Silence

Title: Silence

Author: Comfy Chair

Rating: As per the show, although there will be swearing in later parts.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places from BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to The Gift (at time of writing I have not seen any of season 6)

Summary: Buffy has been dragged back to life by her friends to prevent Wolfram and Hart from doing the same. The Slayer longs for release from her monotonous duty and endless weary life. Before that, however, she will face her inner demons and get her revenge on the law firm that caused her return, whatever it takes and whosoever she has to go through to achieve it - be it her friends, the Council or Angel.

Feedback: Yes please. Good, bad or constructive - Comfychair35@hotmail.com

Chapter One

Angel descended the stairs to the hotel lobby, where everyone else was assembled. Faith was still out, however, and Dawn was in bed.

"How is she?" Willow asked.

"Terrified and fascinated," he replied cryptically. "Her every instinct is telling her to run, but she feels both obligated and curious as to the outcome."

"The biggest mistake I made, when I took over as Watcher, was to regard being a Slayer as duty over emotion," Wesley thought out loud. "It is what every trainee is taught." He looked to Giles and got his agreement. "Watcher lore paints them as fighting machines when in fact they are young people with the same cares and desires as the rest of us. Buffy is a fundamentally good, yet tragically flawed human being disintegrating under intolerable pressure with rare courage and intensity."

"Oh come on," Cordelia interrupted. "Buffy Buffy Buffy."

"Not now... dearest," Xander tried to interject but retreated from his former partner's daggered glance.

"She may be blonde but she's no Fay Wray," Cordelia continued.

"Are you jealous?" Willow accused. She was no longer scared of her former tormentor and raised herself from her seat to emphasis her confidence. "Do you resent not being number one girl any more?"

"Don't you throw that at me!" Cordelia also stood up. "I've earned some respect from you after what I've been through the last two years. And," she addressed everyone, "right now I'm probably Buffy's best friend." Everyone else avoided commenting, but their shuffles and expressions betrayed them. "Look at you. You're a bunch of hypocrites. You mourn Buffy's loss of innocence and non-life, but do you help her? You," she pointed to Giles, "you rub your eyes dramatically, 'hanging on in quiet desperation in the English way'. Yet, you have lectured her until she's screaming inside that her duty and birthright is to fight demons. For five years! And you," she turned to Xander and then Willow. "her friends. You pity her and yet in the same breath, when she returned weeks after killing Angelus, you condemned her for deserting you. Hell, I even joined in. Now you're too busy playing doctor with your pet demon and you're making 'life choices'." She pointed to Xander and Willow in turn.

"Err, guys," Xander uttered awkwardly whilst looking in the direction of the hotel entrance.

"What is that?" Willow added as tendrils of mist or smoke slowly wound themselves through the keyhole and the open windows.

"Hey, Jay and not-so-silent Bob," Cordelia complained. "Don't interrupt my tirade, please... oh," she interrupted herself on noticing the increasing mist as it started to hide sight of the doorway.

"I really think we should arm or something," Xander suggested.

"It's only smoke..." Wesley commented.

"Am I the only pop culture vulture here? Think Raiders of the Lost Ark, for crying out loud!"

"Shit, the boy has a point," Spike added and ran to the back of the lobby and stood prone for attack.

Gunn reciprocated and produced a blade from under the reception desk. He drove it into the wood in readiness to grab it when needed. He then knelt behind the counter and stood up again with a large wooden box. He opened it to reveal a variety if weapons. The others nervously approached and selected from the contents.

Taking up various positions around the hotel atrium they stood awkwardly, feeling foolish at the standoff against something as innocent as mist, yet also fearful. They had all seen the film. True to their worse fears, the smoke split back into individual tendrils. They then took form; eyeless faces attached to emaciated bodies with limbs comprised of sinew and muscle but not skin. In seconds, where smoke had existed, now stood wraiths conjured from Tolkien's worse imagining. They were unarmed but where hands should have been were scythe like appendages. As if on cue, Buffy emerged from the landing above and stood on the stairs looking down at the scene, and Faith swung open the doors behind the uninvited guests.

