Buffy stood before the people who had accompanied her from planet to planet in order to eradicate the Goa'uld reign. She never asked them to follow her or to leave their homes, but she understood their need to be involved.
"The Goa'uld are gone. They will never return to harm you or your families. Our ways must part, Thor will return you to your homes," Buffy spoke as Kali. Only a few people knew about Buffy Summers, and she wanted to keep it that way.
They responded with loud grumbling and stomping feet. Many followed Kali because of what she represented and who she was, not just to eliminate the Goa'uld. She would soon learn this, whether she like it or not.
Bra'tac had no intention of leaving Buffy's side - ever. He had observed the subtle changes in her, from their first meeting until now. He knew she was hiding something, just like he knew the toll it took to combat the Tok'ra. Bra'tac only had to look at the deep bronze of her skin and recall what she told him. Each time she took a symbiote or Goa'uld, particularly a Goa'uld, into her, a fragment of its darkness stained her.
Daniel waited for Buffy outside her room. He leaned his head against the wall and shut his eyes. That was how she found him an hour later. Squatting down beside him, she brushed the hair off his forehead. "What am I going to do with you, Daniel?" She picked him up as if he weighed nothing and carried him inside.
He startled awake when she placed him on her bed. "If I weren't secure in my masculinity, I might feel a little threatened."
"But you're not, and that's what makes you Daniel."
"Is that good?"
"Very good." She smiled at him, a full bright Buffy Summers smile. "Scooch."
Daniel scooted over as she crawled in next to him. She let out a long sigh. "Tough day?" He felt her head move against his shoulder. "Do you want to speak about it or sleep?"
"I told the army they were returning home. Bra'tac refused, along with several others." Her lip fell into its famous pout.
His eyes widened, then sparkled with delight at the sight. "He isn't the only one, Buffy. You changed a lot of people's lives, and they won't walk away from you, especially if you're in danger." He ran his fingers through her hair.
Buffy looked up at him. "I don't want you to get hurt. I can take care of myself."
Daniel leaned down to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. It was soft and tender, filled with the possibility of something more.
She drew away falling back against the pillow. "I can't Daniel; I can't start something that doesn't have a chance for a future. I'm sorry."
"I understand, you don't feel that way about me." He looked away, embarrassed that he thought she had feelings for him.
"No, you don't understand. I have to go back to Earth and fight the biggest battle of my life. I have to bring about the Ocean of Blood where it - where I started."
He searched her faced for what she wasn't saying. "You don't think you are going to survive do you?"
"There are no guarantees, Daniel."
"Promise me that you aren't going there to die." He put a finger under her chin to tilt her face back up to his.
Buffy traced Daniel's face before kissing each eyelid. "You're a good man and a good friend. I'm returning to give this fight everything I have. I promise, Daniel. If I survive, I want to get to know you better."
Their lips met to seal the promise. One dreamed of moonlit walks, romantic restaurants, long talks and things to share in quiet moments. The other was pulled into a nightmare. Streets ran with blood, dead bodies lay everywhere, buildings crumbled to the ground and the moon fell into shadow.
Two separate paths; one bright, one dark. What the future would bring was anyone's guess.
Angel arrived first. He wondered if everyone else had survived their missions. If it weren't for Connor's timely help, he wouldn't be standing here waiting. Connor, his son, even now knowing that he faced impossible odds, the thought of his son brought a smile to his face.
"What are you smiling about, you stupid wanker?"
"Spike, I should have known that you'd survive."
"I, too, have completed my mission. Wesley did not survive. I wish to do more violence." Illyria appeared with a bloody sword in her hand.
Gunn stumbled up, with Faith's help. A large wound was bleeding heavily at his side. "Reporting for duty, Big A, found Chuckles here bleeding on the concrete and gave him an assist."
They turned when they heard a sound behind them. Everyone lifted their weapons ready to resume the fight. A familiar figure stepped from the shadows.
"What are you doing here?"
"Thought you could use some help."
"Thought you didn't want anything to do with us. You haven't talked to us in months."
