me..."
"Hey!..." Warren glared...
"You..." Anne eyed Amy...
Want revenge on Willow...And the rest of us...For your rat days...
And maybe for Mommy too...?...she shook her head...
Amy?...Is that gratitude...?
"And of course...For some bizarre reason, rooted in serious emotional problems...You want
whatever nerdy here wants...For him..." she smiled at Warren...
Amy shrugged...Watching her...
"Well..." Anne waved a hand...
"Your business, I suppose...In fact..." she beamed at Warren...
"Our Warren has shown some impressive abilities over the last year...I think I could accept
him...And you...As partners..."
"As for your friend Zorg...He and his pal want to win one for the Evil team...Take the Slayer down
and win Immortal fame doing so....Right, guys...?" she eyed them...
"Well...Ain't gonna happen..." she whipped her stake out and zipped it at Zorg, it struck him in the
heart and he collapsed...Dead...
Amy waved a hand and pulled Warren close...While poor Harvey gasping, fled...
Anne rushed over to Zorg's body, pulling the stake out with a grunt...
"Don't try it, Anne..." Amy called...
"Even you can't penetrated this field..." she indicated the spell field...
"And even if you could, I've protected Warren and me against your vampire nature..."
Anne smiled back...Shrugging...
"I've no intention of hurting either of you...Yet..."
"We're partners, like I said...At least in my view...And you know you need me...'Cause if Willow
ever learned you were around Warren...And the two of you had a role in helping me...Well..."
Wouldn't be pretty...
"But as for your demon friend..." she waved a hand back at poor Zorg...
"I'm still the Slayer...Of sorts...And I can hardly let my reputation be besmirched by some junior
demon..."
"Now...As to business..." she looked at them...
"We are gonna have to work together, like it or no...'Cause we have one especial big
problem...Common to us..."
My best friend Willow Rosenberg...
***
Anya's already given Will what blood she had on hand this afternoon...Xander sighed to himself as
he drove into one of Sunnydale's less reputable neighborhoods...
Butcher shops are closed...Where the hell am I gonna get blood at this...?
My...God...he sighed...
I'm fetching blood...For Buffy...
Hmmn...he eyed a certain bar...If anyone would know where to purchase a little type O...? And it
would beat trying to break into the hospital blood bank...And fight off the vamps trying to get in...
He pulled up to the curb...
"Willie..." he smiled as he entered the bar...
***
"Buffy?..." Dawn stared at her sister, standing in the doorway...
"Hi, kiddo..." Buffy nodded...
Sorry to scare you with all the to?do and running around...I had a leetle problem last night...
"Yeah...Willow and Xander told me...But Xander went to meet you at Spike's...?" she eyed her
cautiously...
"It's all right, Dawn...Cicely and I have It under control..." Buffy smiled at her...
See...she stepped inside...
"No barrier..."
And Giles is coming home soon...He'll help Willow put an end to this...she looked round the room...
Ok...?
Dawn nodded warily...
"But why are you here, Buffy?...Xander..."
"He's coming back as soon as he gets...What I need..." Buffy looked away to the wall, biting a lip...
"I'm sorry, Dawny...I didn't mean for this to happen..."
But Xander told you...It's only partial...I'm not a vampire...Completely...
"Yeah..." Dawn nodded...
"He didn't give me details, of course...But he told me you were still mostly Buffy..."
And Cicely...Buffy smiled...
But stopped and turned a bit downcast on seeing Dawn's stare...
"Would you rather I wait outside, Dawny?...Until Xander comes back?...I mean, if you're afraid of
me...?" she stepped back towards the door...
"I wish Spike...William...had come with you at least...Why didn't he come?..." Dawn frowned at her
"Out for...You know...Like Xander..." Buffy nervously sighed...
And suddenly burst into tears...
"I'm sorry...Dawn..."
"It's not your fault, Buffy..." Dawn continued to keep her distance...
And I don't mean to hurt you...Just please keep away a little...she told her...
Ok...Buffy nodded...Wiping her eyes...
"Xander's sure to be back soon...William too..."
Poor William...Oh, Dawn...she shook her head...
"How could God do this to us...? He's suffered so much for me..." she put her head in her hands...
Dawn came over...Carefully...Her hand by her side...
"We'll find a way, Buffy...Willow and Giles will find something..."
Heck, you could try whatever Spike did if you have to...she smiled at her...Tentatively patting her
hair...
"Hafta see if the Council would spring for an African trip..." Buffy smiled wanly back...
We sure could never afford it...
Africa, eh?...So that's where Spike did it?...Dawn looked at her sis...
"Hmm-hmmn...He had quite a battle over it, too..." Buffy beamed...
"We talked a lot of things over, Dawn...I've remembered so much more about 1880..." she began...
And we have something special...To tell you, when he gets here...
"Me...?" Dawn eyed her...
Oh, yeah...Buffy grinned...
"This one will blow you away, kiddo..."
"You wouldn't...Consider...?" Dawn smiled at her...
Ummn...Buffy sighed, looking at her carefully...
"I promised William I wouldn't tell until he was here..."
Oh...
O..K...Dawn looked down a bit...
Now she's sharing secrets with him...she thought...
Great...
"Course..." Buffy smiled...