"Faith!" The blonde slayer shouted to the brunette. "Catch." She tossed her a dagger dangerously but expertly to the new arrival, who plucked it from the air with out moving from her standing position.

Buffy then produced two more and stood waiting for action. The ghouls raised their arms and screamed a battle cry. Without aid of a run up or a spring board, Buffy lifted off the stairs and dived into the midst of the attackers. She collided arms first into one wraith, her blades skewering it. It fell backwards with her weight and she rolled off and stood up as a gymnast would. Ignoring her audience, however, she swung round with her arms outstretched and decapitated another. As though everyone was held entranced, it took seconds before the room erupted into a frenzy.

"Of course, I could have done that," Faith commented.

"In your dreams," Buffy responded with a smile.

"Thanks for that. What dead slayer did you learn that move from?"

Buffy did not reply as she was already ramming another target from behind. Faith joined, making battle cries at each lunge she made. It took several minutes, but eventually the battle was won. The forces for good slumped down in various parts of the room and in various degrees of injury but equal exhaustion.

Buffy walked from one companion to another as a general would survey his men after a battle. Gunn was unconscious and bleeding from a deep gash to his chest. Wesley nursed his arm, the pain acute enough to prevent him from noticing her. Giles sat on the stairs. He held his head in his hands. On her approach he ran his fingers through his hair and looked down at his pupil. He put on his glasses to better see her and offered a weak, supporting smile. She noticed several violent red blade cuts but nothing obviously dangerous. She saw Willow wipe blood from her nose, caused by her use of magic. She was otherwise unharmed as she stood in the epicentre of a number of charred corpses. Cordelia was close by, leaning fearfully against the wall, having been protected by the Wicca's power. She walked up to Willow and took her hand, half in thanks and perhaps to offer support as her saviour looked unsteady.

"Hi, Buff," Xander called from behind. She turned round to his voice. "We... were just talking about you."

"Who, me?" She asked in her best innocent voice and finger on cheek.

"You... and Faith arrived just in time," Giles commented.

"Your brandishing of weapons woke me. I'd been dreaming at the time."

"A nightmare?" Xander asked.

"No, actually. It was quite beautiful... and heartrending and madly confusing," she smiled. "Like a Lynch movie... only without the dwarf." She returned to where Gunn was lying. "Is he ok?" She asked Wesley, who was leaning over him.

"He'll live, but he needs a hospital... so do I actually."

At that moment Cordelia let out a scream. Buffy turned round in time to see her on her knees clutching her head. "Cordy?" She looked concerned. Angel was by his assistant's side and supported her weight as she leant into his chest. Buffy could not help feeling briefly resentful but quickly felt guilty. "Is she ok?" She asked him.

"She will be... in a few moments." He looked up at Buffy. "She's having one of her visions. They're not too pleasant."

"You could have warned us about that," Xander added from behind. He had also made to approach Cordelia. "It scared the living daylights out of me... and they had only just plucked up the courage to return after the battle we just had."

Cordelia opened her eyes caught her audience staring down at her. "Show's over folks. Did I pass the audition?"

"I didn't know..." Buffy stammered. "Well I had heard, but... I didn't know the visions were so... unpleasant."

"That's ok. We all have our own little curse to put up with." Using Angel as an anchor Cordelia pulled herself up to a standing position. "Angel," she addressed her employer. "It's Fred, she's being held somewhere."

"Fred... where?" Wesley stood up.

"Somewhere dark and cave-like. Angel she's scared and... alone. You know that's the worse thing that can be done to her."

"Excuse me," Buffy interrupted. "Who's Fred. Is he another one of your team?"

"Fred is a she, Buffy," Wesley replied. "We rescued her from..."

"It's a long story which we'll tell another time." Angel interrupted.

"Well, it certainly seems that our nemesis has made the first move," said Giles eager to bring everyone back on line.

"I would agree," Wesley added. "Weaken us and present something else to occupy our attention. The next move is ours, of course. When and how?"

