Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Kersey and a few other little add-ons. Buffy and Co. belong to Joss Whedon, the WB network, and Mutant Enemy.
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Part Seven
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"Here you are, Rupert." Sam Calendar said as she gave him a full mug of tea. Giles eyed it warily for a moment prompting Calendar to murmur, "What? Ya think I poisoned you?"
He cleared his throat, "Of course not." In an effort to convince her, he brought the cup up to his lips and sipped. Calendar grinned and laughed. "Delicious..um, yes..uh where are the children?"
"Tired of my company already, Rupert?" Calendar chided softly. Giles favored her with an annoyed look. "Really..you need to develop a sense of humor..or a personality, Rupert."
"Stat." Giles murmured to himself. He glanced up at Calendar who was watching with him an odd expression on her voice. "Uh, it was something Buffy said to me when we first getting aquainted." His voice dropped and he found himself staring at his companion, hoping that she could offer him something. Even the smallest shred of hope.
Calendar crossed over to the couch he was on and placed a hand over his, "She'll be alright, Rupert." He looked away from her so she placed her thumb under his chin and lifted it so that their eyes met, "Look at me..she'll be alright."
"Right. I know." Giles murmured, silently cursing himself. God, what if the children had seen that? They couldn't be allowed to think that he too was scared out of his mind. Someone had to be strong. Willow and Xander were trying but they were only kids and there was only so long that they could stand tall without fear.
"Good," Calendar said softly, not believing him at all. "Now, in answer to your question, Willow is in with Shawn and Angel in Buffy's room and Xander finally knocked out about ten minutes ago in his own..well..room."
"Amazing..with all the caffeine that boy has ingested, I was beginning to suspect that he wouldn't be sleeping at all." Giles said with a small laugh. Then he sighed and leaned back against the couch, "We're not going to lose her."
"No..we're not." Calendar assured him. "Look, Rupert..if you need to talk..."
He laughed dryly, "About what? Ab..about the fact that my Slayer..my charge is lying unconsious in the other room? About the fact that I knew as sure as I knew that Fuhrer Snyder would lower my book budget that Buffy would go out slaying? What should we talk about?"
"How about you?" Calendar asked crisply. "How about the fact that you shouldering all the blame for this is selfish? How about the fact that everyone else is hurting also but because you've decided that it's your fault that Buffy was hurt, you've removed yourself from both helping them deal with those and being helped."
"What?" Giles asked in astonishment. "You don't understand."
"So now you're dismissing me like you do technology." She shrugged, "I'm not suprised. Everything has got to be your way, right? Even taking the blame. Well let me explain something to you...Buff was going to do whatever she wanted to do. And it happened. Now we move on and make sure she's safe until this stupid Seven Days thing is over. Okay? That means these kids need you."
Giles swallowed and replied thoughtfully, "Of course..you're right." He started to stand but she pulled him back down to sit next to him.
"I'm sorry..I didn't mean to be so harsh about it but you need to let go of this idea that you could have prevented this because when it's all said and done, woulda, coulda, shouldas aren't much worth the letters they're put together with..now are they?"
He nodded, "Right." After a moment he settled back against the couch. "So..so..you wnat to ..talk?"
"Talking would be nice," Calendar said with a small smile. "But first drink your tea..I really didn't poison it..I swear."
* * *
"Buffy?" Xander exclaimed, walking towards his blonde haired friend. She glanced up at him, confused and uncertain and then recognition dawned on her face and she smiled brightly and rushed into his arms. He glanced quickly around them but all he could make out of their surroundings was the fact that they were apparently in a very dark room.
"Xander! Oh thank God." The Slayer gushed, tightening her hold on him. Oddly, it didn't hurt. Well, much.
"Buffy? What..you're..you're..okay?" Xander asked, pushing her to arms' length so that he could look his friend over. Sure enough she was standing in front of him looking just fine. There were no bruises marring her beautuful face and no ugly cuts across her brow. Her ribs weren't broken and she wasn't suffering from a head injury.
She pressed herself back into his arms, almost as if she were scared of not having contact. "I'm fine, Xander. Except I've been here forever. I was wondering when someone would show up. I really hate the dark. I mean I'm used to dark..but not total dark and I'm babbling and..Xander..what's wrong?"
Xander shook his head, "I don't understand..I mean..I saw you.."
"You..see me now." Buffy told him, confusion wrinkling her brow.
"Buffy, you're hurt." Xander insisted.
She shook her head desperately, "No, I'm fine..I've just been trapped here since I had this really big fight...ooh..is Giles pissed that I kinda blew him off..look I know I promised you guys I'd stay in but I couldn't. Anyways..they must have knocked me out and brought me here..."
Xander stared back at her, "No, no, no, no." He placed his thumbs against his temples and rubbed frantically for a few moments as Buffy looked on in confusion. Finally he looked up at her and pointed both of his pointer fingers in the air, "Um, this is not right..I admit, I'm an idiot..I've accepted this and I'm planning on using it as my motto on my business cards..however..I know that this is not right."
