A/N: Well, here it is - the last chapter. I hope my readers - if I still have any left - enjoyed the story, and I thank everyone for their kind reviews. I hope no one minds the sorta-cliffy ending... ;)
CHAPTER SEVEN
REUNIONS
Buffy Anne Summers, the Slayer, found herself slowly waking up from what felt like a year's sleep. She practically had to force her eyes open, and her arms and legs didn't seem to want to work. Finally though, she managed to raise her head slightly and looked around groggily.
The first thing Buffy noticed was the large body of water she was apparently lying near. A chill wind blew over the water and Buffy shivered. Instinctively, she tried to wrap her arms around herself, only to discover one of her arms was already wrapped around something else…someone else. A flash of red hair was all it took for Buffy to realize who.
"Will!" Love and concern finally jolted Buffy fully awake, and she reached for Willow, gently bit insistently shaking her.
"Will, are you all right?! Please wake up!" Willow gave a low moan and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around in a daze, then her eyes met Buffy's, and the two young women flung themselves into a powerful embrace.
"Buffy!" Willow wailed. "You're all right!"
"We both are," Buffy replied, gently stroking Willow's hair. "Don't ask me how, though." Willow nodded weakly.
"The last thing I remember is this huge explosion… and green light everywhere…" Her eyes widened.
"Oh my god! Amy!!"
"There was nothing we could've done for her," Buffy said sadly.
"I know," Willow replied softly. "She… sacrificed herself… for us." Buffy nodded.
"She destroyed the Chaos Gem, Will… she saved us all."
"At the cost of her own life," Willow replied somberly. She looked up at Buffy. "So how did we survive? And where are we?"
"I don't know Will, honestly," Buffy answered. "Magic is your department, not mine. As for where we are…" She slowly took in their surroundings.
"Will…" she managed. "This looks like… home." She slowly got to her feet and helped Willow to stand as well. Willow's eyes widened.
"Buffy, look!" Willow cried out, pointing into the distance. "I think I see the fortress!"
"Come on Will, we gotta check it out!" Buffy shouted. Willow was already way ahead of her, though; before Buffy knew what was happening, she was grabbed from behind and pulled into the air as Willow soared towards the fortress as fast as she could fly.
"So you were where?" Xander asked again. He was listening to Buffy & Willow's tale of their harrowing adventure, though he wasn't at all sure he believed it. They were his best friends though, so he accepted their story anyway.
"I'm telling you Xander, it was like being trapped in your worst nightmare," Buffy said.
"Where was I in this nightmare world?" Xander asked curiously.
"You weren't there," Willow replied. "At least, we never saw you. You might've been… well, dead." Xander blinked.
"Okay, definitely a nightmare then," he quipped. "So how did you get back here then?"
"That's… kind of a long story," Buffy said hesitantly. "We finally managed to destroy the Chaos Gem, that turned the world into a nightmare in the first place… and, well, everything changed back to the way it's supposed to be." She didn't mention their survival had really been due to Amy Madison's heroic sacrifice; Xander seemed to be overwhelmed with their story as it was.
"Well, whatever happened to you, I'm glad you're back," Xander responded. "I'm telling you though, the two of you just left to go on patrol a few minutes ago!" Buffy and Willow shared a questioning look.
"It felt like we were gone for days," Buffy whispered.
"If it's all the same to you, Buffy, I think I'd rather forget our little tip anyway," Willow replied softly. "We're home, and everything's back to normal; that's enough for me." Buffy nodded wearily
"Yeah, you're right Will; maybe everything will seem better after a good night's sleep."
"Sounds good to me," Willow said with a smile, reaching out to take Buffy's hand. Xander arched an eyebrow.
"Uh… did I miss something? 'Cause I coulda sworn that sounded like you inviting Willow over for a sleepover." Buffy blushed slightly.
"Um, Xander… there's something we need to tell you." She looked over at Willow, who was smiling proudly.
"Willow and I… we're together now."
"And no, you can't watch," Willow added jokingly. Xander laughed.
"Well, it's about time," he replied. Buffy and Willow shared another look.
"Xander say what?" Buffy gaped.
"Seriously, I've always thought you two were going to wind up together," Xander told them earnestly. "After all, who'd know better than me how close you two are? Personally, I think you should've woken up and smelled the love a long time ago, but who am I to complain?"
"Is this Xander-speak for 'I'm happy for you'?" Willow teased him.
"You know I am," Xander responded with trademark wit. "Really, I'm hurt you'd even have to ask; by the way, does that 'no watching' clause cover video tape?" Wiillow couldn't help but laugh at her best friend's antics. No doubt about it – things were definitely back to normal.
Later, in the quiet and relative safety of Buffy's bedroom, the two new lovers shared a quiet moment together.
"What a day, huh Will?" Buffy said sleepily.
"I'm just glad everything's back to normal," Willow replied
"Me, too," Buffy agreed happily. "I still can't believe how well Dawn took our news."
"Are you kidding? She was practically jumping for joy!"
"I know," Buffy chuckled. "I've never been hugged so many times in my life."
"Aw come on, it's sweet," Willow said in her little-girl voice. "Your sister's happy for you!" She snuggled contentedly against the woman she loved.
"Comfy?" Buffy asked her with a smile.
"Who needs pillows when I've got my Slayer?" Willow replied with a grin. Buffy couldn't help giggling at her girlfriend's words.