"Faith, there isn't time for this. I'm sorry about Dana, but now simply isn't the time. We've uncovered some prophecies and realized what you were trying to do here, all of you."
"You are kidding me."
"That's enough both of you. Rupert, if you are here to help, fine, but LA is my town and you will follow my orders."
Giles started to protest, then snapped his jaw shut. Willow, Xander, and the other Slayers stepped from the shadows.
"Dead Boy, I think we have you outnumbered." Xander smiled at the souled vampire.
Buffy observed the by-play from a rooftop. It appeared nothing had changed while she was gone. Daniel crouched beside her, never taking his eyes off her face. They exchanged smiles before standing to walk back to the group waiting for them.
"Does everyone understand what they need to do?" Buffy looked at Bra'tac.
"Yes, we will do as you request, Kali." He bowed his shaved head. The golden symbol on his forehead caught in the moonlight, glowing dully against his skin.
Teal'c stepped forward. "We will not disappoint you, Kali. Much depends on you, let us aid you where we can."
"What the big guy is saying is, we got your back. Now, let's go kick ass." Jack patted her on the back.
Buffy smiled, then looked up at the moon. She felt its pull. Kali surged forward feeding Buffy the energy she needed to face the coming battle. She turned around, taking three large leaps before catapulting off the building.
They ran to the edge to see her somersault through the air to land in the middle of the bickering people below.
The Scoobies and the Fang Gang jumped back, weapons ready when a body landed between them. No one could see who or what it was, all they saw was a black shape raising from the street. It lifted its head allowing them to see it clearly for the first time.
They gasped, taking a step back, then stopped. A multitude of emotions ran through their bodies as they realized who it was - Buffy.
Everyone talked at once, but Buffy didn't say a word. She turned around to walk further into the darkened alley. The others started to go after her, when bodies dropped down from rooftops above them. Surrounding them were large warriors dressed in black carrying strange weapons. They blocked all escape routes and permitted no one to get to Buffy.
"Who are you people, and what have you done to Buffy?" Angel growled, vamping out. He tried to shove a large black man with a gold symbol on his forehead, but he couldn't budge him.
"You can not be part of what Kali must do. We are here to protect you." Teal'c crossed his arms over his massive chest.
"Who is Kali? I don't need protection, now get out of my way?"
The ground started shaking, thunder boomed, lightning illuminated the night as rain poured down. A loud boom jerked everyone's head up to the violent sky. Screams caught in their throats when a demonic hand tore a hole in the fabric of their world and the Hordes of Hell poured through.
Angel, Spike, and Faith fought with everything they had to get to Buffy. Willow pulled on her magic, only to have her connection to the Earth severed. Thor transported Illyria to his ship to keep her out of the way. The Warriors of the Light found themselves no match for the changed Jaffa that carried Kali's blood.
Daniel, Jack, and Sam stayed back until Bra'tac and Teal'c contained the others. They stepped forward. "Buffy has to do this. If you ever trusted her, trust her now." Daniel turned back to watch the battle unfold.
A small figure in black drew a red, black, and silver scythe from behind its back. It held the weapon loosely like an extension of its body. Demons of every kind advanced on the figure. They licked their lips in anticipation of victory over this particular champion. One minute, Buffy stood waiting the next she launched herself straight into the middle of the waiting horde.
She sliced a path through them; bodies fell right and left. The scythe sang its death song beautifully with a maestro pulling its strings. No one noticed the moon beginning to darken, no one but Buffy. She danced her dance as long as she dared until she felt it. It was time, time to wash this world clean in an Ocean of Blood, her blood.
The scythe slipped from her fingers. Buffy stood tall and proud before the demon horde. They roared in delight as they slashed and tore into the small delicate body.
"NO!" Angel and Spike screamed simultaneously. They fought harder to get to the woman they still loved. The one they would willingly die for was dying in front of their eyes.
"B, what are you doing?" Tears fell down Faith's cheeks unchecked.
Daniel looked up, unable to watch any longer. He saw the moon fall into a total eclipse. His breath caught, his heart raced, and he jerked back around in time to see a miracle.