"Tomorrow."

Everyone turned to Buffy. "We're in no state to react so quick, Buffy," Giles stated. "It'll take us a while to recover from our injuries..."

"I'm fine and so is Faith. We're all that is needed and it is all about the two of us, after all."

"Buffy..." Angel started to protest.

"You have to find Fred and quick. Cordelia, Xander and Spike, and Wesley, if he is fit enough, can help you."

"What about me?" Willow asked.

"I... I was going to ask that you accompany Faith and me. We'll need some magic protection."

Willow's smile of gratitude made Buffy feel bad; the Wicca's desire to help, her need to be useful was humbling and disturbing in equal measure.

"I'll come with you as well," Spike declared.

Buffy was about to protest but decided not to. They both held eye contact for several seconds until Buffy nodded her assent.

"You don't have to do this, Buffy... you know that, don't you?" Giles said cryptically. "You can just walk away."

"Oh yes I do and no I can't," she responded smiling affectionately. "Of all things, I have to do this. Afterwards... who knows?"

Chapter Two:

We drown our doubts in dry champagne,
And soothe our souls with fine cocaine.
I don't know why I even care.
We get so high and get nowhere.
We'll have to change our jaded ways.
But I've loved these days.
(Billy Joel)

"As I said last night, you don't have to go through with this... or anything else," Giles said to Buffy. "You can just walk away. You deserve the privilege."

"I'm tempted, believe me. I know that if we succeed, no one will notice and the world will carry on regardless... no fanfares or realisation that things have been made safer." She looked out of the window and onto the city she was attempting to preserve. "No one notices the bad or the defeat of the bad. It's very discouraging sometimes," she added with a smile.

"Most people, except children curiously enough, don't recognise the really blood-curdling things in life; things that tap on your bedroom window in the dead of night."

"Yea," Buffy said. "People today may think the world's going mad when in fact it's always been like that. They just don't get out much."

"Well, folks the sun's gone down. Are we ready?" Spike prompted eagerly. He was then enveloped in a large hug by Dawn. He stepped away embarrassed; the sensation adding startling colour to his otherwise pale features.

After various goodbyes and entreaties to take care, one half of the Hyperion's occupants exited its lobby and headed for the headquarters of Wolfram and Hart. Angel, Xander and Cordelia were left in the opposite direction, following Cordelia's vision. They would drop Wesley and Dawn off at the hospital to sit with Gunn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We could just run in all guns blazing," Faith suggested as the four of them stood looking up at the imposing building.

"No. I want as few innocents as possible harmed," Buffy responded.

Spike made a sarcastic remark. "Define innocent," he added.

"Are you ready, Willow? Strong enough, I mean," Buffy addressed her friend.

"Well, I've had a cooked breakfast with all the right food groups and I've... yes I'm ready."

Willow stood forward of Buffy, Faith and Spike and closed her eyes. After mouthing a piece of verse silently, she outstretched her arms. The others discerned a slight decolourisation to the concrete in front of Willow. It soon darkened and, after some seconds, the darkness tendrilled forward and made a definite move towards Wolfram and Hart's building. The companions watched mesmerised as the tendrils raced to the base of the structure and, like speeded up ivy growth, it proceeded to completely engulf concrete and glass. The screams followed soon after. Barely five minutes after she had commenced the spell people started to emerge from the interior screaming, frantic to escape whatever was inside.

"This would look great with a rock soundtrack," Spike observed.

"I could sing," Buffy offered.

"Shut up, both of you!" Willow admonished as she tried to keep her concentration on her task. "Faith, no!" She shouted suddenly as the brunette stepped forward, her feet making contact with the black.

Faith screamed in terror, her hands to her ears. Spike dragged her back behind Willow. She collapsed to the ground and curled herself into a ball. Willow finally turned round, satisfied that her spell was complete. She knelt down to Faith's level. The slayer had recovered enough to sit up, but was obviously still stunned.

"What was the spell?" She asked the Wicca.

"Fear."

"Fear of what?"

