"God has given us many great things," The Father spoke to all that attended the funeral. "It is unfortunate that we lost one of our precious gifts so young." He took a breath and continued. "She have us strength, courage, and happiness. She has put a smile on everyone's face when she was around. All of us felt safe around her."
The few people that attended had enough love for her as if the whole world was there, caring for her. Giles, Joyce, Willow, Oz, Xander, and Cordelia. Each was dressed in black or dark colored Sunday clothes. They all tried to hold back the tears and the sobs.
Willow was the first to give in. She let all of her tears fall that she had been holding in. Hearing something that was true before, but not now. She could no longer make them smile or feel safe. *Why did she have to die?* Willow thought. Oz held her hand, trying to comfort her. She tried to just hold his hand while she cried, but she couldn't. "Oh, God," she said softly and turned to Oz. She cried on his shoulder and he held her.
*I can't belive this happened. She was a very good vampire Slayer. She'll never have to deal with vampires again.* Oz thought. He held Willow to him, shushing her, telling her that everything will be okay. He wasn't going to let his tears fall, he needed to be strong for her. He held her tighter.
Giles took off his glasses and wiped his eyes with the handkerchief. He looked very stressed out and tired. *She was a very good slayer. Strong and flawless.* Giles thought. He didn't want to think about this too much. It hurt him a lot and it showed. He put his glasses back on and resumed half-way listening to what the Father had to say.
After Joyce had found out that Buffy was a vampire Slayer, she had viewed the night very different than she had before. Giles told her about Kendra being there to help and she had let Kendra live with her for the time being. She respected very much what both of them did. Or now, just one. As Joyce held on to Dominique, she let a few tears fall as she barely listened to the Father.
Xander and Cordelia just held hands. It was clear on Cordelia's face that she was holding in her tears. "Why don't you just cry Cordelia? I mean it's obvious that your holding it in." Xander whispered to his girlfriend.
"Because. Then I'll run my mascara and ruin my makeup." Cordelia whispered back in a 'duh' tone.
"How can you even think about ruining your makeup at a time like this?" Xander asked back in a disbeliving tone. "A Slayer has died. Doesn't that make you sad or scared even the littlest bit?"
Cordelia didn't answer. She was filled with guilt about what she said. Letting it all sink in, she let out a few tears and thought about reality.
Xander pulled her in close and hugged her, telling her it was okay to cry and that everything would get better.
"And though we lay this beautiful, young girl to rest, we leave her with a song to remember her by." the Father closed the Bible and stepped aside the podium. He bend his head down as his said a prayer for them.
//If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be that we're all ok. And not to worry cuz worry is wasteful and useless in times like these.//
Willow, who was now no longer holding onto Oz, thought carefully about what the song meant. What it represented in the Slayer. Perhaps as a comforting thing or what she did for a living.
//My hands are small, I know, but they're not yours they are my own and I am never broken. Poverty stole your golden shoes but it didn't steal your laughter. And heartache came to visit me but i knew it wasn't ever after.//
Everyone had lowered their heads in respect, each saying a prayer of their own. Mostly, they all just wanted God to take care of her.
//In the end only kindness matters. In the end only kindness matters. I will get down on my knees and I will pray.//
As the song was almost finished, they all raised their heads, everyone teary-eyed. One by one, they each went to say goodbye.
When Willow got close, she held her hands up to her face and cried. Oz went over to her and put his arms around her.
"It's okay," Oz said in a soft voice. "We have to say goodbye."
"I can't. I can't do it. I don't want to." Willow said.
"It's not forever. Here, I'll go with you." He took her hand and walked towards the coffin. He was stopped at arms length because Willow was where she was before. "It's okay." he said, trying to sooth her. She eased up and followed to say goodbye.
"Angel, I want to go. I have to." Buffy said, sitting up in her hospital bed.
Angel put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently back down to lay. "Your weak. The doctors said that you have to stay in bed until your blood pressure was back to normal." He winced as he said it. He was the reason why she was in here.
"Angel, it's Kendra's funeral..." Buffy let it her voice drift off. She closed her eyes, not wanting to believe that she was gone.
"No," he replied firmly. He had moved to where he was standing beside her.
"I'm fine. I can walk. I'm not the weakest person, you know." Buffy sat up once again in an attempt to get out of bed. She felt a litte light headed and dizzy, but she didn't let it show. All she wanted to do was go see Kendra, one last time.