"No reason I can't answer a few innocuous questions on the matter while we wait...So as I don't tell
you directly..."
Hmmn....Dawn grinned back...
"You wanta sit down?...Over at the other end..." she pointed at the opposite end of the couch...
"Yeah...Thanks, Dawny...So just...Be careful..." she sat down...
Cause you never know when that Anne may rear her evil head...she grinned...And slid quietly over
to Dawn's side...
"Don't worry..." she raised a hand at Dawn's nervous face...
"You know I'd never let you be hurt..."
Heck, I died for you, right?...she stroked her hair a bit...
Right after you killed my mom...she smiled gently in Dawn's face...Terrified as the demon face
appeared...
Dawn tried to jump up...And swung a cross, in her left hand at Anne...Who eyed it calmly...Averting
her eyes just a bit...
"Dawn...Mom raised us to be free-thinkers, didn't she?..." she grinned...Pushing the cross away...
But it's good to see you taking some precautions...You're learning...
"Buffy!..." Dawn screamed...
"Help me!..."
"Try...Cicely...." Anne noted...Grabbing her...
She's here too...Though she doesn't know you all that well...
She bent Dawn's arm back gently but steadily until she sat back down, whimpering with pain...
"I have every right to do anything I chose with you...Dawny...You're made from me...Part of
me...Me as much as the others..." she began...Taking her sister's hand as Dawn tried to back
away...Stroking it gently and turning it over...Rubbing the underside veins exposed at the wrist...
But...I won't kill you...Just yet...
Cross my heart...she smiled gently...Dawn calming a hair...Maybe...
Buffy?...Help me...? Dawn whispered...
I love you...
"I love you, too...Sister..." Anne nodded...
And sank her fangs into Dawn's wrist...
Oh...Ah!...Dawn wailed...
"Oooh..." Anne grinned up at her, blood on her lips...
"Key's blood..."
Yummy...
"And lets not forget...Slayer's blood...My own, really..."
Bet this is even better than what Spikey got out of his Slayers...
"Buffy...!" Dawn cried...
Please...You don't want to do this...!...
Don't...
"It is a shame Buffy...And Cicely...Don't fight me harder...Isn't it...?" Anne noted...
But...Maybe they just don't care that much...
"You can't help it...Buffy..." Dawn shook her head slowly...Trying to pull her arm away...Anne
holding it firmly in her grip...
I have a name...Dawn...Anne said coldly, annoyance in her voice...
"Call me...Anne..."
No...Dawn shook her head...
Never...You are not my...Sister...
"I love you Buffy...Cicely..."
Anne forced Dawn's head back...Eyeing her neck...Stroking it with her fingernails...
"I am Buffy...And Cicely..." Anne coldly told her...
Made from them...Like you...
And they are me...
She cocked her head in a very Buffy pose at her...
"As you are...Dawny..."
But...We'll be sisters...Forever...Soon enough...
That is...? she eyed Dawn with a questioning look...
If you can be turned with me here...I don't know about that...
Maybe you'll just die...
"You aren't doing this...Buffy..." Dawn told her quietly...
It's not your fault...I'll never hate you...
"Such compassion..." Anne nodded kindly...
We...All three of us...Are so proud...she smiled...
But...she glared...Pulling Dawn's head back...And coming over to her left ear...
"Where was that compassion for my William?...He loved you like a sister...Like the daughter you
are..."
Dawn stared at her...Blinking...Daughter...?
You are our daughter, Dawn...Anne smiled at her...Whispering...
Our little Amelia...Sent back to us, courtesy of Glory and the monks...
"So...Daughter...Why didn't you help him...?...Why did you turn on him?...The only one of us who
saw him for what he was, however faintly...Why didn't we help him, Dawn?..."
Slayers...And their associated fellow heroes...she sighed...
We only love the ones close to us...In our immediate view...
Like vamps, really...If we were honest about it...
"Our poor Will...We killed him..."
Our own true love...Our husband...We sent him away, Dawny...And killed him...
Dru was just the instrument of Fate that night...
Forged by Angelus...
"But..." she grinned...
You'll be pleased to know...I plan to avenge my husband...On all those who murdered him...Even if
my pov as regards the sanctity of human life has drastically changed in the past few days...
Angel...Drusilla...Shame about Darla, but Connor is available...
"They'll all suffer..."
Which really...Should please my Cicely no end...However much she may try to prevent it...
"Angel...Didn't kill...William..." Dawn gasped...
"But killing Angel...Cuts Angelus off from any hope of return..." Anne beamed at Dawn...
And Angelus...After the Master and Darla...began the cycle that killed my poor Will...
"So...I ask you...Daughter..." Anne smiled...
"Am I really the Evil One...? Cicely betrayed him, Buffy abandoned him...I avenge him..."
As for poor sad ole Dru...Destroying her'll be mercy, really...Releasing her at last...And save God
knows how many thousands...
Dawn whimpered a bit...Struggling feebly now...Anne draining gently from time to time, watching
her carefully...
"Say..." she grinned, lifting her head again, lips smeared... "Maybe I oughta play Buffy...Cicely in
LA...Convince Angel I'm only there to deal with Dru for William's sake...Do the noble Dru?
quest...Then stake his Broodingness just as we close in on Dru..."