"I don't know; I can't read minds... yet," Willow smiled. "You tell me."

Faith stood up. "I'd rather not say but, right now, I suddenly have pity for the people who ran from the building and... a strong resolve never to upset you again."

"And they say there is always a payback in magic. I don't see it myself," Willow smiled again.

"Shall we go in now most of the civilians have been sent away?" Buffy suggested as she stepped forward. The dark tendrils had dissipated.

"Yea, why not," Spike added. "After all, there are only the demons left inside now."

Buffy held Willow's hands and faced her. "You stay here... no objections. You're weakened. I don't want to lose you in there."

Willow relented and watched the others walk up to the main entrance

"You know," Spike stated. "We'd all strike a more dramatic pose if you girls were a bit taller. I feel like I'm on a school trip with the St Trinians Upper 6th... without the added benefit of the school uniforms to inspire."

"On that... disturbing note, shall we?" Buffy opened the door.

They were immediately confronted by a host of vampires. They blocked the way to the lifts and stairwell. From the rear a familiar face could be seen.

"Oooh yes, kill them, gouge their eyes, slit their throats, break their arms, cut them open," Drusilla clapped with glee.

Buffy looked to Spike, a pained expression on her face. "Once you get to know her, it becomes quite endearing," he smiled weakly.

The battle was brief and dusty. The first line of defence was sorely lacking. Drusilla was the last to remain standing, having kept to the rear to watch.

"The coach has turned into a pumpkin and the mice have all run away," she intoned.

"Now that wasn't even relevant," Buffy complained.

"You two go ahead," Spike instructed. "I'll deal with Dru."

"Are you sure..." Buffy asked concerned. "I know how much she means..."

"Meant. I assure you, there's very little love lost. You go ahead."

Buffy and Faith ran for the stairs and started their climb to the top floor where they felt sure to find their quarry.

"Hello, Dru," Spike said simply. "I always knew it would come to this."

"My poor Spike. All vulnerable again. Let mummy kiss you again and make you strong again."

"No thank you, darling. It's taken me a century to recover from your last fond embrace."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The top floor appeared to be one large room with an ornate wooden door at the far end. Buffy and Faith walked past desks and PCs, which formed a corridor to the door. Faith opened it inwards. Another room, empty of furniture, stood before them with another door open across from them. Thomas stood waiting for them.

"Hello, girls. Just the two of you?"

"It's all about us, isn't it?" Buffy countered.

"Quite. It's such a pity you wouldn't play the game."

Thomas swept his right arm from left to right and stepped back into the room behind him. The room in between started to shake. The slayers stood back on impulse and watched as the room before them stretched. It elongated, lengthening the gap between doors and widened until the interior was nearly half an acre in size.

"I hate other dimensions," Faith complained.

The situation was made even worse when demons of various shapes started to sprout from the carpet to confront the usurpers. They were more threatening and vicious looking than standard vampires and stood poised for action.

"Oh well," Buffy said simply. "I've got some new moves to practice anyway."

"These are pretty useless." Faith threw away her stake and produced two knives as replacement. Buffy was similarly armed. "It has been good to fight together again... as allies, I mean," Faith offered.

"You're not going to hug me are you?"

"What and give Thomas the satisfaction of seeing two girls get friendly. I've never been a fan of us being... that close."

"Yeah, it's the sort of thing Xander would enjoy." Buffy added with a smile.

Faith laughed at the prospect of the young man being struck dumb. "Any regrets?" She asked.

Buffy thought for a few seconds. "I could have been taller," she replied.

Buffy then ran forward towards the first rank of demons. At the last minute she jumped up and spun round with her arms outstretched, a dagger in each hand. The spinning motion created a circle of death around her as the blades sliced through scales skin and bone. Landing back on her feet she continued to cut and stab. Faith joined in.

In the arena between doors the two slayers caused bloody gashes to the bodies and faces of anything that came close. They soon found themselves fighting side by side until their twisting high kicks caused them to widen the gap again. Faith picked up a fallen blade, dropped by a fallen demon and threw it at another charging towards her. It entered its rib cage up to the hilt. Buffy picked up four-foot long spear from the floor and used it alternately as a staff and a stabbing tool.

