The Promise: 8 Years Later

By Melissa Flores
(melissaf@scf.usc.edu)
Buffy disappeared, their leader died, and the remnants of the Scooby Gang formed a pact that meant forever. Now, eight years later, they are reminded of their promise as they come back together to find an old friend, a new enemy and realize that no matter what happens, true friends are always there.
Chapter Six: Anne, and Bedtime Plans
 
  The pain was unbearable, and Anne felt herself sob uncontrollably.  Why had this happened to her?  These horrible men... they had taken her and her date ... and she didn't even know why.    And they kept saying things like Slayer and vampires, and Chosen Ones, and Watchers, and oh her head was swimming with words.  And they treated her like she was something else. But she wasn't... she was Anne.  That was all.  Just Anne.  And who the hell was this Buffy that everyone was talking about?  Anne sobbed,  looking around at the dark basement that these horrible men had put her in. She had to get out, any way she could. She had to get out.  But they had Angel.  A huge amount of guilt filled her.  They had only gone on their first date when these men had grabbed them.  And they came with stakes, who the hell would come with stakes?  And the morbid men came and threatened to kill her if Angel didn't come with them, so he had.  Because of her.  She had to get out. She had to find a way to get them both out.  But fear overwhelmed Anne, who had begun her life eight years ago when she was told she had succumbed to amnesia.   And she could do no more than huddle on her bed and sob.
 

It was almost unbearable. Willow hadn't been able to stand it. She had left as soon as they started.  Xander stayed. He tried to prove to himself he didn't care. And he was failing miserably.  Xander tried to look away, and yet his eyes kept drifting over to it.  Oz and Cordelia. On the floor of the living room.  Cordelia had Oz's guitar in her hands, and she was plucking it with no expertise whatsoever.  Oz, sitting right behind her with a bemused expression, his arms around her to reach the guitar neck, attempting to show her a new chord.  She twanged it and it sounded it awful. Oz made a face, and Cordelia laughed,  bumping her head back tot hit Oz's chest.  He grinned back, and then whispered something in her ear. She listened, and then, with surpised eyes, looked up at him. They stared at each other's eyes  Xander couldn't take it anymore. He got up and walked to the bedroom.

 "Hey, Will."  Xander walked unsteadily to Willow, who sat on the floor watching the television haphazardly.  She looked up at her best friend, and smiled.

"Hey, Xander."

 "How are you holding up?"  She shrugged, smiling grimly.

 "This is so crazy.  I mean, we're all twenty six, and we're acting like teenagers.  I see Oz and I just-"

 "I know." Xander chuckled sadly.  "It's the same with Cordy."  Willow laid a hand on him.

"It hurts so much, doesn't it, to see them like that?"

 "It more than hurts Will,"  Xander said, grabbing the remote from her.  "I want to kill him half the time."

 "Hey!"  Willow kidded, and then she lost her smile.  "Cordelia still hurts, you know. I saw it in her eyes when she came to see me in the library."

 Xander just sighed.  "I think we all left to escape... but we can't.  It's in us. Everything."

 "I shouldn't have messed with the magic, Xander."

  "It wasn't the magic that did it, Will."  Xander said grimly.  "It was us.  We wanted to."

 Willow looked at Xander seriously, and after a minute finally nodded.  "And because of our curiosity, we broke up the best thing either of us ever had." Xander looked so sad, that Willow reached over and caressed his face gently.  "We'll be okay.  We know that we've always loved them.  At least we know."

 "But it won't stop the hurt Willow."  Xander whispered back.  Her eyes glistened and Xander sighed, pulling his friend to her and holding her close.

 "Umm.  I don't want to interrupt the love scene here," Xander and Willow jumped, and looked up to see a noticeably harder Cordelia staring at them from the doorway.  "But Willow, I'm going to bed, so... Xander, get out." Xander released Willow slowly, and gave Cordelia a long look.

 "Sure."

 When he was gone, Willow stared numbly at Cordelia, who had a dazed look in her face.

 "Do you want me to leave?"

 Cordelia looked up in surprise. "Leave? Why? You're sleeping in here."

 Willow looked shocked. "Oh. I just thought that-"

 Cordelia gave Willow and long look, and avoided her eyes.  "Look, Will, if you want to stay in the room with Xander - Oz can stay-"

 "No!" Cordelia stopped short, when Willow closed her eyes. Somehow Willow couldn't take that. Oz and Cordelia in the same room, in the same bed, that was too much. "No." she began more softly. "I'd like to stay in here with you, if you don't mind."

 Cordelia rolled her eyes, and nodded. "Nice to know we can still go in one complete circle in our conversations, Willow." She bit, and then motioned to the bed. "You pick a side.”
 

 "Hey, wolfma-... uh... Oz?"  Oz looked up from his guitar.

 "What's up?"   Xander stared at Oz uncomfortably.  "Well, uh, Cordelia's going to sleep now."  Oz looked confused.

 "I know."  He said, and then resumed his strumming.  "So what do you want, the couch or the other couch?"  he asked distantly.

 Xander looked shocked.  "Um.  The couch."

 "It's yours.  I'll be on the couch in a sec, I just have to check this tune out."  And with that, Oz completely tuned him out again.  His heart was beating uproariously.  He loved Willow.  Even after all that happened, he still loved Willow.  What kind of idiot was he? He sighed.  He knew it was going to be a long night.

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