Neat, huh?...And I'll have to deal with the AI gang at some point...
"Will...William will kill you...He'll never let you have Buffy...or Cicely..."
"Well..." Anne smiled gently...patting Dawn's hand...
I think he'll come round...In time...
Especially if he's the good bro?in?law I know he is...
"He'll deal...For your sake..." she smiled again...
But...For now, Dawny...As far as you know...And will tell anyone...
I'm good ole Buffy...Fighting Anne off...
"Right?..." she stared at Dawn...Who blinked...
No?...Not quite enough yet, eh...she smiled...
"Give me your hand, Dawny...That's right..." she took the slowly offered hand...
Turn it over...Hold it up to my lips...Like a good sister...
Dawn trembled but obliged...Anne sank her fangs in again, gently...
"Mustn't overdo..." she smiled after a moment...her lips bloody...
Dawn nodded wanly...
"You know, sis..." Anne patted the bloody arm...Wiping it with a napkin...
I can see why you held such a fatal attraction for Glory...
Your blood is incredible...Good thing I have such a strong will...And my two whining, pleading
sisters screaming for me to back off...
Dawn stared at her...
"Who am I, Dawn?..." Anne asked her gently...
Buffy...she replied...And...she hesitated...
Cicely...
She blinked...
"I feel..."
You're just tired, Dawny...And worried about me...I'm fighting a terrible demon inside me,
remember?...Anne patted her...
Go upstairs, clean your arm, go to bed...and forget we ever had this little talk...I seemed fine and you
know nothing else...Until I summon you...Or...
"If William tries to bring Willow in to help you...You're to find me at once...And if he tries to stop
you to tell him that you're ready to kill yourself...Which you will do if Willow tries anything or I
command it..."
"You'll keep this stake on you to do it with...Until I get you something more
effective...Understand?..." she handed the girl the stake from the floor...
Dawn nodded quietly, pocketed the stake, and started up...
"Dawn..." Anne called...
I'm...Sorry...If you were scared...
"I'm just tired...And worried about you, Buffy..." Dawn wanly replied...
And went up...
***
Willie the Snitch having come up with a "fixer"...Xander entered Spike's crypt with ten bags of type
O negative...Hmmn...
No sign of either blonde one...
William entered from outside...
"Harris...?" he stared at him...
"Got Buffy her blood..." Xander noted...Waving a bag...Eyeing William, who seemed rather
nervous...And empty-handed...
So...The carpenter outperforms William the Bloody in the hunt...he thought, happily...
"Where is our favorite half-vamp?...Downstairs?..."
"I think..." William paused...
"She must have gone home..."
Xander stared at him...
"Buffy went home...Like that?"
"It's just my best guess...But yeah, I think so..."
She felt...Better...he noted...More in control...
"And she was worried about Dawn..."
"She might've just stuck to using your cell phone...Was she out of her mind?" Xander frowned...
"You might say that..." William eyed him...
Not yet...Not with our Amelia in danger...She's already there, I know it...he thought...
I can't lose them...Both...Now...I'll find a way...Somehow...
"We'd better get over there...Now..." Xander shook his head...
Yeah...William nodded...
We'd better...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXVIII...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
PG-13/Borderline R
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Josh Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXVIII...
***
Vengeance...Where to begin?...Anne sighed to herself as she sat in the Summers' living room...Dawn
in thralled sleep upstairs...
Vengeance for me...On the ones who kept me away from this world all these years and then dragged
my souls back...
Willow, Xander, Giles...Anya, if I can take her...Perhaps with Amy's help?...
Are you going to deny you've never wished Willow dead, Buffy?...For what she did?...Or Giles for
keeping you in the Slayer business...? Xander, for helping to keep you alive...?
Then there's our own little Dawny...Already my little helper...The millstone round my neck last
year, the only thing holding you here for months...Though it's true you're exiting this world for the
third time wouldn't've helped me much...
But if it weren't for her...Mom would be with us...You know it as well as I do, girls...The monks
arranged Mom's death to bind us tighter to their little creation...
However...She is our little girl reborn...I don't forget that either...And destroying her would break
poor William's heart...Not to mention lose me the one thing keeping him from turning me in to the
others...
William...
Above all...Vengeance for my...our...William...We can agree on that, right ladies?...
On Drusilla, Angel/Angelus, Darla's little bastard boy what's his name?...
And on you too, sisters...
Like I told Dawny when I took her blood...You betrayed him, Cicely...And you abandoned him,
Buffy...Our own husband...Our William...
And they'll call me the monster...she smiled within...
She walked over to a mirror...Staring deep...
"Why don't you go, girls?...It's not gonna be pretty, you know that...They'll all end up hating us..."
You wanted Heaven, Buffy...Take it...Just let go...
You've done what you set out to do, Cicely...William understands now...He forgives us...Time you
went back and waited with Buffy...He'll come to you someday...
God knows...He'll never stay with me long...she sighed...And smiled...
Singing softly...
(Hey There... by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross)
Lately when I'm in my room all by myself
In the solitary gloom I call to myself
Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes
Love never made a fool of you
you used to be too wise
Hey there, you on that high?flyin' cloud
Though he won't throw a crumb to you
you think some day he'll come to you
Better forget him, him with his nose in the air
He has you dancin' on a string
break it and he won't care
Won't you take this advice...I hand you like a mother
Or are you not seein' things too clear
Are you too much in love to hear
Is it all goin' in one ear and out the other
Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes
Spoken: Are you talking to me?