Buffy used all the knowledge of previous slayers embedded in her mind, whilst Faith fought with the viciousness she had learnt from living on the streets and having to fend for herself in a world that had no time for her.

After what seemed forever but in fact was closer to an hour, the fight was over. With all the demons slain, the bodies disappeared and the room suddenly compressed back to its normal shape around the slayers, causing them to stagger with the earthquake intensity of the transformation. Buffy walked forward and opened the second door. Thomas sat behind his desk. He betrayed no sign of alarm.

"I knew you would make it," he said simply. "You are both impressive. Such a pity; we could have been all powerful."

"Is that why you decided to raise me and recruit Faith, to rule the world?"

"Not the world, just the Council. Through them and Wolfram and Hart we then could have..."

"Yea, etc. etc. etc. Couldn't you have just forged a ring or something? It's all the rage at the moment."

"Don't mock me!"

"I'm not mocking you. I should be grateful really. If not for you, I would be rotting in my grave. Whilst it was Willow that eventually raised me, she did it to prevent you from getting to me first. So, in a way, you are my... saviour. Well here I am, Thomas," Buffy laid open her arms in welcome. "Your slayer raised from the dead." She walked up to the desk and leant forward menacingly. "Do you know what a golem is?"

"Do your worse, bitch!" He spat, tiring of the game.

"I'm just a slayer. I'm afraid my imagination is not up to it, although I'm sure Faith could come up with something colourful. However, I know a friend who has plans for you."

"Hello, Quentin," Faith welcomed the Watcher as he joined them, with several of his colleagues.

"Ladies," he greeted.

"So you sold yourself back to the Council," Thomas laughed humourlessly.

"Actually, they were working with me."

Buffy turned round and walked away from the rebel watcher, casting him off without further comment. She stopped as she reached the Councilman. "Goodbye, Quentin," she said simply and she and Faith vacated the scene.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They found Willow and Spike in the lobby. The vampire was slumped on the floor; his back leant against the reception desk. He had a strangely calm expression.

"I'm guessing you won," she said. "I'm sorry, Spike. I know you had a long history with Dru."

"That's ok," he replied weakly.

"Buffy..." Willow started to speak.

Buffy looked to her friend and saw concern written on her face. Willow looked down at Spike. Buffy followed her and knelt down to his level. "Are you ok?"

"I'm dying, Buffy," he responded almost triumphantly.

"Oh, Spike, don't be so melodramatic. You can't die... well except in the obvious way, that is."

"I have done terrible things, Buffy, since I was turned. Truth to tell, I was pretty bad before that... you've never read my poetry."

"You've been a vampire for over a century. None of us expect a glowing testimonial. But, you've proven yourself to us... to me." Buffy added.

"If I die by the... obvious way, I'm still damned. I don't relish hell again... and besides, you're not the only one tired of life."

Buffy looked away briefly but returned her attention to her comrade. It was then she noticed the wound to his stomach; blood was seeping through the fingers of the hand he held over it.

"How?" Was all Buffy could muster.

"Nature exists as a balance," Spike quoted Quentin's warning. "A life for a life." Buffy looked sharply at Willow. "Don't blame her," he said to Buffy. "It was me that suggested the exchange."

"Why!" Buffy shouted. "I was happy where I was! You didn't have to..."

"Yes we did. You know you had to be raised before Thomas did it. Our way meant you were human. Thomas would have conjured a zombie to make his own. And... I was never going to get redemption from the end of a stake." Buffy turned her head away from him. He lifted his free hand and pulled her attention back. "Buffy, I die a man, not a demon."

"There must have been another way!"

"If there was I would have chosen it, believe me," Spike said. "Someone once said that, by the time we reach thirty, we have had our most important memories. After that, the cup is full and new experiences run over the edge with little or no impact. We could be ecstatically happy; rich and fulfilled, but the experience would pale in comparison to our first love or our first kiss. But, Buffy I've loved these days! I don't have a death wish but, at the same time, I've wanted this."