"Xander, you're babbling." Buffy said simply. She was frowning now and clearly annoyed."Look, I don't know what's wrong with you but I do know that we are trapped so we need to calm down and figu..fig.."her words slammed violently together as her face contorted and she doubled over, clutching her stomache. She tried to speak but all that came out were tiny whimpers of frustration and pain.
Xander moved to her side, "Buffy? Buffy, what's wrong?" He tried to help her sit up but even weakened she was strong enough to prevent him from pulling her upwards. "Let me help you!" Xander cried out desperately.
Buffy looked up at him and to his horror he saw that now her dream face reflected the injuries of her real body. "I don't understand..what did they do to me..why.." she doubled over again, a scream of agony escaping her lips.
"Buffy.." Xander murmured, trying to pull her into his arms. He felt so helpless. He wanted to offer her comfort..or an explanation or something but he couldn't even offer himself that.
"I..I..keep getting these flashes..they..they must have injected me..wi..with some drug," Buffy panted between gasps of pain. She grabbed onto his arm and squeezed. Normally the pressure she was exerting would have broken the bone but for some bizarre reason, it just barely hurt.
Xander blinked and suddenly everything shifted out of focus. Where-as a moment earlier, the Slayer had been clutching his arm frantically, now she was clear across the room, one arm out-stretched in his direction as she called out for him. He tried to move towards her but he stumbled and fell against something soft. Craning his neck he looked up at her just in time to see her collapse against the floor, a tremor winding its' way through her small frame. "Buffy!" Xander screamed, not caring that the scream that ripped from his mouth sent a jolt of pain though his vocal cords.
"Xander.."
"Buffy!" He called out again, not paying attention to the new voice calling his name. He tried to move towards where she lay, still convulsing on the ground but found that he was being held to where he lay by some invisible force.
"Xander, wake up!" The new voice called out again. Xander blinked; he knew that voice.
"Will?" he murmured as he tried desperately to find some focus. He blinked again and the dark room where he and Buffy had been vanished into a wash of white light. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was lying on a bed in Ms. Calendar's house. He glanced around him and saw that all of the other occupants of the house, except Shawn were surrounding him.
"Are you okay?" Willow asked, offering him a hand so that he could sit up. He looked at her strangely. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"No," he answered distractedly. He looked at Giles, "I was talking to Buffy.."
"You mean you were dreaming." Giles replied.
"No..yes..no."
"Well, which is it?" Angel asked. "I mean you were screaming her name."
Xander looked confused for a moment and then he murmured, "Did she..did Buffy just have one of those weird convulsions she's been having?"
Angel nodded, "Yeah..it was an especially violent one. Kersey thinks it's because the medication he gave her earlier has worn off. He gave her a sedative and he's examining her right now."
"I know." Xander said standing up and pacing in front of the bed anxiously.
"What?" Willow asked in confusion.
"I was there when she had the convulsion. Giles..I know you're all 'look, call Charter' but I was talking to Buffy and not like dream Buffy..believe me...if it were dream Buffy..she'd..well..nevermind..but it was like it was her..like Billy.."
"Dream body..of course." Giles said softly as he snapped his fingers.
"Of course..this all makes sense to you?" Willow asked, eyes wide. She glanced over at Xander who'd reseated himself next to her on the bed.
"She's projecting." Giles murmured. He chewed his lip for a moment thoughtfully before he looked up at the others. "Um, Buffy's a Slayer.."
"This we already know," Angel hissed impatiently. Giles gave him a look and he fell silent.
"Slayer's tend to have telepathic abilities...most are quite subdued and are at a level where they are barely mentionable. However, it has been known to happen that Slayers' have reached out with their minds to those they share a deep connection with whenever they can't use their bodies." Giles explained.
"What does that mean?" Xander asked. "I mean, we're friends, yes..good friends..but why me?"
"You gave her life," Angel murmured, looking up at the boy. "After the Master killed her, you breathed life back into her. You created a bond that only one other person ever has..her mother. She's connected to you." There was a trace of sadness and perhaps jealousy in his voice but he concealed it well beneath his deep concern.
"That's right," Giles said, nodding. "If Buffy is projecting..then she'll go to you or to her mother."
"That's not good," Willow said, eyes widening.
"No, she doesn't know what's going on..she thinks she's been captured and that she's been injected with drugs..she doesn't understand,"Xander said, his words running into each other in both fear and excitement.
"Hopefully, we won't have to worry about. Xander, I need you to tell me everything you can about.."
"We've got a problem," Shawn Kersey said from the doorway. Everyone turned to look at him.
"What kind of problem?" Calendar asked, gripping Giles arm.
Kersey moved further into the room, "Buffy just woke up."
"Wel..that's good!" Willow gushed. She looked at the others, "It's good..right?"
"Um..yes." Giles stammered, his eyes still focused on Kersey. "That is good, what's wrong?"
Kersey took a deep breath, "I suspect that Buffy sustained more of an injury from her concussion than we expected or anticipated without having seen the results of the EKG and CAT scans."
"Meaning what?" Angel asked, a cold dread winding it's way through his body as he stared back at Kersey who was gazing at him with a passive, almost impartial look in his eyes.
"Meaning she can't see. Buffy is blind."
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