Love never made a fool of you
Spoken: Not until now
You used to be too wise
Spoken: Yes, I was once
Will you take this advice...I hand you like a mother
Or am I not seein' things too clear
Are you just too far gone to hear
Is it all goin' in one ear and out the other...
She sighs, grins, shakes her head...And looks a little coldly at the mirror...
"He's mine too, girls...Even if he doesn't like it...He knows I'm you as much as either of you ladies..."
Better be glad I love him too...Foolish as it is for me...Else he'd be gone...Poof...And God knows if
The Powers That Be would ever let you find him again...
A car pulled up...
***
"Guys..." she smiled into the faces of Xander and William in the doorway...William looking at her
intently...
"William, Xander...I'm sorry I left, I remembered a demon safe house near here...Got a little blood
and then I decided to check on things here..."
"I know it was stupid...But I had to..." she sighed...
Dawn's sleeping...Upstairs...she pointed...Eyeing William...
"If you want to check on her, Xander...?" she paused...
No offense taken, you know...she smiled faintly...
***
"So...Darling..." she beamed at William after Xander had gone up...
I see you didn't tell Xander...That was wise of you...
"How do you know I haven't told all of them...? I may have developed a half a brain along with a
soul..." he smiled back coldly...
"Xander would've shown it...He's not good at hiding his feelings and loves me too much..."
She cocked her head at him and grinned...
"C'mon Will, I know my friends...Especially my big brother..."
"Willow or Giles will figure you out soon enough even without my telling them...They're already
reviewing the exorcism...They'll drive you away..."
"Pray they don't if you love us...Cause you will lose all of me...I promise you..." she replied coolly...
"What about the Nibs?..." he eyed her...
Is she all right?...
Ssssh...she put a finger to her lips as Xander came quietly down...
Looks ok, sleeping...he noted to Will...
"You can't stay here, Buffy..." he turned to Anne...
"I know..." she nodded sadly...
"But you understand, Xander?...I had to see if Dawny was ok..."
Guess it's back to our little honeymoon cottage, eh Will?...she eyed him...Who nodded quietly...
"How's Anya...?" she turned back quickly to Xander...
"Still at it with Willow...Seems all better..."
Guess firing up her demon powers at you did wonders for her recovery...he smiled faintly...
"Good..." she paused...Staring at him...
"I am sorry, Xander..."
Guess even my human side can do evil under the right circumstances...Giving a quick grin at Will...
"Which is why you won't leave the crypt alone again, Buffy..." Xander stared at her...A sudden hard
look in his face...
Cause if I had caught you here...Alone...
"I understand..." she nodded... "And you're right, Big Brother..." she patted him...
"Can I see her...Just look in for a moment...Before we go?..." she stared at them...
"I'll go up with you..." William eyed her...
Sure...she nodded...A trace of annoyance flashing...
"Our little girl, after all..." she smiled...And turned to Xander...Who blinked at her a bit...
"He didn't tell you?..." she looked at Will...
"Thanks, honey...I did want to tell them with you..."
"Dawn is our girl reborn, Xander..." she explained...
The baby we lost in 1880...
"I'm glad you're the first to know..." she grinned shyly at him...
"You're sure it's true?..." he stared at William...
Sure as we can be until Willow and Giles do some mumbo-jumbo...Will nodded...
"It's a miracle, Xander...A long-overdue one for the Walthrops..." Anne beamed...Hugging William
to her side...
"It took a century but we're all back together...All of us..." she noted...
"Don't tell Wil or Anya yet..." she begged...
I want us to tell them all...After we let Dawn know...
He nodded...Staring...
***
Sleeping like a baby...Our baby...Anne smiled at Will as they carefully opened the door and looked
at Dawn...
Almost a mother's smile...At least what he'd expect Buffy's the Mom's smile would be...
She frowned at him...
"Can't believe you thought I'd...Will?..."
He trembled a bit...His face turning almost a healthy color...She caught the rage following from him
and turned to look at him...
"William?..." she stared at him...As he clamped down on her arm...
Stop it...she hissed...You're hurting me...
"You need to get something from your room...Underwear, clothes, whatever...Now!..." he hissed...
She eyed him coldly...Then turned to the stairs...As he closed Dawn's door...
"Gotta get something from my room, Xander..." she called down to him in a loud whisper...
We'll be right down...
***
From the living room, Xander carefully moved over to the kitchen, turned on the water, and pulled
out his cell phone...
"An..." he hissed...
"Will was right...Anne came straight here...Dawn is alive but probably under her control..."
No...he replied quietly, but with a definite trace of annoyance to her response...
She didn't catch on to me right away...
"I've gotta go...She'll suspect something...Tell Willow to keep at it...I'll call as soon as we get a line
on who's behind this..." he hung up...
***
In Buffy's room, Anne faced William...
Well...? she eyed him...
"For every drop you took..." Will calmly told her...
I will rip a strip of flesh from you...Unless you go, now...
She glared at him...
"Girl...I may be a human-souled vampire..." William smiled coldly...
