Nocturnal Bravura Book Two: The Healing

Out Of The Mouth Of Madness

William looked at the wooden cross and stake sitting on Lizzie’s old computer desk. The candlelight danced off the wood in the darkness.

He heard a whimper come from the bed.

He watched as Lizzie laid there restless as if she was struggling with something in her sleep. Fear crept through him. What if she awaked as Buffy? Disoriented looking for her Daddy.

Spike...

Was he back as well? If so why was he not with her?

Lizzie woke up briefly through the last two nights only to drink bagged pig’s blood keeping her demon satisfied.

William vowed not to make the same mistakes he did the last time around. He brought her to The Summer’s home promptly calling his father over.

William feared Rupert would tear into him for not killing her but to his shock and amazement he did not. Instead he called Willow over and the two began to place wards on the house keeping other creatures at bay.

The three of them took turns watching over Lizzie during the last two days. Xander, Anya and Oz had offered but Rupert aired on the side of caution. If she did awake only William could deal with her physically while both Rupert and Willow could keep an attack on them at bay through magic.

The most painful action was telling Dawnie. Dawn wanted nothing more to go and see her sister. She begged on a nightly basis. But William pointed out that if Lizzie was disoriented or violent they would have to deal with that.

“I wouldn’t be able to deal with her if you were there Bit. Please if it’s safe we will get you straight away.” William promised.

“What make you think you could even without me there Will?” Dawn asked quietly.

“Intuitive as ever.” William thought.

He was not sure either. But somehow he got Dawnie to relent.

William sat and watched for a moment. She was laying there dressed in one of Willow’s nightgowns.

He did not want to see her in one white ones she had wore all those times she was so confused and lost. He opted to use Joyce’s bathroom to clean her up still not wanting to step into the room he found her in that horrible night.

So many questions floated through his mind. He heard her stir.

William looked over at the bed just in time to watch Lizzie raise herself into the sitting position.

For a moment he thought about grabbing the crucifix but stopped himself.

“You don’t need that.” He heard quietly.

William saw Lizzie staring at the cross. Her eyes met William.

“Really it’s o.k.” Lizzie said.

William crossed his arms fighting the storm of emotions inside of him.

“How long was I out of it? I mean here...” Lizzie asked gesturing to the bed.

“Forty eight hours. Forty Nine counting this one but this one doesn’t count does it?” William joked.

“God you still act like a Bloody Ponce around her.” William thought.

Lizzie chuckled.

“It feels like longer.” Lizzie said quietly.

William walked closer to the bed.

“Lizzie, what do you remember?” William asked.

Lizzie looked down.

“Everything is really blurry. There were moments but I knew a lot of time passed between those moments. I remember you.” Lizzie said looking up at William.

“Sometimes I would know we were fighting and then we would stop. I remember seeing Willow for a second. I remember Spike...” Lizzie said her voice trailing off thick with emotion.

“Lizzie, about Spike....” William started.

“He’s not here.” Lizzie said quietly.

“How do you know?” William asked.

Lizzie touched the bite marks on her neck.

“I...I don’t feel him. I mean I always feel him but I don‘t feel his call.” Lizzie explained.

William took a deep breath. Of course Buffy and Spike were claimed mates. She would feel his pull if he was in this world. It would call her until she found him.

“What happened to me? I mean I got the vampire part pretty straight. When I came back I wanted blood I felt the demon in me demand it. But I couldn’t feed. I didn’t want to kill.” Lizzie said.

William sat down at the edge of the bed.

“You have a soul Lizzie.” William said.

“A Soul?” Lizzie asked.

“A vampire with a soul? How lame is that?” Lizzie sighed resting her head against the headboard.

William chuckled.

“The Bit said the same thing.” William laughed.

“Dawnie?” Lizzie questioned.

“Does she know? I mean is she o.k.?” Lizzie asked.

William’s heart nearly melted right there. This was Lizzie. The Lizzie he remembered. Her concern and love for her sister shone so brightly.

“She knows Pet. She can’t wait to see you.” William replied.

“I’m not ready for that yet not until I get some things straight.” Lizzie said.

An awkward moment passed between the two old friends.

“So tell me how did I get this lovely party favor?” Lizzie asked.

“There was this vampire Angelus. He was cursed with a soul and lost it when he felt a moment of true happiness. His girlfriend brought a this thing it was called The Orb Of Thesulah it restores the holder their soul. It was meant for Angelus but you picked it up before he could.” William explained.

“So if I feel a moment of true happiness I start acting like humans are happy meals on legs?” Lizzie asked.

William shook his head.

“The Orb did not have that curse attached to it.” William replied.

He thought of Cordelia in that moment. How painful it must have been to have so much hope in her hands just to watch it all slip away.

“So I have a soul. Which would explain why I don’t want to hurt you.” Lizzie said softly.

She looked around the room belatedly realizing where she was.

“I’m in my room.” She observed.

William nodded.

“Da and I thought about bringing you to the house but we weren’t sure..” William stopped himself.

Lizzie sighed.

“It was the right call.” Lizzie assured him.

“Lizzie, do you know where you were?” William asked.

Lizzie closed her eyes.

“Not too sure. There was so much pain, rage, hopelessness. I felt like I was on fire the whole time. The suddenly I felt myself being pulled. The next thing I remember I was in this room in a mansion or something.” Lizzie explained.

“That.. that was your mansion. Yours and Spike’s.” William said.

Lizzie closed her eyes for a moment. Struggling to remember.

Suddenly she gasped.

There was a girl, bound and gagged.

Lizzie remembered taking a bite out of her neck.

William instinctively knew she most have remembered something about her time in the mansion.

Lizzie closed her eyes burying her head.

“Lizzie, Pet...” William whispered.

“Please Will. I need to be alone.” Lizzie cried.

“No I’m not leaving you alone.” William said calmly.

“Please leave!” Lizzie cried.

“NO!” William screamed jumping up.

Lizzie looked at him shocked.

“I can’t. I won’t never again.” William said quietly.

Lizzie looked at him the anguish in his eyes.

“My God William what have I done to you?” Lizzie cried.

William sat down next to Lizzie. He wrapped his arms around her.

Lizzie was back and safe in his arms.

“God what am I Doing?” He thought.

He was taking advantage of her. He knew she was clinging to him because he was all she had. It was not right he knew it. But Lizzie was here. He had missed her so much. His world was so empty.

She didn’t know about so much. When she found out. When she remembered.

When he had to tell her it was him that help turn her into a vampire….

He jumped out of her arms as if he was being burned.

“I’m sorry I know I am cold.” Lizzie muttered.

“No Lizzie it‘s not that.” William said.

Lizzie looked up at him questioningly.

William closed his eyes.

“Your going to have a lot of questions when you start remembering things. And I don’t want you to...What I mean is well there are a lot you don’t know.” William said sitting down again.

Lizzie sank down in her bed.

“For instance, what was I doing in that crypt when you came and rescued me..” William started.

“You’re The Slayer.” Lizzie said.

William looked at her shock.

Perhaps the all the memories were returning.

“You remember then.” He replied.

“No I don’t remember. Not the way you think.” Lizzie corrected.

“I don’t understand.” William said.

Lizzie closed her eyes and whispered.

“There’s a lot you don’t know either....”