"Buffy, I know your not. I can see it in you. You can't lie to me."
"Angel, I have to." Buffy put on her puppy face and said a few childish please's.
Angel kept a stern face. He wasn't going to about let her go.
"Fine, I don't need your permission to go." Buffy said stubbornly. She sat up quickly and attempted to get out of bed, once again. Fortunately for her, she was stopped and pushed back down. At least it made the room stop spinning.
Angel pushed her down, a little harder than before. "Buffy, you're weak. I'm saying whether you can or can't go. I'm not letting you go."
"Angel, you know you can't stay here forever. Someone's going to see you." Buffy tried her psychology skills on him. And then maybe she could get him out of here.
Angel simply replied, "You're right. I can't stay here forever and I don't intend to." He paused and watched as a small smile spread across her lips. Then he added, "Just until you're better. And I won't be seen. I lurk, remember?"
Her plan was ruinned. *I guess you can't fool someone who's been around longer than your great great grandparents.* She let out a sigh. "How did she die?" she asked in a small voice, almost a whisper.
Angel turned away from her and walked across the room. "Let's not get into this right now. We'll talk later, when you're all better."
"No. We'll talk now. You're always putting things off until later." Buffy wasn't going to have any of this.
"I don't have to talk about this now. I could just leave and avoid this conversation-" he was cut off by a chippy voice.
"And leave me here all alone where I could leave?" She sounded like a little innocent girl. She had her way. If he wasn't going to let her leave, he was going to discuss this with her. And if he left, she could leave. Either way she had him. *Maybe I can't fool him, but I can trap him. One point for the Slayer, zero for the dead guy.*
"I'm going to call Giles. I'm sure the funeral is over by now." Angel said as he picked up the phone by Buffy's bed. He dialed the library's number and waited for someone to answer.
Buffy watched him, listening to the one sided conversation.
"Giles, it's Angel." She supposed he was listening to Giles.
"Can you come down to the hospital?" He looked at her and she crossed her arms. He continued, "I need to go home and Buffy's going to bolt out of here without anyone watching her." He paused again. "Okay. Bye." Angel hung up the phone and walked across the room. "Giles said that he'd be here in a little while."
Buffy looked down at her clasped hands that were no longer crossed. In a whisper she said, "For the first time in my life, I was scarred of dying."
"What?" Angel asked, walking over to the side of her bed and sat down in a chair.
"I was a lot more scarred than when the Master killed me." Her voice was still a whisper and she continued to look down at her hands. "I..I," she stutered, "never knew that I would die, or almost die in your hands."
"I'm sorry, Buffy." Angel said with empathy. He gently placed his hands over hers.
"It wasn't you," she rose her head to look at him. "It was Angelus."
"But what he did, I have to live with it." Angel looked down at Buffy's tiny hands under his. He let out a sigh.
"I know." Buffy said in a soft voice.
"How is everything?" They both looked at the door way and saw Giles.
"Everything's fine." he told Giles and then looked back at Buffy. "I'll see you later."
"Okay." She replied. She watched as he got up and went out the door.
Giles walked into the room and sat by Buffy. "How are you doing, Buffy?" He asked with much concern.
"I'm fine." She gave a little smile. "The doctors said that I can go home tomorrow night." Buffy said in a much happier voice. "They said I should have enough blood in my system so I can support myself. I'd only have to rest for a few days. So I guess that means no midnight slayage."
"Yes, of course. I'm glad you're getting better and that's you're back home." Giles was more than happy that his slayer was back.
"Good old Sunnydale. Nothing like being home on the Hellmouth." Buffy smiled and laid back. She couldn't wait to go home. "Giles, how did Kendra die?"
Giles took his glasses off and cleaned them. "A..a vampire attack. Drusilla killed her. The night that we had performed the curse." He replaced his glasses on his face.
Buffy was shocked. "How?" She asked.
"She was out slaying one night and I'm supposing that Spike and Drusilla came up against her." Giles said. "You must know, Buffy, that she wasn't as skilled as you are in fighting. Of course she had put up a fight, but she wasn't fast enough. She didn't know her enemy."
Buffy couldn't believe it. She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears and making a promise to kill Drusilla and Spike for what they did. She opened her eyes. "Then how did you find her?" Buffy really didn't want to know after what happened to Miss Calendar, but she had to know.
"They left her in the library. She was just drained by the two vampires."
Buffy would certainly kill Spike and Drusilla for killing Kendra.
To be continued...