But a vampire I remain...And I know a human happy meal in thrall when I see one...
That is not normal sleep
She nodded...Well...
"Never did think it would fool you for long, Will..."
But if you do anything to me...I'll see she kills herself...
And you lose your wife and daughter again...In one swoop...
He closed his eyes a moment and stared at her...
"Buffy...Cicely?...How can you let her do this?..."
"Yeah..." Anne nodded... "It's their fault really, right?...Good is supposed to be the stronger,
right?...And the soul girls are just sittin' here on their hands, letting me take their own child...And
hurt you..."
Can't you see how weak they really are, William?...They never fought for you...You had to do it all
yourself...
Heck, Cicely sent you into this torment...she waved at him...
Buffy didn't even try to help you after you became her lover again...
"I'm the one who loves you...In the end..." she stared at him...
I'm the one who made Cicely strong enough to return for you...Who kept Buffy going when she
wanted to die...
"And I'm the one..." she began...
"Who is murdering my daughter?..." he harshly replied, grabbing her hand...Moving swiftly up her
arm...
I can free her...Anne looked in his eyes...
"So can I...Right now..." he grabbed her by the throat...
Shall I have Xander bring me a stake?...
"Or just kill you the good old-fashioned way...You are only half-vamped after all..."
"Go...Ahead..." Anne gasped...Choking in his grip...She twisted free of his choke hold, though he
kept a vise grip on her arm...
"Go ahead, Will..." she hissed...
Kill me right now...And lose all of us...
"If it frees Dawn...I haven't lost you all...And Buffy...Cicely will find me
again...Somewhere...Someday..."
"You won't take the chance..." she smiled at him...
Not now when Cicely...Buffy is so close at last...
"I'm sorry I had to take her...I needed a little extra bargaining power...But she's alive and you've no
guarantee she won't still be mine even if this body is destroyed...A demon essence is as Immortal as a
soul, you know..."
Cooperate...And I'll let her go when all's done...Cross my heart...she grinned...
"When what's done?..." he stared at her, maintaining his grip...
And "cooperate" how?...
"I want a few days out...With you..." Anne stared at him...
A chance to show you who the real love of your existence is...
"If you choose to send me back afterwards, so be it..."
Spike got his chance with Buffy...Why shouldn't I?...
"It isn't Spike she loves..." Will eyed her...
At least not his darkest side...
"You sure about that, Willy?" she grinned...
Yes...he nodded...
"Whatever in Spike she cared for...Was a part of me..."
Anne looked at him carefully...Yes, she nodded...To his surprise...
"But...There are parts of you...That come from Spike's side...That she...We...Love..."
And that's what I want...she continued...
"A chance to show you what Buffy...Cicely gets from me..."
"What good will it do, Anne...? Do you think I'd choose you?..." he stared at her...
No...she shook her head calmly...
I know you won't...Just as Spike knew, in the end...
But...When I'm back below...Within her...Us...
You'll know...How much of me is Buffy...And that you love me, too...
Parts of me...she grinned...
"Surprised...?" she smiled... "Why?"
That's what Spike settled for, in the end...
That Buffy...Cicely would know...Part of you was him...
"You expect me to trust you...To believe that's all you want?..."
No...she smiled...
"If I can take vengeance for you on Angel and Dru...Kill the gang...Murder and enslave millions,
Take over the world...I will...You know I will, Spike..."
Heck it's what demon essences do...
Still...she sighed...
"I'm not such a fool as to believe I'll succeed...I've seen too many of us try and fail...Sooner or later,
you...Willow and Giles...Heck even the fool Council, if all else fails...Will find a way to stop me..."
I know I'm gonna lose...Just as Spike knew...
But he won that one thing...The most important thing, really...And that's what I want...And the one
thing that I will have before I go back inside her...Us...
My minimal demand...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXIX...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
PG-13/Borderline R
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXIX...
***
This situation...Warren noted to himself as he sat with Amy at her kitchen table...
Calls for delicate handling...
Real finesse...
On the one hand, we have our new Queen of the Partially Damned...Anne...Footloose and fancy?
free...For the moment...
A vicious killer in a half-human body, as she'd proved by wiping out their demon allies...A super
half-human body, that is...
Powerful enough to defeat practically any opponent on Earth...But a little lacking in the magics and
therefore susceptible to Willow the super-witch...
Willing to deal for now...While she needs our help...With her "best friend" the Flayer Queen...
Clone Flayer Queen, thank Amy...
But likely to be somewhat less diplomatic after the battle was won...
Still...A chick...A dumb chick...Even if an evil super chick...Was sure to be no match for the
Fearless Leader of the Trio...
And naturally would be looking for a capable, handsome male partner...
And he'd always known Buffy had a secret thing for him...Sensed it instinctively...
The babe was always coming after...er onto him, right?
Unless of course she was gay...Like her best friend...? And Buffy never had dated much,
considering her rather total hotness...
But then, the vamp boyfriends...And that guy-in-black who used to screw her...Nah, no problemo
there...
And with that certain whiff of evil to attract her new demonic nature...He was already practically in
her pants...The Evil Slayer's Consort...
On the other hand...Amy...