"Glad to oblige," she quipped. "Just try not to fall asleep on me."
"No chance," Willow promised. "I've got other plans for you tonight, Slayer-mine." Buffy arched an eyebrow.
"Oh, really? Sounds like fun," she whispered in a low voice. She grew serious for a moment.
"Do you know how much I love you, Will?" she breathed. Willow smiled and looked deep into her eyes.
"Not nearly as much as I love you, Buffy," she purred. She reached out to gently caress Buffy's cheek. "Tonight, I'm gonna show you just how much." She leaned forward and kissed Buffy softly, but moved away before it could develop into more.
"Close your eyes," Willow whispered. Nervously, Buffy did as she told. Willow helped her to lie back, then began to slowly kiss her way down Buffy's neck, nipping and teasing as she went.
"Willow…" Buffy managed, her senses reeling from her girlfriend's sensuous onslaught. The kisses trailed lower, until Buffy felt Willow beginning to nip at her through her blouse. Gasping, she fell back against her pillow and gave herself up to Willow's wonderful touch.
The morning dawned, clear and cool, over the Scottish Highlands, and found Buffy and Willow still lying in each other's arms. Neither seemed to want to break the spell and have to let go of each other by actually waking up, so they just continued holding each other, letting the world pass them by. Finally though, Buffy decided to at least say something.
"I think I could stay like this forever," she said contentedly.
"Yeah?" Willow replied, snuggling deeper into Buffy's embrace.
"Yeah… and you know what? Even if we were still stuck in that bizarro evil world, as long as you were with me, I would've been all right." Willow opened her eyes then, to look up at Buffy.
"You really mean that?" she asked quietly. Buffy smiled and nodded.
"As long as you're with me, Will – as long as we're together – I feel like I can do anything." Willow blinked back a tear and squeezed the woman she loved in a fierce hug.
"That wasn't supposed to make you cry," Buffy said playfully.
"Good tears, I promise," Willow responded. "I love you, Buffy, so much."
"I love you too, Willow." As they embraced, a sudden thought struck Buffy, and though it sounded almost insane to her at first, she found she couldn't ignore it. She wondered briefly what Willow would say, but there was truly only one way to find out.
"Willow…" she began carefully. "I… I need to ask you something. You have to promise me you won't freak out though!" Willow looked at her strangely, trying to figure out what the woman she loved was thinking.
"No fair trying to listen to what I'm thinking," Buffy teased her. "Besides, I promise it's a good thing… at least, I hope you think it's a good thing. I mean, I know it's a little sudden and all, and you might not be ready, but we love each other and I…" Willow stopped her with a gentle finger on her lips.
"I'm the one who's supposed to babble, remember?" she said with a smile. "Just go ahead and ask me, Buffy; I promise I won't freak out. I think I might know what you're going to say, though." Buffy swallowed.
"You… you do?"
"Maybe," Willow replied, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, "but go ahead and ask me anyway." Taking Willow's hand in her own, staring deep into the eyes of the woman she loved more than life itself, Buffy chose to throw caution to the wind.
"Will… you know how much I love you, right? After everything we've been through, all the things we've endured and survived, you're still here with me… and I don't know if I can put into words how much that means to me; how much you mean to me. I have never, ever, felt with anyone what I feel when I'm with you. I want to spend the rest of my life – however much I've got left – with you at my side." Buffy paused and took a deep breath.
"I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, and I don't even have a ring, but…Willow Danielle Rosenberg, will you marry me?"
Half a world away, in the shattered remains of what had once been a small apartment, a dark figure sat watching Buffy's proposal in the depths of a shimmering magical orb.
"Now do you see?" the figure asked. He turned towards a young woman, crouched in the darkness beside him. She watched the proposal with wide eyes.
"No…" she whispered, her voice ragged.
"Buffy Summers has taken everything that was rightfully yours," the dark figure hissed. "She deserves to pay for her crimes." The young woman watched as Willow hugged Buffy fiercely, tears streaming down her cheeks. In response, a single tear slid down the young woman's cheek as well, and she whimpered. When Willow kissed Buffy passionately, she let loose with a terrible scream and drove her fist angrily through the shimmering image of the hated moment.
"I've seen enough," the young woman growled. "What do I have to do?!" The dark figure motioned and the magical orb faded away.
"You know the price," he said ominously. "I will give you the power to destroy Buffy Summers, and in exchange, your soul will belong to me."
"I don't care," the young woman retorted. "As long as Willow is mine."
"Succeed in destroying Buffy Summers, and the witch will be yours," the dark figure replied.
"Fine – now give me the power to dig Buffy Summers' grave!" the young woman shouted. The dark figure grinned malevolently. Reaching out, he plunged one his hands deep into the young woman's chest. The wound was not physical however, and the demon withdrew his hand moments later clutching a pale orb of grey-white light. He squeezed his hand shut, seemingly crushing it, and the orb vanished. Then, extending one of his razor sharp talons, he slashed open the dark skin over his wrist. Thick black blood oozed from the wound. The demon collected a single drop of his blood and dripped it into a silver chalice.
"Drink," he commanded the young woman, handing her the chalice. She did as she was commanded without even the slightest moment of hesitation. The demon's blood worked its dark magic almost instantly, forcing a terrible transformation upon her. When the malevolent metamorphosis was complete, the young woman, as she had once been, was gone. In her place stood a dark and twisted reflection of Buffy Summers herself…