The exact moment the moon eclipsed, it happened. Buffy's rich black blood mixed with the pouring rain. The rain turned black. Lightning shot across the sky to reveal Buffy still standing. The demon horde backed away, then started screaming. Each raindrop scorched them, their screams grew louder as the purifying rain poured down. Within minutes, the demon horde was nothing more than smoking ash.
Angel screamed when the black rain hit his cheek. "What is happening?" He tried to brush it off, but more replaced it.
"You are being judged," Teal'c answered.
Spike writhed on the ground his body smoking. Angel glanced over to see that Faith, Willow and the Slayers were out cold. He blacked out when the pain became unbearable.
Daniel ran to Buffy's side, followed by Bra'tac and Teal'c. They were afraid to touch her before the rain stopped. Each man prayed that she would survive this sacrifice. Buffy's eyes were closed, with her lips curved into a soft smile. It was almost as if she were sleeping, rather than standing in the street bleeding to death.
They watched her skin change from the darkest bronze to a golden tan and the black fade from her hair leaving it honey gold once more. Finally, the rich black blood flowed a healthy red, just as the moon peeked back out and the rain stopped. The tiny figure that stood against all foes crumpled like a rag doll, but three pairs of hands caught her. Gently picking up the woman who had changed their lives. By an unspoken agreement, the two Jaffa handed over their treasure to the gentle scholar, he gathered her close to his chest, grateful to hear her heart faintly beating.
Daniel walked back to the others. Sam and Jack came up to pat him on the shoulder in reassurance, neither said a word, none were needed.
Giles walked towards the young man who held Buffy in his arms. He wasn't certain what to say or do. The instant he saw her pale face and closed eyes, a large sigh escaped his lips, followed by the tears he never let himself cry. He brushed the hair away from her face.
"My dear girl, you always were good at exceptional rescues." Giles gently kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, Buffy, I'm so sorry."
"I'm Daniel Jackson, we can talk later, but I need to take her back so that she can recover. She'll get in touch with you soon." He turned to walk away, but Giles shouted at him.
"Young man, you can't just expect us to wait. We've been waiting for months to hear from Buffy."
"Then a little longer won't hurt you."
"Good one, space monkey, you have the beginnings of a top notch smart ass. Stick with me kid, and you'll go to the head of the class." Jack place a hand on Daniel's shoulder, patting him like a proud father.
"Yes, Daniel Jackson, it was a good response."
The Jaffa who refused to leave Buffy's side followed close behind, cutting off Giles' attempts to follow. He ran around the corner, only to find them gone.
"What, in the bloody blazes, is going on?" He walked back to attend to the Slayers, hoping to see his Slayer again.
Buffy recover quickly, surprising everyone including herself. Thor had transported them directly to Stargate Command from the alley. She refused to allow the doctors to look at her and General Hammond backed her up, after the two had a long talk. Jack pleaded with her to tell him what she said to get out of the exams, but Buffy just smiled and walked away. She knew that she needed to talk to her old friends and decide what she wanted to do with her life. Lost in thought she ran smack into Daniel.
"I was looking for you."
"Why?"
"I wanted to ask you a question."
"Shoot."
"Do you know what you what you are going to do? I mean since no more Kali?"
Buffy tried to hide her smile, but failed. "Some, but my employment history not sparkling, if you know what I mean."
"You did tell me that you remember the languages and memories of the Goa'uld that you destroyed, right?"
"Yes. Where are you going with this, Daniel?" Buffy waited for an explanation.
"Gen. Hammond wants to offer you a job here. You already have the security clearance, and we still have lots of planets to explore. Who knows? All the stuff stuck in your head is bound to be useful. Not to mention what there is from the Alliance DNA. We would be working together and we could get to know each other and…"
"Daniel." Buffy tried to talk.
"And we…"
"Daniel." She raised her voice a little louder this time.
He looked up. "Oh, you probably don't want to spend that much time with me. Everything before was just the situation and…."
"Daniel, you talk to much." Buffy kissed him, fulfilling the promise hinted at before. "Yes, I would like to work here and yes, I would like to know you better and yes, I well, just yes." She kissed him again, before reluctantly pulling away.
