@magicandcomputers
The rubble had finally settled, between the mixture of what used to be the town Buffy Summers once begrudgingly called home, and those that still stood beside her today... It was all so much. Brighter than all the days she thought she would never live to see... And yet, somehow darker with the realization that now clung to the former Slayer like thick smoke:
There were a lot of people none of them would ever see again. The end of their antics... The end of antics, in general. A new, dark, empty void had opened up within the blonde woman's chest as she slowly turned to give small glances to her remaining friends...
And the two she started this whole mess with. Willow and Xander. And of course, Dawn. A small, sad smile crept up now on her battle-worn face.
She could close this chapter of her life now. It all felt symbolic, somehow. Suppose that was a prophecy for ya. Turning to the sky now, Buffy started ahead. The summer heat was unbearable, but after everything they'd been through, surely it couldn't have hurt much at this point.
She figured they'd figure something out once they all reached some kind of gas station or... something, hopefully.
A million days had passed, or so it felt. A heavy onslaught of tears poured out onto a new pillow as though the lady in question thought she would never have a home again.
It wasn't perfect, but it was cozy and fit for bouts of crying, an immense amount of healing and reflecting heavy on Buffy's mind. It was an unbelievable grief that resided within her mind as she replayed those last words spoken...
"No, you don't... But thanks for sayin' it..."
An ache akin to a gaping wound burned within Buffy's core as she leaned down to let her body cry it out; it was almost primal, how her rage and sadness entwined. It reminded her of the man in question.
Spike.
He was important to her, after all. How humiliating. Even worse that she hadn't seen it coming until now; hindsight's 20/20.
Had she been this torn up over Angel? She was almost certain she had been, but...
The significance of this was unmatched.
Buffy buried her face into the duvet and sighed. It felt good to come home again... To be back with the three amigos, and Dawnie. It felt nostalgic, in a whole new way. And Dawn had matured so much over the past couple years... Sometimes it felt like she didn't need Buffy anymore.
Although, she knew in her heart that couldn't be further from the truth. They all seemed keyed into the same unspoken shared communion and appreciation for loved ones that weren't dead still here with us. They all missed Tara dearly, and watching her younger sister's forest-green eyes darker whenever something would remind her that yes, she was here once... Part of this world.
Raising her head from the covers, Buffy would take a gasp for air, and find herself hit with the faintest dampening of emotions... Suddenly, she was calmer than before. And now it was almost as though the young woman couldn't remember why she had even been crying.
In fact, she hadn't even remembered crying. Green-blue eyes flickered to the little damp dots lining random spots along her covers...
She stood slowly, gently folding the blanket. Where was she?
Nothing looked or even felt familiar... The woman stopped at the sight of a vanity mirror and caught sight of reflection.
"A face I can't recall...," came her voice, more hoarse than she'd have thought.
"Boy, have you been through Hell...," she sighed softly, staring at her own face staring back at her.
But she couldn't remember how she got there.