Who frowned, then suddenly smiled briefly at him a moment, looking up from her spell
notes...Trying to search out improvements in the blocking spell keeping Willow's exorcism from
working...And if possible, some extra protections against their new "ally"...
"What's rollin' round that head of yours, Mears?..." she sighed at him... "Already trying to figure
out how to dump me...?" she wanly grinned...
He managed to conceal a blink...My God...He couldn't help grinning back at her...
No fool, my Amy...The thought popped up involuntarily...
He mumbled a brief denial of any nefarity...
"Well, if you're really not busy scheming..." she eyed him... "You could at least give me a hand
with the research..." She pointed at a book in the rear wall bookcase...He nodded and went
over...Looking back at her as she returned to her work...
The first person since Kat...In the early days...
No match for Willow in battle of course...However cleverly she'd helped him evade her before...
Probably not much better against Anne unless she had the drop on her magically...
And though surprisingly protective of him, even one might say...Devoted...In her way...She saw him
quite clearly and had no illusions...Bitch...
And was ready to deal with him...If he stepped out of her line...
Hell, he might as well be on the Slayer's leash...Or in prison...
Though, somehow...He doubted he had anything to fear from her...
Sweet in her way...Rather beautiful...Even, despite her rage at Buffy and co and her suicidal despair,
frequently kind-hearted and often somewhat compassionate...In her sad and lost way...
In other words...Weak...Generally afraid to use what power she had, really... And likely to be more
of a drag on his plans than Anne...
Not to mention that depression thing...Likewise a drag...
Pushing him around...He, the Crime Lord and Master of the Sunnydale Universe...
Not that Anne would necessarily treat him much better...Still, he'd have the edge on her
magically...Once he recovered his old stuff...
But for now, it might be best to keep his cards hidden and his powder dry...And both Amy and Anne
in his corner...
Later he could make his final decision...
Later...he stared at her until she looked up and suggested him try reading the names of the books on
the shelf she'd told him....
The first person since Kat...In the early days...
***
Giles had arrived at last...To find the situation substantially worsened...
"And you feel it's best to go along with Will and Xander's judgement...? Leave Anne free to act?"
he eyed Willow from his chair at the rear shop table...The good ole family research table in their
happier days Anya noted, sighing...
And there the spot where Xander used to fall asleep in the middle of a Giles briefing...The little dent
in the table made by his head...Sigh...
"We don't know by whom or how the blocking of our exorcism was carried out, Giles..." Willow
shook her head...
If we move on Anne now...She'd take Buffy with her...Maybe Dawn too...
Yes, yes...Giles impatiently nodded, drumming fingers...I see...
"Willow, can't you hold her...In stasis or unconscious...? Surely her allies would try to find and free
her?" he rose...
"Difficult to know what other protections against magics she may have...They might be monitoring
her...And Dawn's not likely to react calmly to anything we do..."
Patience, Rupert...Willow smiled at him feebly...
He sighed and nodded, sitting again...
Rupert?...Anya eyed them...
Hmmn...What did happen between them in merrie ole England?...
"Buffy...And Cicely...Must be fighting her within...I can't believe they'd surrender to her..." he
noted...
"Maybe..." Willow nodded...
"But it's not likely a soul can overcome a demon essence...Even with two souls...Or a multi-lobed
one...And even in a half-state like this..."
"Anne has an edge over them..." Anya agreed... "Innocent souls are always seeking to rise to the
highest level they can...Heaven if possible...It's only natural instinct, even if both Buffy and Cicely
want to stay for William's sake...Whereas demon essences can't do better than Earth..."
The bottom line is...Willow summed up...We've gotta find out who is behind this...Soon...
"Else we will have to act against Anne...For Dawn's sake..."
"Can we trust William...?" Giles looked at her...
"Giles...?" Willow looked back...
"I'm not talking about Spike coming back...I mean William...He loves her, and will do anything to
keep her here, understandably..."
If it comes to choosing between destroying her body and letting Anne stay...he paused...
"He'll stop her..." Anya insisted...
He knows...Better than any of you...That the soul is what counts...He won't risk losing the love of
Buffy's...Cicely's...Even if he loses her again for a while...
"I think we can count on him, Giles..." Willow agreed... "After all, he told Xander about Anne as
soon as he could risk it..."
Though he will focus on driving Anne out...And she is probably counting on that...
"Are we absolutely sure she's unaware that we know...?"
Willow shrugged...Anya glared slightly...Impugning my Xander's performance are we?...
"Whether she knows or not...She'll be on guard..." Willow sighed...
Right then...Giles was thoughtful...
"We have to learn who did and is doing this to Buffy...?...Are there any potential candidates...?"
"The entire underworld population of Sunnydale would like to see the Slayer demonized..." Anya
noted...
Excepting one or two reformed demons...And half?demons...
"Drusilla?..." Willow eyed Giles...
She destroyed them...Or nearly did before...
"If she's learned through her Gift about Cicely...Buffy and Will..."
And she might have learned a little magics for this one...
"Possible..." Giles nodded...
And she has come to Sunnydale for Spike's sake before...
But...Revenge...And foresighted planning...On this scale...Is not really her forte...
"Have you contacted Angel or Wesley in Los Angeles?"
Anya looked at Willow...
They've been a leetle preoccupied to monitor Dru much...Willow explained...