They gave Spike a simple burial in the corner of a nearby cemetery. It was a happy occasion.

Chapter Three:

Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word
Feathers on my breath
Gentle compulsion
Shakes me makes me lighter
Feathers on my breath.

Teardrop on the fire
Feathers on my breath

Stumbling a little
Stumbling a little.
(Massive Attack/Laura Fraser)

Gunn was well enough to leave hospital after a few days. The time in between allowed the others to relax and reminisce and to get used to the news that Buffy and Angel were going to leave. The mantle of slayer would finally be passed to Faith. The Watcher's Council was satisfied that she had reformed enough to take on the responsibility. They had even used their influence to get her prison sentence revoked.

The latter disturbed Faith; whilst the killing of the mayor's assistant had been a genuine accident, she had murdered the professor after that. However, she was firmly advised that she was on probation, similar to Angel's need to atone for Angelus' crimes. Faith argued that Angel had nothing to atone for since Angelus was a different entity and, as such, was only acting its nature etc. It was clear to everyone that Faith would be a troubled soul, all be it with a wicked sense of humour and a questionable moral viewpoint.

Everyone knew it was coming, but the time and method of Buffy and Angel's departure still came as a surprise, even to the main players. A blinding white light announced the arrivals of the two Eternals. They stood on the intersection of the two staircases, at the rear of the Hyperion's lobby. The wall behind them was bathed in the light and the Oracles, dressed in robes only slightly less luminous, were framed against it. The whole group was gathered in the lobby. They were mute with surprise, but all guessed the reason for the visitation.

"I... I thought you were dead," Wesley uttered.

"Death is but a temporary state."

"Why are you here?" Angel asked unnecessarily.

"Reward," said one.

"Redemption," said the other.

"Release," they both intoned.

Angel looked over at Buffy and found she was already staring at him. They both turned to the ancient seers.

"We once offered you life," one levelled at Angel. "But you rejected the offer in order to serve. We no longer require your service."

"You have also served well," the other said to Buffy.

"We release you."

"We release you."

Angel then felt a surge of energy course his body. He went rigid with its intensity. The feeling was then replaced by something he had not felt for nearly two years; his heart beat. He felt the pulse in his wrists, the gentle throb in his neck and the subtle vibration beneath his rib cage. He turned to Buffy; life-affirming joy radiated from his eyes where for decades guilt and loneliness had been.

Dawn stood to one side of the others. She felt truly happy for her sister and the soulful vampire, but her emotions were tinged with a melancholia; she knew her own time to depart had arrived. She had been allowed to exist for a precious few weeks after Glory's defeat. Without her Buffy would not have been raised, and all the events from then to this moment. But now she truly had to depart.

The Oracles looked to her and Dawn nodded acceptance. She then felt her body tingle and saw herself begin to glow. The next moment she disappeared into a host of small lights that glittered like fireflies and dissipated just as quick. No one noticed. No one remembered.

Buffy turned to her friends. "We've had some fun, haven't we?"

"I wouldn't have missed a thing," Xander replied.

"Faith," she addressed her replacement. "Don't let the Council rule you."

"You're not going to die on us are you," the Slayer asked.

"Oh no. I'm going to live." Buffy walked up to Giles. She raised herself on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. She leant her head on his chest. "I would never have survived so long without your guidance."

"You died twice, Buffy," he reminded her.

"Death is only temporary," she smiled and stepped back from him to face Willow. "I love you," she whispered. She finally turned back to Angel and walked to his side.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"I'm stumblin' a little, but otherwise..."

"Where do you want to go?"

"I know a perfect little town up north that has a vacant cabin."

The two lovers embraced and walked into the bright light. As they did so, they gradually faded as the light itself also faded. Eventually they were gone, never to be seen again.

In this silence.
I believe I have seen you
In this white wave
You are silent
You are breathing
In this white wave

I am free
(Sarah McLachlan)

End

Rage