April Rain: Chapter 10
by orchid17
Willow opened the door to Emile’s office. The sorcerer was perched precariously on a wooden chair. His long legs were extended out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. He smiled as she entered as if he had been expecting her.

Willow sighed, he had been expecting her. He always knew when she was coming. He probably knew why she had come as well. It was helpful and it would save her time, which she seemed to have precious little of these days.

“You brought her,” said Emile in a lazy tone. “I’m pleased.”

Willow thought for a moment. She turned to the door which she had closed upon entering. Emile chucked heartily under his breath.

“January, February, March, and…”

“April,” whispered Willow, “She’s special isn’t she?”

“More than special.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think you know.” Emile sat up in his chair, leaning toward Willow. “I think you’ve known, since the moment you laid eyes on that girl. Fate is a cruel mistress, little one. It takes away that which we hold most dear. But it never takes without intention of returning. She was brought to you, and now you must help her.”

Outside the room, Willow heard crash. She paused, staring at Emile for just a moment. His face was frozen in a smirk. The sounds in the other room grew louder, Willow heard shouting.

“Where?” she asked.

“The desert,” replied Emile. “Follow her instincts.” As Willow raced out of the room he called after her, “Take care of the little slayer, her heart may break if it is too late!”

Back in the lobby, Willow found April in the grip of a large vampire. While most of the occupants of the room remained in their seats, watching the show, three other vampires had crowded around.

Just as Willow was about to stake someone, April pulled herself free. Like with Spike, she summoned up some kind of foreign strength. She leveled the vampire with one hard punch to the nose. The others began to advance on her, and April fell into defense mode.

Willow had seen this before, with Buffy. April took a defensive stance, staring down each vampire in turn. Then as one lunged at her she delivered a powerful kick to her stomach. The second swung a fist at April. She proceeded to grasp the vampire’s wrist and flip him over her knee. The last vamp looked at April and then at Willow, and decided that it would just be a better idea to sit back down.

Grabbing April, Willow fled the building. She was excited and scared all at once. When they reached the street again, Willow remembered to breathe. She pulled April to the car and they climbed inside. Spike and Xander looked incredulously at them.

“What did you find out?” asked Spike.

“I found our new slayer,” replied Willow with a smile.

Everyone began talking at once. Xander was surprised, Willow was excited, and Spike sounded worried. April stayed quiet in the back seat with her head spinning. She had no idea what a slayer was or how on earth she could be one, but it must have been something very important.

She thought about what had transpired inside the building. While Willow was gone the vampires had been watching her. They were whispering and casting her intrigued glances. She had smiled, trying to discourage and thought of mischief.

Before she could react, four of them had surrounded her, the largest standing nearly on top of her. He had touched her shoulder, gently caressing the bare skin at the neck of her sweater. Although he gave the illusion of being attractive, April had shuddered from his ice cold touch. For the second time that night, she struggled out of the grasp of a vampire.

He’d grown angry, grabbing her throat and lifting her off the ground. The rest had happened so quickly. Something had possessed her, and when the haze cleared from her eyes, there were three vampires downed and Willow was leading her outside.

Xander started his car while everyone was still talking. They began to argue, but April tuned them out.

Until, Spike shouted, “She’s just a little girl. She isn’t anything like Buffy!”

April came out of her fog, looking at the people that surrounded her. They were still arguing with one another and ignoring her.

“What is a slayer?” she asked in a hushed tone. The car grew silent. Xander’s eyes were suddenly glued to the road. Willow gazed distantly out her window. Spike slumped over, his head resting on his knees. April began to count the silent seconds as they ticked by. Four… five… six… seven.

At eight, Xander flipped on his turn signal. By twelve they were headed east, out into the desert. It wasn’t until 137 that someone made a noise. It was Spike, lighting a cigarette. He rolled down the window and the cold night air blasted April in the face.

Finally, when she had counted away four full minutes, April said, “Please I deserve to know what I am.”

“The slayer,” Spike replied in a low tone, “one girl chosen to save the world.” April felt a pit growing in her stomach.

“Why me?”

“You were chosen, it’s your mother freaking destiny,” growled Spike. “When the slayer dies a new one is called.”

“The other slayer, Buffy, she’s dead?” Spike winced as she said this. He still refused to make eye contact.

“Yes,” Willow said, after a long pause.

“Spike felt his throat tighten as he thought about Buffy. If he’d only been a little faster, a little more alert he would have saved her. She was the best, but even the best make mistakes. A few seconds would have made all the difference.

Spike recalled his anger as he’d watched Buffy sink to her knees with a vampire on her throat. He recalled ramming the wooden stake through the bastard’s heart, dusting him. Last, he recalled cradling Buffy in his lap, his hand pressed against her wound which bled like mad. It was hot, sticky, and as it ran through his fingers he’d watched the lights in her eyes fade. When she was limp in his arm, he’d cried.

Spike blinked, bringing himself back to the car. The tears had welled up in his eyes again, but in the dark no one could see how they threatened to spill down his cheeks. Blinking furiously, Spike forced them to retreat. He buried his hurt, his frustrations, and his rage, just like he’d buried Buffy.


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