What a brooding moron...Anya thought...Not to have realized by now that Dru is the key to his
redemption...
If it were my Xander's soul in there, why the first thing he would've done is help that poor kid...
"Some Apocalypse thing..." Willow continued..."Did you hear anything about it back in
England?..."
Oh, yes...Giles waved a hand briefly...The usual effort, nothing particularly new...
But I suppose enough to keep their hands full in LA...
"They seemed a little agitated...Maybe we should lend a hand when we've taken care of Anne and
co..." Willow noted...
Amateurs...Anya thought...
As did Willow and Giles...Somewhat less openly...
"What about Dawn?..." Giles dismissed the minor matter of the LA apocalypse...
Angel was hardly likely to request their assist in any case...Boy relished his solo hero role as much,
Giles guessed, as Angelus had loved playing Dark Prince...
"Xander couldn't say...But if Anne got there first..." Willow paused...
At least we know she's still alive...
"All right, then..." Giles nodded... "Our first goal should be to draw Anne's allies out into the
open...While seeing that she goes no further with Dawn than she already has..."
"Anya...?" he turned to her...
Hmmn?...
"You go to the Summers'...In a moment...Teleport if you feel strong enough...Tell Dawn, when she
awakes that we sent you to keep her informed, watch for a Buffy return...and..." he paused...
"What was that creature's name again?..."
Willow looked at the dozen or so volumed "Creature Anthology" on the upper shelf of the rare
books bookcase...
"I mean the one pestering Dawn...Who arranged William's death in 1880...Your friend..." he looked
at Anya...
"Halfreck..." Anya replied...A little coldly...
And she is not my "friend"...Anymore...
"Sorry..." he nodded...
But please Anya, include that in your remarks to Dawn...It's true as far as it goes...We do need to
see if this Halfreck and D'Hoffryn are involved here...
"You think D-H might have done this?..." Anya stared...A bit...
They looked at her...She shrugged...
"I mean...He's always been eager to get his hands on a Slayer demon...But he does play by
rules...And he did give me a chance to look over that material on Cicely he had..."
He didn't know about Drusilla, according to the records on Cicely...Not that he would have
hesitated to use her, of course...But...Anne's useless to him...He can't offer a pure demon
employment...The soul has to be involved, give its consent...
She paused in some embarrassment...The last words hanging in the air...She looked at the wall a
moment...
"He was involved in 1880..." Willow noted... "He approved the deal sending Halfreck to Cicely..."
And he stands to win big if Buffy gives up to Anne...Or better yet, if she turns to him for
help...Vengeance on the ones who released Anne, for instance...
"Even Buffy...Cicely's soul might give in to despair...Over Dawn...And the man she's loved over a
century..."
Anyone's might...she finished...
And flashed Anya a quick, warm smile...
Thank you...Anya's grateful look...
"Giles?...You think he was deliberately deceiving me...?" Anya bit her lip...
"We have to consider the possibility, Anya..." Giles eyed her kindly...
"Though I agree he seems to have been cooperative so far..."
"You guys understand...? I'm not sticking up for him...Just trying to narrow our list of suspects..."
Absolutely...Willow nodded...
"I know I let you guys down..." Anya looked down...
"I didn't quite see it when Xander tried to explain it to me...Heck, even Haly saw, in a way...You all
gave me a chance, believed in me...And I flopped the moment the going got tough..."
Anya...Giles began...She waved a hand... "No...It's the truth...But..."
Thank you...For giving me another chance...Letting me help...Though I don't deserve it...
"I won't let you down...Again..." Anya looked at them...
***
Deathwishes...Part XXX...
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html
PG-13/Borderline R
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: S7 tale...William's back, seeking help from his favorite Slayer-girl...Who may shortly
need a little help herself...
Another Cicelyverse tale...
Written partly pre-Lessons, so no major spoilers that I know of but you may want to see episode 7.1
and on first to be sure...
Part XXX...
***
In the living room of the Summers' home, William Soames Walthrop now witnessed two of the
world's truly remarkable performances...By actors Xander Harris and his own beloved's demonic
essence...
He'd led Anne down after their little discussion of events in Buffy's room...She rather grateful at
that for the chance to grab some changes of clothes, towels, and various sundries...
Whatever she was...And whatever her partially transformed body was...She was still Buffy enough
to retain a deep regard for personal hygiene...And style...
Xander awaited them patiently in the living room...Quite aware, as William had cautioned him in
the car on their ride over, after carefully telling him that Anne had somehow been released and
Buffy...Cicely repressed...That Buffy's...And Dawn's...lives depended on his performance as Big
Brother Xander...Still angry at a Buffy who could've allowed herself to use her partial vamp
abilities to try to restrain Anya, but too loving a brother to abandon her...
Fortunate thing that Buffy had attacked An in the end...He could let some of the anger
show...Indeed, the main factor in Will's decision to risk confiding in him first...
Well...That and the fact there was a chance he might've reached Anya in time to have her teleport to
Dawn...Anne having purloined Will's cell phone...But they'd reached the house before Willow had
finished talking to Giles' who called from his plane to learn if her exorcism had succeeded...
By then all'd agreed it was best for the gentlemen to size up the situation and for Xander to call the
shop asap once they'd seen if Anne had come and how Dawn was...