"What's wrong?" He pulled her close, happy that his feelings were reciprocated, happy at the idea of a future with this amazing woman.
"I have to go talk to them and explain what happened, what I did."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, I have to do this alone. I'll return promise."
The collective Fang Gang and Slayers Inc. recovered in the Hyperion Hotel. A somber quiet lay over the old building. The normally rowdy teenagers crept about unsure and afraid. Worry marred foreheads. Feet walked paths in the carpets. Hands were wrung and tears were shed. Everyone watched and waited, for what they weren't sure.
Buffy walked into the lobby, taking it and the people in with a single glance.
"Who are you?" a young girl, no more than fourteen, asked.
"I'm Buffy Summers. Is Giles here?"
Hearing Buffy's name caused the other girls to immediately to start whispering. "I'll go get him, wait right here," the young girl said, before racing up the stairs.
"You really her?" The others gathered around as soon as the girl was out of sight.
"Last time I checked."
"Why'd you pull a runner?"
"Yeah, how come you ran, you chicken?"
"Girls, that is enough," Giles barked, from the top of the stairs.
"My, my Giles, you're bringing them up to be all Emily Post-like and everything."
"I'm sorry, my dear, it has been rather tense since the other day, as you can imagine. Please, come in and sit down." He gestured towards a couch in the lobby.
"How are the others?" The question was straight forward and to the point.
"Angel and Willow are still unconscious. Spike and Faith are healing nicely. Gunn is in the hospital. Illyria returned from wherever she went only to die."
"Did you expect her to survive?" A blonde eyebrow arched up at the absurdity of the statement.
"From what I understand, she was beginning to have feelings for Wesley and fought for him." Buffy threw back her head and laughed. "I do not see the humor in the situation. The woman is dead."
"No, I don't suppose you do. Illyria didn't feel anything for Wesley. He was a means to an end. If she was redeemable, she would have been saved. Don't you get that, yet?"
"Obviously, I don't," he snapped, losing his temper.
"The rain, the Ocean of Blood, it found you guilty or innocent. If you earned your redemption, like Spike and Faith, you got to be a real boy and girl. Angel and Willow too, although they were on the fence. That's why it's taking them longer to recover."
"But, Willow paid…"
"Did she? Who do you pay to get rid of that mark on your soul? Faith paid and Spike paid, ask them what it cost. Hell, Giles even you paid. Didn't you wonder why the rain irritated your skin, why it was sore and blistered? Ripper, ring a bell? The only reason you didn't pass out like the rest of them was all your years of service."
He looked at the unyielding emerald stare looking back at him. "What has happened to you, Buffy? I have never seen you be this…"
"What? Truthful? Try watching your sister explode into a cloud of green dust, Giles, tends to change your sunny disposition."
Giles had the decency to blush at her words. "Buffy, I am sorry about Dawn, truly."
Kennedy ran down the stairs. "Mr. Giles, Willow woke up. Come see, she's talking but it doesn't make sense." The dark haired teen stopped in her tracks when she saw Buffy. "You, what are you doing here? I thought you left, again. Isn't that what you do?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Kennedy, get a new song, that record's broken. Let's go see Willow, Giles. I can tell you if she's okay." She stood up to start up the stairs.
Kennedy blocked her way. "You aren't going anywhere."
"Who's going to stop me - you?" Buffy leaned forward allowing her eyes to become a deeper emerald green. Kali resonated in her voice. "You aren't a Slayer any longer, but even if you were, I'd still kick your ass." She picked the other woman up and sat her out of the way, then walked up the stairs ignoring the gaping mouths and stares behind her.
Kennedy stomped up behind her cussing under her breath. Giles worked hard to hide his smile.
Willow lay in bed, appearing pale and forlorn. Xander sat beside her holding her hand. Kennedy rushed into the room accompanied by Giles and Buffy.
Xander jumped up when he saw Buffy. "What is she doing here? Did you come crawling back, since you aren't a Slayer anymore?"
"Do sit down, Xander."