Odd...Xander noted, just before they reached him...Buffy as she was, he'd seen it right away, now
that Will had told him...Something unhealthy about her, almost like a bad vibe or something
...Almost like...
The faint trace of blood on her breath...
So that it was an even more remarkable performance that he now gave then even William realized,
knowing as Xander now did that Anne had attacked Dawn...
"All set?..." he eyed them coolly...
Yeah...Anne smiled at him from the last stair step, waving a badly overstuffed bag...
"Got a few essentials..." she grinned...
Then turned serious as she reached the floor and came over...
"You'll stay with Dawn?..." she asked...Rather sincerely both Xander and Will noted...
"An is coming to stay with her...But yeah, I'll stay till then..."
Ok...she nodded, eyeing him carefully...
"I won't try to see her again...Until Willow helps me, I promise...Xander?..."
It will be all right?...With us...Right?...she asked, pleading...
"I'll help you Buf..." he nodded... "I'll always do that...But I can't help hating what you did..."
"I know..." she looked down...Taking Will's hand as he stood beside her for support...
"But...I love you, Buf...I always will..." Xander stared at her...
"Whatever happens here..."
***
"Sweet guy, my Xander..." Anne smiled as she and Will strolled towards the cemetery where his
latest crypt lay...
Hope I don't have to hurt him, Will...she eyed him...A benign smile...
"You mean to say you're not planning to kill them all?...At the first chance?" he muttered, looking
at her only a moment...
"Well...Sure..." she grinned... "Can't help what I am...But it doesn't mean I don't care about him..."
"Killing him...Or the others is not likely to cause me to remember you fondly, Anne..." William
noted as they moved into downtown Sunnydale...
Well...You'll keep an eye on me, right?...she smiled...And Willow and Giles will send me back in a
day or two...
"Hard to believe you'd accept it that calmly, girl..." they turned toward the cemetery, passing
shops...
"Oh...I'll be lookin' out for my own interests, darling...I told you that...Say...?" she looked down the
street...The Bronze, with a fair-sized crowd outside...
"Lets have a little fun, Will...I'm bored with the crypt..." she indicated the crowd...
"Anne...If you think I'm taking you out...And stupid enough to take you where you'd have a crack
at multiple killings..."
"Please..." she smiled...
"I'm fresh out of Xander's drug darts...And I just wanta dance...I won't try to slip off...Cross my
heart..."
It's no safer to try to keep me bottled up in the crypt, really...I'll just get mad and end up using poor
Dawny to force you to let me out...
"Be nice to me, William...I'll be good...I promise..."
Heck, in 123 years of marriage you never took us anywhere...And I'm not asking for much...
***
Anya wanly eyed Xander in the Summers' living room...
"An?...You ok?..." he asked anxiously...
Leetle wobbly she smiled...Sitting down hastily on the couch...
Teleportation takes a toll even when I haven't been recently blood-drained...
"Giles says hi...And that you should go and see if you can keep an eye out on Anne and Will...Make
sure they get to the crypt and aren't followed by anyone...I'll keep watch over Dawn..."
He and Willow are still trying...she patted his hand as he sat beside her...
"Wouldn't you be a better choice?...I can't keep up with two...With a vampire and a Slayer..."
Xander hastily corrected...
"Anne would sense me on her tail...A vengeance demon leaves a pretty distinctive scent for a fellow
demon...While she's out and about in town she's less likely to sense you...Just another human..."
Same for her "friends" whoever they are...If they show...she noted...
And William's sure to try and hold her to something approaching normal human pace...
"Ok..." he sighed...
"Anya..." he paused...
I was wrong to think...he began...
"No..." she shook her head... "I couldn't handle it...I blew it...Even if I had a good reason..."
And sooner or later...If I stay in the profession...I'm bound to hurt somebody...
"If I can get D-H to release me after we take care of Anne...I will..." she eyed him...
Then, someday...Maybe...
We could talk?...she looked hastily away towards the wall, then up to where Dawn's room lay...
"I'd like that..." he nodded...
Well...Other matters more pressing just now...she smiled back at him...
"For now...Just be careful...'Cause if you get hurt...If she hurts you...Anyanka will be back in
form...I swear it..." she grimly stared at him...
And Anne will learn why vamps stay clear of vengeance demons...
"Let her know that if anything goes wrong...For her own sake..."
"I'm a lucky guy..." Xander grinned...
***
"Well..." Anne grinned...As she and William stood by a table...
Our first night out as a couple again...
"You don't even go to the ladies room without me, girl..." he told her in a grim whisper...
"Oooh..." she chuckled...Such a domineering type...
"If I had known this back in 1880..."
But then Cicely was quite the little...
"Enough..." he hissed... "I will take just so much of you, Anne..."
She smiled benevolently at him...Sweetheart...she breathed...
"You're stuck with me...I come with the package..."
I've been trying to tell you that...Though you of all people should know it...Spike...
A dark-haired young man passed by...Leading a somewhat spacey girl...
"Why, look who's here..." Anne turned to look at the couple...
Parker!...she called pleasantly...
"Buffy?..." he stared back...A nervous look quickly appearing...
After all...Last time they'd met...
"Nice to see ya...Meet my husband, William..."
***
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