Buffy ignored the spiteful man and walked over to Willow. She sat on the bed, taking a small hand in hers, she said. "Willow, how are you feeling?"
"It's gone, it's all gone." She turned to look at Buffy. "Where did it go?"
"You don't need it anymore, Willow. All the bad things that go bump in the night are gone."
Giles felt his knees weaken when he processed the full implication of her words. "Oh, dear."
"What am I, Buffy? What am I without it?"
"You're Willow, just like always. You can do all the things that you wanted to do, but couldn't." Buffy smiled at the girl that became her closest friend, and the one that abandoned her when she needed her the most.
"I want it back. It made me special. I'm not special, now Kennedy won't love me." Willow started crying, deep wracking sobs.
Kennedy moved to take Buffy's place on the bed. "Willow, I love you, not your magic. To tell you the truth, it always scared me." The two lovers whispered to each other.
Buffy signaled the others to follow her out. It saddened her that Willow was so insecure after all these years.
She let herself into Angel's room. Spike and Faith looked up, then rushed over when they saw who it was at the door.
"Hey B, gotta say wicked show, except for the nap at the end. Is there a reason me and Pinocchio aren't puppets anymore?" Faith grinned at Buffy.
"Yep. No more oogly booglies. You will just have to join the rat race with the rest of the rats." She gave them a huge smile, then hugged them. Buffy walked over to Angel's bed to see that he was still sleeping.
"Captain Forehead there must think he's Sleeping Beauty. Go ahead, Princess, give him a kiss, bound to wake a bloke," Spike said, thinking Angel won the girl, again.
"No, he'll wake on his own. Willow's awake and Angel will be soon. I just came to tell you what happened and to let you know that I'm okay."
"You're not staying, B?" Faith noticed the differences in her former sister Slayer.
"No, I've found where I want to be." She smiled softly thinking of large blue eyes and messy auburn hair.
"That bloke Rupes told us about what carried you off, right? Same one that told us not to interfere?" Spike knew that he lost her when he saw that smile. He hated it, but could live with it if she was happy. It was better than her choosing Angel.
"Yeah, his name is Daniel. It's not just him, but he is part of it. I found my place. What I want to do." Buffy tried to make them understand. Somehow, she knew of anyone these two would understand.
"That's great, B, go for it. If anyone deserves it you do," Faith said. She pulled Buffy into a hug, then quickly let go embarrassed at the unusual show of affection.
The large body on the bed started to stir. "Buffy," Angel murmured in his sleep.
"Angel, I'm here, and it's time for you to wake up."
He shot up in the bed wondering if it was all a horrible nightmare. There beside him on the bed was a golden vision, his angel - Buffy. Angel reached out to touch her, shutting his eyes when he felt flesh beneath his finger. She was real and she was here with him.
"Oy, peaches, open yer bloody peepers. Slayer has some news for you."
And Spike, Spike was here. It was a nightmare. "Buffy, you came back. I knew you'd come back."
She looked over her shoulder at Faith and Spike. They rolled their eyes at not getting to watch the drama.
"Come on, Fang Jr., damn, I have to think up all new names. Let's go find some grub." Faith drug him from the room.
Buffy left the Hyperion several hours later. The fights, accusation, pleadings, and guilt trips they used to try to convince her to stay didn't work. She told them what they needed to know and left.
There were no more Slayers, vampires, demons, or magic. Each person was responsible for their own destiny from this moment on.
A huge smile crossed her lips. There, on the street in a shiny black Hummer, was one Daniel Jackson.
"Excuse me miss, can I offer you a ride." His blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
Buffy walked down the steps to lean in the window on the passenger side. "I don't know, my mom told me not to take rides from stranger."
"I promise to be good."
She slid into the leather seat and pulled him to her for a scorching kiss. This wasn't a soft gentle kiss. It was one that promised of things to come. Buffy pulled back to give him a slow, sexy smile; her eyes were a deep emerald green.
"Let's go see how many worlds we can get kicked off of, Daniel."
"Sounds like a plan. Work has never sounded so good."
~ The End ~